How much does a missed enquiry cost your business?

If you run a service business on your own, the enquiries you miss don't show up on any report. They simply go to whoever answered first. Here's how to put a number on it.

The simple maths

Take your average booking value. Multiply it by how many enquiries you can't answer in time each week. That's your weekly leak — multiply by 52 for the year.

• Average booking: A$120
• Enquiries you miss or answer too late: 5 a week
• A$120 × 5 = A$600 a week
• A$600 × 52 ≈ A$31,200 a year

The three costs people forget

• The booking you never saw — the client messaged someone else while you were with a customer.
• The no-show — a time held with no deposit is a time you can't sell twice.
• The admin time — chasing, re-confirming and re-scheduling eats hours you never bill for.

What actually helps

You don't fix this by replying faster — you're already busy. You fix it by making sure every enquiry gets a reply within seconds, built from your real rates and calendar, and by asking for a deposit before a time is locked in.

• Instant replies on the channels clients already use — SMS, email, web chat, Telegram and WhatsApp.
• Only ever offering times you've marked available.
• A deposit requested on your own payment link before the slot is held.

Run your own numbers with the free calculator, then see what BOOKYO does with the enquiries you're already getting.