The quick math. Missed calls a week × the share that would have become customers × what an average customer is worth × 52 weeks = what missed calls cost you a year.
Say you miss 8 calls a week from new numbers, and one in four of those people would have hired you. That’s two lost customers a week. At $350 a job, it comes to about $36,400 a year. Use your own numbers: even at half of these, it adds up fast.
Work out your own number
Missed calls could be costing you about $36,400 a year.
A rough estimate, not a forecast. Repeat customers and referrals make the real figure higher.
Why missed calls cost more than you think
- Most callers don’t leave a voicemail. Someone with a problem to solve now would rather try the next business than wait for a call back.
- Urgent jobs go to whoever answers first. A burst pipe, a dead AC in July or a new legal problem: the caller has a list of results on their phone and works down it.
- You miss calls at the worst times. When you’re busiest, on a job or with a client, at lunch, and after hours, when emergencies happen.
- You already paid for that call. Your website, your ads, your truck wrap and your Google reviews all exist to make the phone ring. A missed call wastes that spend.
Find out how many calls you miss
- Open your phone’s call log, or your phone provider’s online account, and pick a typical week.
- Count the unanswered calls from numbers that aren’t already in your contacts.
- Count how many of those left a voicemail. The difference is your leak.
- Check the calls figure in your Google Business Profile’s performance report too, to see how many calls come from search and Maps.
Six ways to stop losing missed calls
1. Missed-call text-back
When a call goes unanswered, an automatic text goes back within seconds: who you are, a quick sorry, and a question about what they need. The caller gets a reply while they’re still looking, and their answer lands on your phone or in your CRM. It works around the clock and costs far less than a receptionist. (Landlines can’t receive texts, so those callers still need a call back.) Here’s how missed-call text-back works.
2. A voicemail greeting that does some work
Keep it short, say when you’ll call back, and offer a faster route: “Text this number and we’ll reply within the hour,” or “Book online at yourbusiness.com.”
3. Online booking
Let customers pick a time on your website or Business Profile, so they don’t need to reach you at all. It suits estimates, consultations and routine service visits.
4. Call forwarding or a ring group
Ring a second phone, such as the office manager or a partner, before a call goes to voicemail. Most business phone services can do this at no extra cost.
5. An answering service
A live receptionist answers, takes details and may book the job. It costs more, usually per minute or per call, but it can pay for itself when every call is worth a lot, as in law or emergency repairs.
6. A call-back rule
Decide who returns missed calls and how fast, for example within 15 minutes during business hours, and stick to it. A rule turns “I’ll get to it” into a habit.
What a good text-back message looks like
Hi, this is [your business]. Sorry we missed your call, we’re out on a job. What can we help you with? A real person will text you back shortly. Reply STOP to opt out.
- Say who you are in the first few words, so it isn’t mistaken for spam.
- Ask one simple question that starts the conversation.
- Set an expectation you can keep (“shortly”, “within the hour”).
- Include an easy way to opt out.
Keep it to the call they made: don’t add those numbers to marketing texts without permission. In the US, business texting numbers also have to be registered with the carriers, which is part of any proper setup.
Where Total Stack fits
We build missed-call text-back as a fixed-price project for Atlanta businesses, wired to your phone, your CRM or just your cell. Every website we build also puts a tap-to-call button and a short form where customers can see them, and every form lead lands in your client portal and your inbox. Not sure which fix suits you? We’ll look at your setup on a free consult.