Why Lockout Callers Hang Up on Voicemail (and How to Stop It)

Lockout callers hang up on voicemail because a recording can't tell them the two things they called to learn: what the job will cost and how soon someone can get there. The next listing is one tap away, and a voicemail beep gives them no reason to wait. We could not find a published study that measures how often this happens, so this guide shows you how to measure it from your own call log and which fixes close the gap.

Key takeaways

• We found no study behind the popular "80% hang up on voicemail" line. Your own call log is a better source.
• Regulators tell callers to get a full price on the call, as Connecticut's Department of Consumer Protection did in a July 2026 alert, and a voicemail can't give one.
• Missed calls cost more than the job: Google's Local Services Ads ranking page says missed calls may negatively affect your responsiveness.
• Callbacks are harder than they look: in a 2020 Pew Research Center survey, 67% of U.S. adults said their general practice is not to answer unknown numbers but to check voicemail if one is left.
• Five numbers tell you where you stand: missed-call rate, voicemail abandonment rate, callback reach rate, recovery rate and minutes to callback.
• The four fixes: answer at every hour, shorten the path from ring to a live answer, quote a price and an arrival window on the first call, and run callbacks as a process.

Where does the "80% hang up on voicemail" figure come from?

Earlier versions of this article opened with that number, but when we looked for the study behind it, we could not find one. The earliest appearance we traced is a November 2014 item in CRM magazine that credits "Forbes magazine" with a claim that 80 percent of callers sent to voicemail leave no message, without naming a study, a sample or a method. It describes callers in general, not lockout calls.

A real survey has a similar-looking number, and it measures something else. In July 2020, Pew Research Center surveyed 10,211 U.S. adults and found that eight in 10 say they don't generally answer their cellphone when an unknown number calls. That is about people ignoring calls they receive, not callers abandoning a business's voicemail. It matters for your callbacks, covered below, but says nothing about how many lockout callers leave a message.

So this article makes no claim about a universal hang-up rate. Yours depends on your market, hours and greeting, and a month of call records will show it.

Why do urgent callers give up on voicemail?

Look at the call from the other end. The caller may be beside a locked car in a parking lot or outside their own front door, with only the phone in their hand. Four things push them past your voicemail.

They need a price, and they have been told to ask for one. Connecticut's Department of Consumer Protection put it plainly in a July 2026 consumer alert about locksmith scams:

"When calling the business, ask for a full price upfront, including service and travel costs."

California's Department of Consumer Affairs tells consumers to make sure the dispatcher gives an estimate, and Washington's Attorney General wrote in 2011 that in lockouts, most legitimate locksmiths will give a phone estimate for the total cost of the work. A caller who follows that advice and reaches a recording has learned nothing, so the sensible next move is another number.

Some of them cannot wait at all. A lockout with a toddler or a pet inside the car is an emergency. The National Weather Service's hot-car page shows a car going from a safe temperature to an unsafe 94.3°F in just over 2 minutes and states that it is never safe to leave a toddler, disabled person or pet locked in a car. Those callers need to hear "call 911" at once, and a greeting that opens with your hours doesn't say it.

The next shop is one tap away. Pew's 2025 mobile fact sheet found that 91% of U.S. adults own a smartphone. If they found you through a search, calling the next listing takes less time than leaving a useful message.

A message is a promise with no time on it. Your greeting can't tell them when you'll call back, and when you do, the call may come from a number they don't recognize or show up labeled as spam. Next to a shop that answers now, waiting is the worse bet.

What does a missed lockout call cost a shop?

The direct cost is the job, and an example makes it concrete. Every number in this example is made up to show the math; swap in your own.

Suppose a shop's log shows 120 calls outside business hours in a month, after removing spam and repeat dials. Of those, 80 were answered and 36 became jobs, so the booking rate on answered calls is 45%. The other 40 calls were missed: 14 callers left a voicemail, 26 hung up without one, and callbacks turned 4 of the 40 into jobs.

