Count a normal week from your phone's recent calls, including calls that rang out with no voicemail.
Some missed calls are spam or existing customers. Only count the ones that could have turned into work.
Leave it at 1x for one-off jobs. Raise it for regulars, like a salon client every six weeks.
Walking out the door each month
$2,598
About 10 customers a month call you, get no answer, and go to whoever picks up. Over a year that is $31,176.
A missed call is a customer you paid to get
Every ad, review, truck wrap, and Google listing exists to make the phone ring. When it rings and nobody answers, that spend is wasted. Many callers who reach voicemail never leave a message. They call the next business on the list.
Most owners have never put a dollar figure on it because a missed call leaves almost no trace. This calculator gives you a rough, honest number using only what you know about your own business.
How to use the missed call calculator
1
Count your missed calls
Open your phone’s recent calls or your carrier’s call log and count the missed calls in a normal week.
2
Estimate how many would book
Leave out spam and existing customers. Of the rest, how many usually turn into work when you do answer?
3
Enter what a job is worth
Use the average ticket, not your best job. Add repeat visits if customers come back during the year.
How the math works
Weekly missed calls times 4.33 weeks gives you missed calls a month. Multiply by the share that would have booked to get lost customers, then by the value of an average job. That is the money that went to whoever answered instead.
Why the number is usually higher than you think
The calculator only counts the first job. A new customer who would have come back, referred a neighbor, or left a review is worth more than one ticket. Use the repeat visits slider to see that side of it.
How to bring the number down
You can answer more calls yourself, hire help, use an answering service, or let an AI receptionist answer every call and book the job. The cheapest fix is the one that answers on the first ring, every time, including nights and weekends.
Or let FrontDesk Talk handle it
Answer every one of those calls for $99 a month
FrontDesk Talk picks up on the first ring, answers questions, books the job, and sends urgent calls to your cell. You get a Talk Note after every call.
Questions
How many calls does a small business miss?
It depends on the business. Owners who do the work themselves, like plumbers, stylists, and mechanics, often miss more than they think because the phone rings while their hands are busy. Count a normal week from your call log to get your real number.
Do callers leave a voicemail?
Some do, but many don’t, especially new customers who are calling several businesses. Compare your voicemails to your missed calls for the same week. The gap is the people who hung up.
What should I use for the value of a job?
Use your average ticket for a new customer, not your biggest job. If customers come back during the year, raise the repeat visits slider instead of inflating the job value.
Is this calculator really free?
Yes. There is no sign up and nothing is saved. The numbers stay in your browser.
How does FrontDesk Talk reduce missed calls?
It answers every call on the first ring, 24/7, books appointments on Real Talk and up, and texts back anyone who hangs up early. Plans start at $99 a month.
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