How to Calculate the ROI of AI Call Answering for Your Service Business
A simple formula to calculate exactly how much revenue you're losing to missed calls — and what you'd gain with AI answering.
The ROI Formula
Calculating the return on investment for AI call answering is straightforward. Here's the formula:
Monthly ROI = (Missed Calls × Close Rate × Avg Job Value) - AI Cost
Let's break each number down.
Step 1: Count Your Missed Calls
Check your phone records for the last 30 days. Look for:
- •Calls that went to voicemail
- •Calls where the caller hung up before leaving a message
- •Calls during hours when nobody was available
Industry average: Service businesses miss 30-40% of incoming calls. If you get 100 calls/month, you're missing 30-40.
Step 2: Apply Your Close Rate
Not every answered call becomes a booked job. The typical close rate for service calls is 60-80% (these are warm leads — they called you because they need help).
30 missed calls × 70% close rate = 21 lost jobs
Step 3: Multiply by Average Job Value
| Trade | Average Job Value |
|---|---|
| HVAC | $850 |
| Plumbing | $650 |
| Electrical | $550 |
| Roofing | $4,500 |
| Painting | $2,800 |
| Landscaping | $350 |
21 lost jobs × $650 (plumbing) = $13,650/month in lost revenue
Step 4: Subtract the AI Cost
Omni AI Starter plan: $249/month
$13,650 - $249 = $13,401 net gain
ROI: 5,382%
Real-World Examples
Small Plumbing Company (1-2 trucks)
- •15 missed calls/week → 10 lost jobs/week
- •$650 × 10 = $6,500/week lost
- •$26,000/month lost → $249/month AI cost
- •Net gain: $25,751/month
Mid-Size HVAC Company (3-5 trucks)
- •25 missed calls/week → 17 lost jobs/week
- •$850 × 17 = $14,450/week lost
- •$57,800/month lost → $499/month AI cost
- •Net gain: $57,301/month
Solo Electrician
- •8 missed calls/week → 5 lost jobs/week
- •$550 × 5 = $2,750/week lost
- •$11,000/month lost → $249/month AI cost
- •Net gain: $10,751/month
Try It Yourself
We built an interactive ROI calculator that does the math for you. Just enter your missed calls per week and average job value.
The Bottom Line
For every trade we've analyzed, AI call answering pays for itself within the first week — usually within the first day. The real question isn't "can I afford it?" but "how many more jobs could I book?"
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