• Booked at the same 45% rate, the 40 missed calls would have produced about 18 jobs.
• Callbacks recovered 4, so roughly 14 jobs went elsewhere.
• At an average after-hours ticket of $150, that is about $2,100 a month, or $25,200 a year.

The estimate is rough on purpose: some missed callers were price shopping, some were existing customers who will call again, and some would never have booked. Treat it as an order-of-magnitude number.

Ad standing. If you run Google Local Services Ads, missed calls can count against you. Google's About ad rankings page lists your responsiveness to customer inquiries and requests among the factors that feed its ad auction and adds: "Missed calls may negatively affect your responsiveness." The default ad schedule is "All day," which runs your ad 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so a shop that keeps the default and lets night calls ring out is advertising at hours when nobody answers. Google's ranking page also says that turning on message or booking leads gives customers more ways to reach you, especially on nights and weekends when you can't answer the phone.

Reviews and repeat work. A job you never did can't produce a review or a repeat customer. Our guides to answer rate and local SEO and Local Services Ads cover how missed calls play into rankings.

How to measure your own voicemail abandonment

In this guide, voicemail abandonment means a caller who reached your voicemail, or let it ring out, and hung up without leaving a message. You can't see where they went next, but you can count how often it happens and what your callbacks win back.

Where the numbers live

• Your phone system or carrier. Export 30 days of call records with date, time, caller number, duration and outcome (answered, missed, voicemail). If your portal only shows recent calls on screen, ask your provider for a call detail export.
• Call tracking. Tracking numbers tie each call to a source, so you can see whether missed calls cluster on Google, your website or a particular ad. Our call tracking guide covers setup.
• Google Ads call reporting. For calls from ads, Google's call reporting includes start and end time, whether the call was missed or received, and the caller's area code.
• Google Business Profile. Google removed call history from Business Profile on July 31, 2024. The Performance view still reports Calls, but Google defines that metric as the number of times a customer clicked the call button on your profile. It counts attempts, not answered calls, so it shows demand rather than your miss rate.
• Your voicemail box and callback notes. Count the messages, then record each callback: when you placed it, whether you reached the caller, and whether it booked.

The worksheet

Fill this in for after-hours calls first, then repeat it for business hours. The example column uses the same made-up shop as above.

How to run it

1. Pull a recent 30-day window and split it into business hours and after hours. The gap between the two halves tells you where to start.
2. Remove spam and robocalls. In a June 2021 report, the FCC called illegal and unwanted calls "the single largest source of consumer complaints to the FCC," so expect some in your log.
3. Collapse repeat dials. A caller who hangs up and redials two minutes later is one person, and a 15-minute window per number is a reasonable starting rule.
4. Tag each missed call: message or no message, called back or not, reached or not, booked or not.
5. Fill in the worksheet and circle four results: missed-call rate (C divided by A), voicemail abandonment rate (E), callback reach rate (H) and recovery rate (J).
6. Repeat every month. A fix is working when the missed-call rate falls and the recovery rate rises.

If your phone system records ring time, add the share of calls answered within a set number of seconds. We know of no published answer-time standard for locksmiths, but for reference, King County's 911 program notes that NENA standards require 90% of 911 calls to be answered within 15 seconds. A lockout line is not a 911 center; the point is to measure the same way every month. Our guides to reading your call log and call abandonment rate cover related numbers.

Which fixes close the gap?

1. Answer at every hour

The only complete fix for voicemail abandonment is not sending callers to voicemail. There are four ways to cover the phone after hours, and each has a cost.

