Count the calls you miss and the enquiries you answer after the first hour. Multiply by your close rate, your average client value and the share of those deals a slow reply costs you. Harvard Business Review found firms that responded within an hour were nearly 7 times as likely to qualify a lead.
Revenue riding on slow replies and missed calls
Answer the five questions and your estimate appears here, with the maths shown.
Twelve ready-to-send texts and emails, written for your industry: the first reply, the missed-call text back, three follow-ups over 7 days, booking confirmation, reminder, no-show recovery, reactivation of old leads, review request, referral ask and the “still interested?” message.
SMS, within 5 minutes of the enquiry
Hi [First name], it's [Your name] from [Business]. Thanks for your enquiry about [service]. Two quick questions so we don't waste your time: what's the main goal, and when would you like to start? Or grab a 15 minute chat here: [booking link]. Reply STOP to opt out.
SMS, within 2 minutes of a missed call
Hi, it's [Your name] from [Business]. Sorry I missed your call, I'm with a client. What can I help with? Reply here and I'll come back to you today, or book a time that suits you: [booking link]. Reply STOP to opt out.
SMS, day 10 to 14, last message
Hi [First name], [Your name] from [Business]. I haven't heard back, so I'll close off your enquiry for now. If you'd still like help with [service], just reply YES and I'll pick it up. Reply STOP to opt out.
Every number is one you gave us, except one labelled assumption you can change. We don't apply industry loss rates.
Your enquiries a month, times the share you told us are missed calls. We use the low and the high end of the band you picked.
The rest of your enquiries, times the share first answered after an hour. Under an hour counts as none. 1 to 24 hours counts as half to all. Next day or later counts as all.
Missed calls plus enquiries answered after the first hour. The one-hour line comes from the Harvard Business Review audit.
Enquiries at risk, times your close rate, times your average client value, times the share of those deals a slow reply costs you. That share starts at 20% and you control it.
| Under 5 minutes | 0% of answered enquiries |
|---|---|
| 5 to 60 minutes | 0% of answered enquiries |
| 1 to 24 hours | 50% to 100% of answered enquiries |
| Next day or later | 100% of answered enquiries |
| Hardly any (under 5%) | under 5% |
|---|---|
| Some (5 to 15%) | 5% to 15% |
| Quite a few (15 to 30%) | 15% to 30% |
| A lot (30 to 50%) | 30% to 50% |
The swipe file follows the same principles as the follow-up system in our team's business: a reply in minutes, follow-up that keeps going, and an easy way to opt out.
Results from our team's business. They are not typical and not a promise of what you will achieve. Your results depend on your business, offer, market, budget and how much of the work you implement.
It adds the calls you miss to the enquiries you first answer after an hour. That gives your enquiries at risk each month. It multiplies them by your close rate and your average client value, then by one assumption you control: the share of those deals a slow reply or missed call costs you. The range comes from the low and high end of the answers you picked.
Nobody can know exactly how many of your late replies would have become clients, so we don't pretend to. We start at 20%, or 1 in 5, to keep the estimate conservative. The Harvard Business Review audit found firms that responded within an hour were nearly 7 times as likely to qualify a lead, which is a much bigger gap than our default. Move the slider to match what you see in your business.
No. It's an estimate built from your own numbers and an assumption you choose. It shows how much revenue rides on reply speed and missed calls, so you can decide whether fixing it is worth your time. Your results depend on your business, offer, market and how quickly you put the fixes in place.
No. The calculator works straight away and nothing is saved. You only give your name and email if you want the Follow-Up Swipe File for your industry.
Twelve ready-to-send texts and emails for agencies, clinics and allied health, trades, or other service businesses: the first reply to a new enquiry, the missed-call text back, three follow-ups over 7 days, booking confirmation, reminder, no-show recovery, reactivation of old leads, review request, referral ask and a final "still interested?" message.
They're written to the Spam Act basics: every SMS names your business and has an easy opt-out, and you should only message people who contacted you or agreed to hear from you. The clinic set avoids testimonials, outcome claims and health pressure, in line with AHPRA's advertising guidelines. Check your own obligations before you send; this isn't legal advice.
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