Overview
What's a missed call worth? Not what it costs you to miss it — what it costs you in lost revenue. Let me break it down practice area by practice area, because I want this to hurt. Personal Injury: - Average case value: $50,000-$100,000 in fees - Average missed calls per firm per month: 15-20 - If even 20% of those would have converted: 3-4 missed cases - Cost: $150,000-$400,000/year in lost fees Family Law: - Average retainer: $3,000-$10,000 - Average missed calls per month: 15-20 - If 25% would have converted: 4-5 missed cases - Cost: $12,000-$50,000/year in lost retainers Criminal Defense: - Average retainer: $2,500-$15,000 - Missed after-hours calls per month (the money calls): 20-30 - If 30% would have converted: 6-9 missed cases - Cost: $15,000-$135,000/year in lost retainers The Compound Effect These numbers don't account for referrals. Every client you DON'T get is also every referral they would have sent you. A satisfied criminal defense client might refer 3-5 people over the next few years. Those referrals are free leads with high conversion rates. When you miss a call, you're not losing one client. You're losing a client and their entire referral tree. Where the Calls Go When your phone goes to voicemail, the caller does one of three things: 1. Calls the next firm on Google (60% of callers). They're gone in 30 seconds. 2. Leaves a voicemail and waits (25% of callers). By the time you call back, half have already hired someone else. 3. Gives up entirely (15% of calle