• On-call rotation. You or a technician carry the phone. It adds no payroll, but it costs sleep, and a person on a job or on another call can't pick up.
• A person at a desk. The Bureau of Labor Statistics puts 2025 median pay for receptionists at $18.27 an hour. If your business hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays, the rest of the week is 118 hours, and covering it at that wage costs about $2,156 a week, roughly $9,300 a month, before payroll taxes, benefits or night premiums.
• An answering service. A live agent answers and passes on the details. Ask whether agents can quote from your price list, book and dispatch, and how minutes are counted; our breakdown of per-minute and flat-rate pricing covers the contract terms.
• An AI receptionist. Software answers every call live, at any hour. Disclosure: TheKeyBot, which publishes this blog, makes an AI receptionist. TheKeyBot Lite ($149 a month) answers 24/7 in English and Spanish, takes messages and sends them to your phone, but does not quote or book; it includes 100 calls a month, then 50 cents a minute, the first 5 answered calls are free, and it can be live in about 10 minutes. Core ($500 a month for 500 AI minutes, then 45 cents a minute) includes a 24/7 inbound AI receptionist, scheduling, GPS dispatch, POS and payments, QuickBooks sync and unlimited users. Every plan has a dedicated AI phone number and no setup fees, and you can cancel anytime; Core, Pro and Elite include a 14-day free trial; see pricing and our Lite explainer.

Whichever you pick, call your own number at 2 a.m. and see what a customer gets; our trial test-call script lists calls to run.

2. Shorten the path from first ring to a live answer

A call that rings six times and then reaches voicemail is a missed call, even at 2 p.m.

• Forward unanswered calls to your backup, not to voicemail. Check whether your phone system supports no-answer forwarding. Verizon Business Digital Voice, for example, lets you choose the number of rings before a "When no answer" forward. Set it low enough that the caller reaches someone before giving up.
• Ring more than one phone. During the day, ring the counter, the owner and a technician at once so whoever is free can pick up.
• Never let a second caller hit a busy signal. Our piece on simultaneous calls covers the options.
• Track answer time as described above; the speed-to-lead guide goes further.

3. Quote a price and an arrival window on the first call

Answering only helps if the caller hears what they called for. "Someone will call you back with a price" is a voicemail with extra steps.

• Build a price book for your common jobs: car lockouts by vehicle type, house and business lockouts, after-hours trip charges and the questions that change the price. Our price book guide walks through it.
• Quote the total, including trip and after-hours charges, because that is the figure callers are told to ask for.
• Give an arrival window you can keep, and say how you'll confirm it, such as a text with the technician's name.
• Answer with your real business name and be ready to give your address. Connecticut's locksmith scam alert tells consumers to hang up if the person on the phone cannot provide an exact address. Our guide to earning trust on the phone covers the rest.

4. Run callbacks as a process

Some calls will still be missed, and the callback is your last shot at the job.

• Call back fast. Set a target you can hit, such as five minutes after hours, and track it on line M of the worksheet.
• Call from the number they dialed. In Pew's 2020 survey, only 19% of U.S. adults said they generally answer calls from unknown numbers. A callback from your personal cell starts at that disadvantage.
• Leave a voicemail, then text. The same Pew survey found that 67% of adults said they let unknown numbers go unanswered but check voicemail if one is left, while 14% said they generally ignore voicemails. A short message with your business name and the job gives you a second chance, and a text gives you a third; see our comparison of missed-call text-back and AI answering.
• Watch for spam labels. The FTC's guide to blocking unwanted calls explains that labeling services show words like "spam" or "scam likely" on screen and that call-blocking services might block some calls people want. The FCC's 2021 report describes labeling as a way for the person being called to decide whether to answer. If your number gets labeled, see our guide to fixing "Spam Likely" callbacks.
• Log every callback so lines F through M stay accurate.

How do the fixes compare?

What should your voicemail greeting say?

If some calls still reach voicemail, make the greeting short and useful:

1. Your business name first, so the caller knows they reached the right shop.
2. A safety line: "If a child or pet is locked in a vehicle, hang up and call 911."
3. What to leave: name, location and what is locked.
4. When you'll call back, and, if your number takes texts, that they can text it.

Skip the hours, the website and the apology. Each one pushes the beep further back.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do 80% of lockout callers really hang up on voicemail?

