How many calls should you be getting? What's a healthy answer rate? How do your numbers compare to other businesses in your industry? Here are the benchmarks that Australian service business owners need to see.
Every business owner wonders: Are we doing this right? In 2026, we've collected phone data across 2,400+ Australian small businesses to show you exactly where you stand.
Here's the average number of inbound calls per business per day:
| Industry | Avg Calls/Day | Peak Calls/Day |
|---|---|---|
| Plumbing & HVAC | 18–24 | 35–42 |
| Electrical | 16–21 | 28–35 |
| Dental & Medical | 22–32 | 45–58 |
| Property Management | 14–19 | 24–31 |
| Real Estate | 8–14 | 18–26 |
| Cleaning & Landscaping | 6–12 | 14–21 |
| Consulting & Legal | 4–9 | 10–16 |
Median across all industries: 14 calls per day. If you're getting fewer than 10, you may have a marketing or local visibility problem. If you're getting more than 30, you may have a staffing problem.
What percentage of inbound calls actually reach a human or get answered?
| Industry | Avg Answer Rate | Good Benchmark | Excellent Benchmark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dental & Medical | 71% | 80%+ | 90%+ |
| Plumbing & HVAC | 64% | 80%+ | 90%+ |
| Electrical | 62% | 75%+ | 85%+ |
| Real Estate | 68% | 80%+ | 90%+ |
| Property Management | 63% | 75%+ | 85%+ |
| Consulting & Legal | 72% | 80%+ | 90%+ |
Industry average: 67% answer rate. If you're below 60%, you're likely losing 5–8 qualified leads per week. If you're above 85%, you're beating most competitors.
What percentage of inbound calls come outside business hours (after 5:30pm or before 8am)?
| Industry | % After-Hours Calls | % With Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Plumbing & HVAC (Emergency) | 28–32% | 41% |
| Dental & Medical | 12–16% | 34% |
| Electrical | 18–22% | 28% |
| Real Estate | 22–26% | 52% |
| Cleaning & Landscaping | 8–12% | 18% |
Only 32% of Australian small businesses have any form of after-hours call handling. This is a massive gap. Even a simple voicemail-to-email or callback request system can capture 30–40% more leads.
When a caller hits voicemail, how often do they actually leave a message?
Average voicemail completion rate: 34%. That means 66% of callers who don't reach you simply hang up and call a competitor. A professional voicemail greeting can improve this to 45–50%.
Of the customers who accept a callback offer (via voicemail or text), how many actually stay on the line when you call back?
| Callback Method | Acceptance Rate | Answer Rate When Called Back |
|---|---|---|
| Voicemail-to-callback | 22% | 68% |
| Missed call text-back | 31% | 71% |
| AI-to-callback (with confirmation) | 52% | 84% |
If you have no callback system, you're losing roughly 40% of would-be customers. Modern AI systems that confirm callbacks are the most effective, but even a simple text-back feature beats voicemail alone.
What's the average job value or booking value that comes from a single inbound call?
| Industry | Avg Revenue per Call | Conversion Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Plumbing & HVAC | $380–$520 | 38–42% |
| Electrical | $420–$580 | 36–40% |
| Dental & Medical | $140–$280 | 68–75% |
| Real Estate | $6,200–$18,400 | 3–8% |
| Property Management | $45–$120/mo | 22–28% |
| Consulting & Legal | $200–$600 | 18–25% |
The math is clear: If a plumber averages 18 calls/day at 64% answer rate and 40% conversion, they're looking at 4.6 converted leads per day. If they miss 30% of calls, they're leaving $1,240–$1,700 on the table every single day.
Compare yourself to your industry average:
Most Australian small businesses are leaving 25–40% of inbound call revenue on the table due to poor answering infrastructure. You don't need to be perfect—you just need to be better than 67% (the industry average).
Start by tracking your own metrics. Then improve one area at a time: answer rate first, then after-hours coverage, then callback systems.
CallSorted.ai helps Australian businesses capture 100% of inbound calls with AI answering and lead qualification. Our users typically improve from 64% to 94% answer rate within 30 days, and capture an average of $850–$2,100 per week in previously-lost revenue. See how you stack up.