Callback requests: the right number, from the person who asked.
A “request a callback” form is quick to build, but every request is only as good as the number typed into it. This guide shows why callback requests come with typos, test numbers and other people’s numbers, and how a callback request without a contact form gives you a verified number from the person who actually asked.
- Why callback numbers are wrong
- Who pays for a wasted call
- A callback request in one message
Christian Schätzlein, Founder and developer of Sendity
3 min read
Which calls will be wasted?
Tap the suspicious requests, then reveal.
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Real Asked about pricing, picked up on the first try.
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Wasted call Two digits short: a typo on the phone keyboard.
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Wasted call Typed to get past the required field.
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Real Wanted a call after 5 pm, reached in the evening.
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Wasted call Bot at night, number from a list of examples.
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Cannot tell A valid number. Whether it belongs to Schulz or to a colleague who was entered as a joke, no form can tell.
Sign-ups by message. No form, no code.
Sendity is a sign-up widget for your website. Instead of filling in a form, your visitors send one short message via WhatsApp or email. Sendity checks who it came from and hands your site the name and the confirmed phone number or email address.
See how Sendity works →-
One message instead of a form Visitors tap send in WhatsApp or their email app. Nothing to type, no confirmation email to click.
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Confirmed by the message itself The contact comes from the sender of the message, so typos and made-up addresses never reach your list.
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Pay per confirmed contact Start with 1,000 free credits, no credit card. After that, prepaid packages with no subscription.
A typed number shows what someone entered, not whose phone rings.
Typos
Phone numbers are long and typed on small keyboards. A missing or swapped digit is enough, and the person waits for a call that never comes.
Test and fake numbers
A required phone field makes people who only want a brochure type 0123 456789. Bots fill in example numbers.
Other people’s numbers
Anyone can enter a colleague’s or an ex-partner’s number. You then call someone who never asked, and they are rightly annoyed.
What checks can do
A format check catches numbers that are too short. Whether the number is in use and belongs to the person asking, no check on the form can tell.
The number from the sender
With reverse OTP, the visitor sends a short message from their phone instead of typing the number. The number comes from the sender, so it is correct and the person asked for the call themselves.
A callback request in one message.
Three steps for the visitor, nothing to type.
Tap “Request a callback”
On the phone, WhatsApp opens with a prepared message. On a computer, a QR code does the same.
Send the message
Without WhatsApp, the visitor can send the code by SMS if you allow it.
Call back
Your team gets the verified number and the topic, and calls someone who is expecting it.
Callback form or verified request?
What your team gets with each way.
| Aspect | Callback form | With Sendity |
|---|---|---|
| Typos | Noticed when the call fails | Nothing is typed |
| Other people’s numbers | Anyone can enter one | Only your own phone can send |
| Bots | Need CAPTCHA or honeypot | Need a real phone to send |
| Effort for the visitor | Name, number, time, topic | One tap on send |
What verified callbacks change.
Fewer calls into the void, more conversations.
Every number rings
Your team stops dialling numbers that do not exist.
Nobody called unasked
You call the person who sent the message, not someone whose number was entered.
A channel already open
If nobody picks up, the visitor already knows where the request came from.
Live on your page in minutes.
Sendity runs as a compact widget on your page. Pick the path that fits your website.
Callback requests: common questions.
Can the visitor still choose a time?
Yes. Topic and preferred time can stay as two quick choices on your page. Only the phone number field goes.
Does verification prove consent to the call?
It shows that the owner of the number sent the request themselves. What your consent wording has to say, please check with your legal advisor.
What about landline numbers?
A message comes from a mobile number. If someone wants a call on the landline, keep an optional field for it.
Do I have to answer in WhatsApp?
No. The message only verifies the number. You call back as usual.
Keep reading.
Reviewed for accuracy in by Christian Schätzlein.
Callbacks to the right number.
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