Short answer: Missed call text back pays for itself when the jobs it brings back are worth more than it costs. Work it out as: missed callers who never got a call back, times the share who reply to the text, times the share you book, times your average job value, minus the monthly cost.
The formula
Missed callers you never called back, per month
From your call log. See how to count missed calls.
The share who reply to a text
Unknown until you try it. Start with a low guess and replace it with your own number after a month.
The share of those you book
Use your normal booking rate for phone leads.
Your average job value
Repairs and replacements separately, if they’re very different.
Minus the monthly cost
The service, plus texting fees if they’re separate.
A worked example
| Input | Example | Running total |
|---|---|---|
| Missed callers never called back, per month | 20 | 20 callers |
| Share who reply to the text | 1 in 4 | 5 replies |
| Share of replies you book | 1 in 2 | 2.5 jobs |
| Average job value | $350 | $875 |
| Monthly cost | $150 | $725 left over |
In this example the service pays for itself with one booked job a month. If your numbers come out close to the monthly cost, the low guesses decide the answer, so measure before you decide.
Be honest about the inputs
- Count only callers you never called back. Callers you reached later weren’t lost.
- Don’t count spam, suppliers or existing customers calling about a booked job.
- Be wary of calculators that assume half your missed callers come back. That’s a vendor assumption, not a measurement.
- Count the reviews and repeat work separately, if at all. They’re real but slow.
For context, only about half of calls to home service businesses reach a person: 52% in Invoca’s 2026 benchmark (Invoca). Your own call log tells you where you stand.
Measure it after 30 days
- Texts sent: one per missed call.
- Replies: how many callers wrote back.
- Booked from a reply: jobs that started with the text.
- Revenue from those jobs.
Now replace your guesses with real numbers and run the formula again. That’s your actual return.
Questions
What reply rate should I expect from missed call text back?
There’s no reliable public benchmark. Vendor figures vary and are marketing. Measure your own replies for a month.
Is there a missed call calculator?
Yes, on our homepage: put in your missed calls, how many you’d book and your job value. It uses only your numbers.
How we handle it
Every client gets a one-page report each month with missed calls, texts sent, replies, jobs booked and reviews, so the return is measured, not guessed.