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Customers switch to the business that replies first: 79% say they would
A roofer is on a roof. A plumber is under a sink. The phone rings, nobody answers, and the customer calls the next name on the list.
What the report found
Invoca surveyed 693 US consumers in May 2026, all of whom had made a high-stakes purchase in the past year. Three results stand out:
- 79% say they will switch to a competitor that responds faster.
- 56% expect a business to respond within one hour after they send a form.
- 36% say they actually get a response in that window.
Two cautions. Invoca sells call-tracking and AI software, and its respondents were buyers across many categories, not only home services. It also records what people say they would do. The gap between what customers expect and what they get is still the point: most customers expect an answer in an hour, and most do not get one.
Why this hits trades hard
Home-service work happens away from a desk. You cannot answer the phone while you are fixing someone’s roof, and a leaking pipe is not a customer who will wait until tomorrow. Every missed call is a customer who now has your competitor’s number in front of them.
Four ways to close the gap
- Text back right away. When you miss a call, an automatic text such as “Sorry we missed you. What do you need help with?” keeps the customer talking to you while you finish the job. This is what Recover does.
- Answer web forms the same day, and better, within the hour during working time.
- Record a clear voicemail greeting that says when you will call back.
- Give one person the inbox. If everyone is responsible, nobody is.
Texting comes with rules, including permission and a way to opt out. A text to someone who just called you is the normal use. Set it up properly, or work with someone who does this for a living.
Do this week
- Call your own business number from a different phone and let it ring out. See what a customer sees.
- Check your website form: where does it send the message, and who reads it?
- Write the one-sentence text you would want to receive after a missed call.
- Decide who owns replies, and what “within the hour” means on a busy day.
Questions
Is replying within an hour realistic when I am on a job?
Not by hand. That is the gap an automatic text fills: the customer hears from you in a minute, and you follow up with a call when you are down off the roof.
Does this apply to emergency calls only?
No. The report covers buyers making a high-stakes purchase, which includes planned work. A new roof or a system replacement is exactly that kind of purchase, and the customer is comparing you with others.
Sources
- Invoca B2C Buyer Experience Report 2026, press release (79%, 56%, 36%; 693 US consumers, surveyed May 8 to 22, 2026). Released June 9, 2026. Invoca sells call-tracking and AI software.
Keep reading
Recover: missed-call text-back · Convert: answer messages fast · For plumbers · For HVAC companies
More insights: Complete Google Business Profile · Online reviews · Google results.