Insights · Lost Work
The quiet cost of missed calls (and why voicemail's a dead end)
If you're missing calls, you're not just losing a call — you're losing about 85% of the work behind it.
01The 85% number, plainly
Someone rings a plumber. They get voicemail. They call the next plumber. That's it — you're not on the callback list. Repeatedly verified across small-business call data since 2022.
02The cheapest fix that actually works
A missed-call SMS that goes out inside 30 seconds. Copy that says 'Sorry we missed you — quickest way to book is [link]'. Bookings you'd otherwise never see.
03Why SaaS-only isn't the answer
Off-the-shelf tools (Missed-It, OpenPhone) work — but they charge a monthly subscription for something you can own outright on Twilio for cents per SMS. Same result, no ongoing fee.
If this is the leak you recognised, twenty minutes with us finds out what it actually costs.
Before you ask.
How many missed calls does the average two-person crew get a week?
Enough that fixing this alone often pays for the whole Leak Check. In our audits, 20-40% of after-hours enquiries go to voicemail.
Won't clients find an SMS weird?
The opposite. Most people prefer text to being on hold. As long as the copy reads like a human wrote it, they book.
