ROI6 min readUpdated 2026-09-28
How Much Money Are You Losing to Missed Calls?
As many as 62% of small-business calls never reach a live person, according to a widely cited 2016 analysis by 411 Locals. Most owners know missed calls are a problem. Few know what they cost. Here's how to put a dollar figure on the gap, with the math shown so you can use your own numbers.
The miss rate is higher than you think
411 Locals' 2016 analysis of small-business calls found only 37.8% were answered by a person. Another 37.8% went to voicemail, and 24.3% got no answer at all.
Voicemail doesn't close the gap: fewer than 3% of callers pushed to voicemail leave a message, according to Invoca.
When do calls get missed? Most often:
• During a job (hands dirty, can't pick up)
• During appointments (dentist, medspa, salon)
• During the busiest stretches of the day
• After hours and on weekends
Your own rate is in your phone's call log: count the calls nobody picked up last month.
What a missed call can cost, by industry
The ticket values below are illustrative examples, not measurements and not our customer data. Swap in your own:
| Industry / call type | Example ticket value | Lost per missed call if half would have booked |
|---|---|---|
| Plumbing (emergency) | $2,500 | $1,250 |
| Plumbing (service call) | $380 | $190 |
| HVAC (installation) | $8,200 | $4,100 |
| HVAC (service call) | $290 | $145 |
| Dental (new patient) | $1,800/yr LTV | $900/yr |
| Auto repair | $620 | $310 |
| Law firm (consult) | $3,500+ | $1,750+ |
| Hair salon (new client) | $85/visit | $43/visit |
The math for a plumbing business
Take a 2-truck plumbing operation getting 60 calls per month. Every input below is an example; use your own:
• **60 calls/mo × 38% missed = 23 missed calls/month**
• Of those 23, ~16 were people trying to book (70% of calls)
• Average ticket: $600 (blended service + emergency)
• Close rate if answered: 65%
**16 missed booking calls × 65% close rate × $600 = $6,240/month in lost revenue**
At $279/month, answering those calls would cover the receptionist about 22.4 times over — before counting reviews, repeat business, or referrals from customers who got through.
Weekend calls matter
Customers who wake up to an emergency (a burst pipe, a dead A/C in July, a car that won't start before a trip) are ready to buy, and many shops are short-staffed or closed on a Saturday morning.
A receptionist that answers every weekend call gives those callers a reason not to dial the next business on the list.
Calculate your own number
**Step 1:** Count your calls for the last 30 days (your phone's call log has them).
**Step 2:** Count the ones nobody answered. That's your miss rate.
**Step 3:** Multiply missed calls × average ticket × the share you'd close.
**Example:** 80 calls/mo with 30 missed × $800 average × 60% close = **$14,400/month**.
Treat that as a ceiling, not a forecast: not every missed caller would have booked, and some call back.
Vs. $279/mo to answer every call.
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