The real cost of a missed call.

Do the math for your business

Take a Thunder Bay plumber. Three missed calls a week, average job worth $400, and 62% of those callers dialing a competitor next: that’s roughly $38,000 a yearwalking to someone else’s schedule — from just three calls a week. A salon missing five booking calls a week at $60 a visit loses about $9,600 a year, before counting repeat visits from those clients.

The formula is simple: missed calls per week × your average sale × 0.62 (the share of callers research suggests try a competitor next) × 52. Most owners who run it once stop arguing with it.

Why voicemail doesn’t save you

Voicemail feels like a safety net, but callers treat it as a dead end: industry studies estimate four out of five hang up without leaving a message, and surveys suggest most people ignore voicemail entirely. Worse, missed and unreturned calls show up in your reputation — one review-analysis study found roughly 37% of 1-star reviews cited missed or unreturned phone calls.

What answering every call actually requires

A full-time receptionist costs $35,000+ a year and still goes home at 5. A human answering service charges per minute and mostly takes messages. The third option is an AI receptionist: it answers every call instantly, 24/7, collects the caller’s details, books appointments, and texts you a summary — for a flat monthly rate. See our Canadian pricing guide or the FAQ for the honest trade-offs.