What happened when we texted 1,100 past customers.

One Australian service business let us get back in touch with customers it hadn't heard from in a while. Here's what came back. The business and its customers stay anonymous.

We texted 1,100 of one business’s past customers. 791 wrote back. The owner reported an estimated 12–20 sales.

71.9% typed a reply, June to August 2026.

17 minutes

From the first text to a recorded booking, in a separate example from October 2026.

"This Friday 3pm sounds perfect thank you"

A customer agreeing to a booking time.

"Keep us on your contact list, your service was very good."

A customer who didn't need anything yet, and was glad to hear from the business.

"Good question, I don't have pricing off the top of my head. Let me get the details from [staff member] and have him call you back. What's the best time to reach you today?"

An assistant response handing a pricing question to the team.

People reply when the message is about them.

These customers knew the business, and the first message was a genuine check-in, not a sales blast. We believe that's what drove the replies, and it's why every test starts with your own list and your own words.

Fifteen minutes. A straight answer.

Tell Wade where things go quiet in your business. You'll leave knowing whether a free test makes sense, and if it doesn't, he'll tell you.

Book a 15-minute coffee with Wade