What does a missed call cost a home services business?
A missed call costs a home services business roughly its average ticket times the share of missed callers who would have booked. In a worked example with 8 missed calls a week, 1 in 3 callers ready to book and a $350 average ticket, that is about $48,500 a year in jobs that go to someone else.
Updated October 24, 2026
The simple formula
Missed calls per year × share who would have booked × average ticket = revenue lost. Most callers who reach voicemail do not leave a message; they call the next company.
Worked example
- Assume 8 missed calls a week, or 416 a year
- Assume 1 in 3 would have booked: about 139 jobs
- Assume a $350 average ticket
- Result: about $48,500 a year (worked example, not a guarantee)
How to find your own numbers
- Your phone system or carrier can show missed and unanswered calls by hour
- Your field service software shows average ticket
- After hours and weekend calls are usually the most valuable, because they are often urgent
Ways to stop missing calls
Options include a live answering service, an AI receptionist you set up yourself, or an AI receptionist built and trained for your business. Each has tradeoffs; see the comparison below.
Hear an AI receptionist right now. Call 313-497-5515 and talk to Jerry, our own AI receptionist.