Missed calls cost small businesses money: how to work out your number
By Isitolo Ahio, Novi Digital · · 4 min read
Every small business misses calls. You're on a job, with a customer, or it's after hours. The question is what each missed call costs you. You can get a useful estimate with four numbers you probably already know.
The four numbers
- Missed calls per week. Check your phone's call log for a typical week and count the calls you didn't pick up or didn't call back. If you don't track it, use a rough guess and adjust later.
- The share that were new customers. Some missed calls are suppliers, wrong numbers or existing customers. What fraction were people asking for work?
- The share you'd have won. Not every enquiry becomes a job. Think about how many new enquiries you normally turn into work when you do talk to them.
- Average job value. What a typical job is worth to you in revenue.
The formula
Multiply them together:
missed calls per week × share that were new customers × share you'd have won × average job value × 52
That gives you an estimate of the revenue you lose in a year to unanswered calls.
A worked example (made-up numbers)
These numbers are only an illustration. Swap in your own.
- Missed calls per week: 8
- Share that were new customers: 50%, so 4 calls
- Share you'd have won: 50%, so 2 jobs a week
- Average job value: $300
2 jobs × $300 = $600 a week. Over 52 weeks that's $31,200 in revenue a year. These are estimates, not promises: your own numbers might be higher or lower, and some callers who reach voicemail will try again.
Don't forget the calls you never see
Your call log shows missed calls, but not the people who got voicemail and hung up without leaving a message. Those never appear anywhere. If your phone shows many short or unanswered calls from unknown numbers during working hours, treat your estimate as a floor rather than a ceiling.
What you can do about it
Once you know your number, you can decide how much effort it deserves. Options include:
- Return every call quickly. A same-hour callback wins back some customers, but you have to find the time.
- Send an automatic text after a missed call. It tells the caller you saw the call and gives them a way to reach you or book.
- Hire or share a receptionist. It works well but costs a regular wage or retainer.
- Use an AI receptionist. It answers every call 24/7, captures details, books appointments and transfers calls when needed.
Putting a price against it
The Novi AI Receptionist is $599 a month, or $7,188 over twelve months ($599 × 12), with no setup fee and no lock-in. It includes 300 call minutes and 200 texts each month, and extra use is billed monthly in arrears ($0.80 per call minute, $0.20 per text). If you plug your own numbers into the formula and the result is a lot higher than that, it may be worth a closer look. If it's lower, it probably isn't the right fit yet, and that's a fair answer too.
The same arithmetic works for any fix. Compare what it costs with what the missed calls are costing you.
Check your assumptions
The formula is only as good as the inputs. A few ways to make it more honest:
- Count for a few weeks rather than guessing from one.
- Be conservative on the share you'd have won.
- Use revenue from the job, then think about your margin separately.
- Remember that a happy customer can come back and refer others, which isn't in the formula.
Next steps
If you'd like to run your numbers with someone, book a free 15-minute discovery call. You can also read what an AI receptionist actually does, or hear one by ringing 0485 074 747.
Want to talk it through?
Book a free 15-minute discovery call with Isitolo, or ring 0485 074 747 to hear Alex, our AI receptionist.