Why missed calls cost more than they seem.
An unanswered call does not show up on any invoice, so it is easy to ignore. But a caller who reaches voicemail has already decided to get in touch, and many will simply call the next business instead. CallRail's consumer research found that only 42% of callers leave a voicemail when nobody answers, so most missed callers leave no trace at all.
How often does it happen? CallRail's platform data puts the average at 28% of business calls going unanswered. Your rate may be higher at lunch, after hours and in busy seasons.
How the calculator works.
- Unanswered calls = calls per month × the share that go unanswered.
- Missed opportunities = unanswered calls × the share that are new customers. Existing customers, suppliers and spam are left out.
- Customers lost = missed opportunities that you do not win back later × the share of new callers who normally buy.
- Revenue lost = customers lost × the revenue from one new customer.
Only the unanswered-call rate starts from published data. The other defaults are example numbers: replace them with your own close rate and customer value for a figure you can act on.
A worked example.
A business receiving 400 calls a month and missing 28% of them has 112 unanswered calls. If 30% of those are new customers, that is about 34 opportunities. Winning back 20% later leaves about 27, and at a 40% close rate that is roughly 11 lost customers. At $500 each, that is about $5,400 a month, or $64,500 a year.
How to find your real numbers.
- Your phone provider's call log or dashboard shows answered, missed and voicemail calls.
- Count a sample week by hand and mark which callers were new.
- Your sales or booking records show how many new enquiries become customers.
- Average invoice, or first-year revenue per customer, gives a fair customer value.
Dental practices can use the dental version and law firms the law firm version, which start from figures for those industries.