The SaifHaven Gazette
Missed calls: what they cost a contractor and how to stop losing them
Updated
The article
The short answer
Every missed call from a new customer is a job that may go to the next company they call. You can estimate what that costs your business with four numbers from your own phone log and job records, then cut the losses: route calls so someone answers, call back quickly, send one helpful reply when you can’t pick up, and track which calls turn into paid work.
The worksheet: four numbers from your own records
Do the math
Multiply your weekly count of new-customer missed calls by the share that usually become jobs, then by your average job value. That’s a rough weekly figure. Multiply it by the weeks you work in a year to see the size of it. It’s an estimate built only from your own numbers, and it assumes a missed caller would have become a job as often as the callers you do reach, so treat it as the high end of a guide, not a forecast.
Ways to answer more calls
- Route calls to a second phone, the office or an answering service when you’re on a roof or driving.
- Set the opening hours on your Google Business Profile to match when someone can actually answer.
- Record a short voicemail greeting that says when you’ll call back and how to reach you by text or form.
- Block time each day to call back every missed new caller.
When you can’t pick up
Some businesses send one short text to a missed caller, such as “Sorry we missed your call. How can we help?”, so the customer knows someone will get back to them. Texting has rules: register your business number for texting, honor STOP right away, and check the rules that apply to you before you start.
Track calls to paid jobs
A call log tells you how many calls you missed. To know what they were worth, connect calls and form requests to the quotes and invoices that came from them. Then you can see which sources bring paid work, not just rings.
General information for business owners, not legal, tax or advertising advice. Check the rules that apply to your business and your area.
Questions, answered.
Where do I find how many calls I missed?
Your phone’s recent calls list is a start. Most business phone services and many carriers also keep a call history you can export.
Is it okay to text people back automatically?
Replying once to someone who just called you is common, but texting rules still apply. Register your number for business texting, honor STOP, and check with someone who knows the rules for your state before you switch it on.
What if most missed calls are spam?
Then your real number is smaller, which is good to know. Count only the calls from people who could have become customers.
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