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What missed calls really cost a small business

Most owners do not know how many calls they miss. Three numbers give you a rough answer, and a first step that matches it.

3 minute read. Updated 21 October 2026.

Nobody sends you a bill for the customer who rang, got voicemail and called the next business. Three numbers get you a rough idea of what that costs.

The three numbers

  • Calls per week: your phone bill or call log shows it.
  • The share you miss: after hours, at lunch, when everyone is busy. Count for one week.
  • What a new customer is worth: the first job or the first year, not just one visit.

A worked example

Say you get 80 calls a week and miss a quarter of them. One in five of those callers would have become a customer worth S$300. That is about 87 missed calls a month, 17 lost customers and roughly S$5,200 of revenue slipping away. These are illustrative figures: use your own.

What to do with the answer

  • If it is small, voicemail and a quick callback may be enough.
  • If it is large, start with after-hours cover. It is the cheapest first step and the easiest to try.
  • After a month, replace your guesses with the real missed-call count from a dashboard.

General information for businesses, not legal advice.

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