How the calculator works
The math is one line:
Monthly loss = calls × share missed × share who move on × booking rate × average move value.
The yearly figure is the monthly loss times 12. Moving is seasonal, so if you entered a peak month, the yearly figure overstates the loss. If you entered a slow month, it understates it. For a better estimate, run it once for a peak month and once for a slow month, then add six of each.
Two things the calculator leaves out on purpose. It doesn’t count referrals and repeat business a lost customer would have brought, and it doesn’t count what you paid to make the phone ring in the first place: ads, lead fees and your Google profile. Both make the real cost higher.
Where the defaults come from
- Share who move on (58%). CallRail surveyed 1,000 US consumers in September 2025. 42% said they leave a voicemail when a business doesn’t answer, and 78% said they’ve taken their business elsewhere after failing to reach a company by phone. We use the share who don’t leave a voicemail. Source.
- Booking rate (35%). SmartMoving’s March 2026 survey of 484 moving companies put the average close rate from lead to booked job at 39%, self-reported. Shared vendor leads close far lower: Network Leads uses 10-20% as a planning figure. We start a little under SmartMoving’s average. Source.
- Average move value ($1,400). Moving.com (April 2026) and Allied Van Lines both put the average local move at about $1,400. For long-distance moves, Allied gives $4,500 for 50-400 miles and Moving.com $5,450 for about 1,000 miles. Moving.com, Allied.
- Calls and share missed. These are examples, not benchmarks. We haven’t found a reliable public figure for movers, so use your own call log.
What to do with the number
Compare the monthly loss with what it costs to answer those calls. Live answering services, AI receptionists and call forwarding all cost far less per month than one long-distance move. See what an answering service costs and how movers handle after-hours calls. If most of your leads arrive as web forms, not calls, the bigger leak is how fast you call them back: see speed to lead for moving companies.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find how many calls my moving company misses?
Pull a call log from your phone provider for a recent peak month and count calls that went to voicemail or rang out, including calls outside office hours. Many business phone systems and call-tracking tools show this as missed or unanswered calls. If you can’t get a log, call your own line at 7pm on a weekday and on a Saturday afternoon and see what happens.
Is every missed call a lost move?
No. Some callers leave a voicemail or call back, some are existing customers, and some are spam. That’s why the calculator only counts the share of missed callers who don’t wait, and then applies your own booking rate. Change both to match your business.
How much revenue is a missed call worth to a mover?
Divide the yearly figure by the number of missed calls. With the example inputs, each missed call is worth about $280 in expected revenue. Your number depends mostly on your booking rate and your average move value, so long-distance movers usually see much higher figures than local movers.
What’s the cheapest way to stop missing calls?
Start with the hours you miss most. Forwarding to a cell phone helps if someone can answer it. An answering service or AI receptionist covers after hours, job days and overflow when the office is busy. Compare what each costs per month with the monthly loss the calculator shows.