We could not find a study that supports that figure. The earliest source we traced is a November 2014 CRM magazine item that credits Forbes without naming a study, so measure your own rate from your call log instead.

How do I calculate my voicemail abandonment rate?

Take 30 days of missed calls, remove spam and repeat dials from the same number, and count how many callers left a message. Divide the missed calls with no message by all missed calls, and the result is your voicemail abandonment rate.

Does Google Business Profile show missed calls?

No. Google removed call history from Business Profile on July 31, 2024, and the Calls metric in the Performance view counts clicks on your call button, not answered calls.

Do missed calls hurt Google Local Services Ads?

They can. Google's ad ranking help page counts responsiveness among the factors that feed its ad auction and says, "Missed calls may negatively affect your responsiveness."

Why don't customers answer when I call them back?

Many people let unknown numbers ring: in a 2020 Pew Research Center survey, 67% of U.S. adults said they usually don't answer them but check voicemail if one is left. Call back from the number they dialed, leave a short message with your business name, and send a text.

How much does TheKeyBot cost?

TheKeyBot Lite is $149 a month for a 24/7 AI receptionist that answers in English and Spanish and takes messages, but does not quote or book. Core is $500 a month with 500 AI minutes, scheduling, GPS dispatch and payments, and Core, Pro and Elite include a 14-day free trial with no setup fees. Pro is $750 a month with 1,000 minutes and Elite is $1,200 a month with 2,500 minutes.

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Sources

1. Pew Research Center, "Most Americans don't answer cellphone calls from unknown numbers" (December 14, 2020): https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2020/12/14/most-americans-dont-answer-cellphone-calls-from-unknown-numbers/
2. Pew Research Center, "Mobile Fact Sheet" (November 20, 2025): https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/mobile/
3. Google Local Services Help, "About ad rankings": https://support.google.com/localservices/answer/7527305?hl=en
4. Google Local Services Help, "About ad scheduling": https://support.google.com/localservices/answer/9251526?hl=en
5. Google Business Profile Help, "Changes to Google Business Profile chat and call history": https://support.google.com/business/answer/14919056?hl=en
6. Google Business Profile Help, "Understand your Business Profile performance & insights": https://support.google.com/business/answer/9918094?hl=en
7. Google Ads Help, "Analyze call reporting data": https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/7180997?hl=en
8. Federal Communications Commission, "Call Blocking Tools Available to Consumers: Second Report on Call Blocking" (DA 21-772, June 2021): https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-21-772A1.pdf
9. Federal Trade Commission, "How To Block Unwanted Calls": https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-block-unwanted-calls
10. Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, "Consumer Alert: Locked Out? Be Wary of Scammers Posing as Locksmith Technicians" (July 16, 2026): https://portal.ct.gov/dcp/news-releases-from-the-department-of-consumer-protection/2026-news-releases/be-wary-of-scammers-posing-as-locksmith-technicians
11. California Department of Consumer Affairs, "Consumer Tips for Hiring a Locksmith": https://www.dca.ca.gov/publications/locksmith_tips.shtml
12. Washington State Office of the Attorney General, "Keys to avoiding locksmith fraud" (August 10, 2011): https://www.atg.wa.gov/all-consuming-blog/keys-avoiding-locksmith-fraud
13. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, "Receptionists": https://www.bls.gov/ooh/office-and-administrative-support/receptionists.htm
14. King County, Washington, "911 Call Statistics": https://kingcounty.gov/en/dept/kcit/data-information-services/911-program-office/call-statistics
15. National Weather Service, "Children, Pets and Vehicles": https://www.weather.gov/safety/heat-children-pets
16. Verizon Business Digital Voice, "Call Forwarding": https://businessdigitalvoice.verizon.com/?p=9196
17. CRM magazine, "Business Voicemail Goes Unanswered" (November 1, 2014): https://www.destinationcrm.com/Articles/CRM-Insights/Insight/Business-Voicemail-Goes-Unanswered-100080.aspx