How Much Are Missed Calls Costing Your Tow Company?
This calculator turns missed calls per week, your close rate, and a $150 default ticket into estimated monthly lost revenue, recovered revenue, and an ROI multiple against Tow Deputy at $99 or $199. It is free. The formula is on the page so you can check the math. Results are estimates, not a guarantee of bookings.
Why voicemail is the expensive option
Tow Deputy is an AI towing dispatcher that answers in under two seconds so the second listing on the map does not get the job. According to TheKeyBot’s 2026 missed-call research, the average inbound service call costs about $119 when you miss it, and 85% of emergency callers will not leave a voicemail — they dial the next company in about 90 seconds. The site’s published local-job average is about $150. Use your own numbers below if yours are different.
Your numbers
Lost = missed/week × 52 ÷ 12 × close rate × ticket. Recovered = lost (those jobs now get answered). ROI = recovered ÷ plan price. This is not a guarantee of bookings.
Worked example you can audit
Five missed calls a week, 70% close, $150 ticket, Starter at $99: 5 × 52 ÷ 12 = 21.67 missed calls a month. 21.67 × 0.70 × 150 = $2,275 lost — and $2,275 recovered if the AI answers those rings. $2,275 ÷ $99 = about 23×. Same week on Growth ($199) is about 11×. That is arithmetic, not a case study.
| Shop shape | Missed / week | Close | Ticket | Lost / mo | Vs $99 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| One truck, nights only | 5 | 70% | $150 | $2,275 | 23× |
| Quiet week, price shoppers | 3 | 40% | $150 | $650 | 6.6× |
| Small fleet overflow | 12 | 65% | $150 | $5,070 | 51× |
Methodology and sources
- $150 average local job. Tow Deputy’s published site-wide figure for a typical local tow or lockout — the same number used on the homepage. Change the ticket field if your mix is heavy-duty or long-distance.
- ~$119 cost of a missed inbound service call, and 85% of emergency callers will not leave a voicemail — according to TheKeyBot, “How Much a Missed Call Really Costs (2026)”. The calculator uses your ticket × close rate instead of forcing $119, so you are not mixing two averages by accident.
- ~$48,447 towing dispatcher salary (~$23/hour) — according to Salary.com, “Towing Dispatcher Salary in the United States”. That is the hire-a-person alternative, not an input in the widget. See AI dispatcher pricing from $99/mo for the subscription side.
- ~30% more calls serviced per shift. A Tow Deputy published operator report, not a third-party study. We do not multiply your missed-call figure by 30% in this tool.
- Weeks to months. 52 ÷ 12, not “times four.” That avoids shorting February and padding July.
This tool does not count extra calls at $0.30, Stripe fees on deposits, or jobs you would have declined. It also does not credit Night-Time Alerts or Smart Deposits as extra revenue. Use it to decide whether voicemail is cheaper than AI towing dispatch, then confirm on the demo line.
Trusted by 100+ towing and roadside operators is a site-wide claim, not a sample size for this calculator. We do not invent shops to make the multiple look larger.
ROI calculator FAQs
What ticket value should I use?
The default is $150 because that is the average local job Tow Deputy already publishes on the site. If your hook-ups run higher — heavy-duty, long-distance, or night surcharge — type your real average. Do not use a once-a-year $800 recovery as the everyday number or the ROI will look fictional.
Does this assume every missed call would have booked?
No. Close rate is a required input. Monthly lost revenue is missed calls per week × 52 ÷ 12 × (close rate ÷ 100) × average ticket. Recovered revenue equals that lost figure if the AI answers those calls. The ROI multiple is recovered revenue divided by the $99 or $199 plan price.
If the multiple looks ugly, the phone is the leak
Start a 14-day trial on Starter or Growth, or call the demo line and run a real breakdown at it.