For small and micro businesses the number is high: independent UK research found 33% of small businesses failed to answer incoming calls, and small firms are 3× more likely than large ones to rely on voicemail (Moneypenny Small Business Call Report, 2022).
The cost is direct. When a caller hits voicemail, 69% hang up without leaving a message (same source) and many simply ring the next firm. For a trade business where one call can be a £100–£200 call-out (Checkatrade cost guides, 2026), a handful of missed calls a week adds up to thousands in lost work a month.
Common causes: being on a job (up a ladder, under a sink), calls outside 9–5, and lunchtime or weekend spikes. None of these are fixable by a person who's already busy on the tools.
The fix isn't a faster ring. It's a callback. An AI that rings the missed caller back within seconds and books them in recovers calls that voicemail loses.