The cost of missed calls for tradespeople: work out your own number
You will find big numbers online for what missed calls cost a trade business. We looked for an independent UK study behind them and did not find one we would stand behind. So rather than quote a figure, this guide shows you the sum and walks through examples where every input is on the page.
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The sum
Four numbers, all of which you can get from your own phone and your own diary:
- Missed calls a week that were new work, not friends, suppliers or sales calls.
- Your typical job value for that kind of enquiry.
- Your win rate: out of the enquiries you do answer, how many turn into paid work.
- Working weeks a year. We use 52; take off your holidays if you want to be strict.
Missed calls a week × job value × win rate × weeks = work lost a year.
It is deliberately simple. It ignores repeat work and referrals from customers you never got, so if anything it understates the cost. The calculator on our homepage uses the same sum.
Worked examples
These inputs are made up to show the arithmetic. They are not averages for each trade. Replace them with yours.
| Example | Missed a week | Job value | Win rate | Lost a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plumber | 1 | £280 | 35% | £5,096 |
| Electrician | 2 | £200 | 30% | £6,240 |
| Builder | 1 | £1,500 | 10% | £7,800 |
How much do missed calls cost a plumber?
Take the plumber row. One missed call a week, a £280 job, and a 35% chance of winning it: 1 × £280 × 35% × 52 = £5,096 a year. If you would rather think in single jobs: miss one £350 job a month and that is £4,200 a year.
Emergency work behaves differently. Someone with a burst pipe keeps ringing until somebody answers, so if you don't pick up you are unlikely to get that job at all, and if you do answer you are well placed to win it. So for emergency calls your win rate is high, and each one you miss costs more than a missed quote enquiry.
How to find your real numbers
- Check your call log for two weeks. Count missed calls from numbers you don't recognise, and note which you called back and what came of it.
- Look at your quotes. Your win rate is quotes won divided by quotes given. Use the last few months, not your best month.
- Count the time too. An hour most evenings returning calls is an hour of your week, even when every call is answered in the end.
- Measure it with the calls themselves. Divert the calls you can't take to an answering service or AI receptionist for a trial period and count the enquiries that come through.
For comparison, our Starter plan is £49 a month plus VAT for up to 50 calls. On the plumber example, one extra £280 job every couple of months brings in more than the plan costs, though your margin on the job is what really matters. Whether that holds for you depends on your own numbers, which is the point of working them out. See all plans.
Questions
How much do missed calls cost a plumber?
It depends on how many calls you miss, what the work is worth and how often you'd have won it. As an example with stated inputs: one missed call a week, a £280 job and a 35% chance of winning it comes to about £5,100 a year. Swap in your own numbers using the sum on this page.
Is there a UK statistic for how many callers never ring back?
Figures like that circulate online, but the ones we've been able to trace come from companies that sell call answering, not independent research. We don't rely on them. Your own call log over a couple of weeks is better evidence for your business than any national figure.
Should I count every missed call?
No. Leave out calls from people you know, suppliers, sales calls and anyone who left a message and got a callback in time. Count the unknown numbers that never turned into work.
What is a sensible win rate to use?
Use your own. If you quote ten jobs and win three, use 30%. For emergency work, where the first trade to answer usually gets it, your rate on answered calls may be higher. For big quoted jobs it is usually lower.
Related
- How to never miss a call on the jobDivert codes, voicemail that works, and the answering options compared.Read more
- For plumbersHow an AI receptionist handles burst pipes, quotes and landlord calls.Read more
- All tradesPick your trade to see the calls it handles and how urgent jobs reach you.Read more
Find out what you are missing with your own calls.
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