An on-the-way text is a small courtesy that saves a surprising amount of fuss. It tells the customer you have actually set off, gives them a time they can plan around, and cuts the “are you still coming?” calls that arrive when you are already driving. Used badly, though, it becomes another message that does not mean what it says.
The rule is simple: send it when you are really on the way, with a time you can stand behind. Not at 8am for a job that is “sometime today”. Not after you have already arrived and are looking for a parking space.
Send it when you leave, with a time attached
The useful moment is when you start the journey — keys in the van, route in mind, no other stop planned before their door. A short message in your name is enough:
Hi, it’s Sam at Example Heating. I’m on the way — I should be with you in about 20 minutes.
Name yourself, say you are on the way, and give a time window you believe. “About 20 minutes” is more useful than “soon”, and more honest than a precise 11:07 you cannot keep. If traffic is usually messy in your area, give yourself a little room rather than a tight promise.
When not to send it
Do not send an on-the-way text if you have not left, or if you still have another job to finish “quickly” first. If the visit is not yet confirmed, or you are only pencilled in, a “I’m on my way” message will confuse people. If you have no idea when you will arrive, it is better to say so on a call, or to offer a wider window, than to guess.
- Do not use it as a marketing message, or bolt on a review request in the same text. This one is only about arrival.
- Do not send it the night before and hope it still feels true in the morning.
- Do not rely on it if you are not actually going — for example if a previous job has overrun and you need to rearrange. In that case, say that plainly.
Why it helps both of you
From the customer’s side, an arrival text is practical. They can put the dog in another room, get back from the shops, clear a cupboard, or make sure someone is in. From your side, it reduces those mid-journey calls that are awkward to take safely, and it sets a calmer tone before you knock on the door.
It also closes a gap that missed-call text-back cannot cover on its own. Catching the enquiry is one thing. Staying in touch until you are on the drive is another. The two messages do different jobs, and they should sound like the same firm.
How to send it without fiddling about in the van
The easiest versions are a saved template on your phone, or a button in a system that sends a standard message when you tell it you have set off. The wording can stay the same; only the time needs a thought. If someone else is doing the sending for you, agree the wording once, and agree that it goes out when you start the journey — not automatically at a set hour.
If the time slips, or you cannot find the place
A good on-the-way text is a promise of a sort. If you are going to be substantially later than you said, say so as soon as you know. A second message — “I’m running about 15 minutes behind, sorry” — is better than arriving late in silence. If you cannot find the house or the access code does not work, a call or a text at that point is part of the same courtesy, not a new campaign.
If you arrive earlier than expected, a quick “I’m a little early — I can wait in the van if that’s easier” can be just as welcome, especially for customers who work from home or have children in the house.
If you only change one thing
Stop treating “I’ll be there this afternoon” as an arrival update. When you actually set off, send a short text in your name with a realistic time. Then, if the time changes, say so. It is a small habit, and it is one that customers notice for the right reason.
