How the calculator works
The math is simple, and you can check it by hand:
- Missed calls per month = missed calls per week × 4.33 (52 weeks ÷ 12 months).
- Real job requests = missed calls × the share that were real customers (not spam, sales calls or existing customers calling back).
- Jobs lost = real job requests × the share you would normally win when you do pick up.
- Revenue lost = jobs lost × your average job value.
The last line shows the break-even: how many jobs a call-answering tool has to save each month to cover its own price. If a tool costs $100 a month and your average job is $350, it pays for itself if it saves about one job every three months.
Where to find your real numbers
- Missed calls: your phone provider’s call log or app usually lists missed and unanswered calls. Count a normal week, and a busy one.
- Share of real jobs: listen to voicemails for a week, or call a sample of missed numbers back.
- Win rate: of the calls you do answer, how many turn into a booked job? Your field service software may report it.
- Average job value: total revenue divided by number of jobs over the last few months.
What this calculator doesn’t count
It only counts the first job. A new customer may come back for maintenance plans, repeat repairs and referrals, so the real cost of a lost caller is often higher. It also ignores the cost of the time spent calling people back.
How to stop missing calls
You have three main options:
- Hire or share a person to answer the phone. Reliable, but expensive and hard to cover at night and on weekends.
- Use an answering service with live agents, usually billed by the minute or by the call.
- Use an AI receptionist that answers every call, 24/7, and can book jobs into your calendar.
We explain the trade-offs in AI receptionist vs answering service, and compare the tools in our AI receptionist rankings.