Leads · 6 min read
How much do missed calls really cost a trades business?
A simple way for HVAC, plumbing, electrical and roofing owners to estimate the revenue lost to unanswered calls, with worked examples and what to do about it.
By Srikanth, founder of Scalemint · Updated
Every owner knows the feeling: you climb down from a job, check your phone and see three missed calls from numbers you don't recognise. Some of them were spam. Some were jobs. The question is how many, and what they were worth.
The simple formula
You only need three numbers you already have a feel for:
- Missed calls in a month. Check your phone's call log or your phone provider's dashboard for a typical week and multiply by four.
- Booking rate. Out of every 100 real callers you do speak to, how many turn into a booked job?
- Average job value. What does a typical job bring in, before costs?
Lost revenue per month = missed calls × booking rate × average job value
Worked examples
A two-truck HVAC company
20 missed calls a month, 25 out of 100 callers would book, $600 average service call. That's 20 × 0.25 × $600 = $3,000 a month, or about $36,000 a year. That doesn't count the replacement work some of those customers would have needed later.
A solo plumber
12 missed calls, 40% booking rate (emergency calls book often), $450 average job: 12 × 0.4 × $450 = $2,160 a month.
A roofing company after a storm
One windy weekend can bring 60 missed calls. Even at 10% booking and $1,200 average repair, that's $7,200 from a single weekend.
Why voicemail doesn't save the call
People calling a trades business usually have a problem right now: no heat, a leak, a stuck garage door. When they reach voicemail, most don't leave a message. They go back to Google and call the next listing. By the time you return the call, they've often booked someone else.
What you can do about it
- Answer more calls. Hiring a dispatcher or answering service works, but costs a salary or a per-minute fee.
- Reply faster. A text that goes out within seconds tells the caller their message landed, and asks what they need. Many will wait for your call back rather than keep dialling.
- Track it. Whatever you choose, count missed calls each week so you can see whether it's working.
Try your own numbers with the calculator on our home page, or book a free call and we'll work them out together.
Common questions
What's a realistic booking rate for trades calls?
It varies by trade and urgency. Emergency service calls often book at 30–50%, while quote requests for large projects are lower. Use your own experience for the most accurate estimate.
Should I count spam calls?
No. Only count calls from real potential customers. If you can't tell, assume a share of unknown numbers are spam and leave them out.