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Posted on • Originally published at voicefleet.ai

How I Calculate ROI for Voice AI in Small Businesses

One of the trickiest parts of deploying voice AI for business phone lines is proving the ROI. Here's the framework I use.

The three numbers that matter

1. Missed calls recovered

Most SMEs miss 20-40% of inbound calls. Each missed call has a revenue value (average booking × close rate). This is usually the biggest number.

monthly_recovered = daily_calls × miss_rate × recovery_rate × avg_booking_value × 22
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2. Staff hours freed

Routine calls (hours, directions, confirmations) eat 3-5 hours/day of staff time. Voice AI handles these instantly.

monthly_savings = hours_freed_per_day × hourly_cost × 22
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3. After-hours capture

~48% of calls to small businesses come outside working hours. Without AI, these are 100% lost. With AI, you're booking while competitors sleep.

after_hours_revenue = after_hours_calls × booking_rate × avg_value × 22
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Real example

Dublin dental practice, 40 calls/day:

  • Recovered calls: ~€4,800/month
  • Staff savings: ~€1,100/month
  • After-hours: ~€2,400/month
  • AI cost: ~€199/month
  • Net ROI: ~€8,100/month

Payback period: literally day one.

The key insight: you're not paying for a phone system. You're recovering revenue you were already losing.


Built with VoiceFleet — voice AI for Irish and Argentine businesses

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