AI Receptionist ROI Calculator: Real Numbers for Dental, HVAC & Legal
Missed-call revenue leak runs $50K–$600K/yr. See the full ROI math — conservative, median, and optimistic — for dental, HVAC, and law firms.
Why ROI math matters more than testimonials
Every AI vendor has testimonials. Not every vendor will show you the math behind the decision — the actual assumptions, the calculation, the scenarios where it works and where it doesn't.
This post walks through ROI for three real business types with transparent assumptions. Use it to build your own model, then run your specific numbers in the calculator.
Business type 1: dental practice (general)
Assumptions: 350 inbound calls/month, 35% missed-call rate (national average for dental per Patient Prism), $2,100 average patient lifetime value (3-year, general practice), 20% of missed calls would have converted to new patients (conservative — after-hours new-patient calls convert higher when answered).
- Missed calls/month: 122
- Missed calls/year: 1,470
- Lost new patients at 20% conversion: 294/year
- At $2,100 LTV: $617,400 annual revenue leak
AI receptionist cost (WildRun Growth): $997/month = $11,964/year + $2,000 setup = $13,964 year-one cost.
Capture rate (conservative): 65% of previously missed calls answered and converted.
- Conservative: 65% capture × 20% conversion × 294 × $2,100 = $80K recovered year one
- Median: 75% capture × 25% conversion = $137K recovered
- Optimistic: 85% capture × 30% conversion = $186K recovered
ROI range: 5.7× to 13.4× on year-one cost.
Business type 2: HVAC contractor
Assumptions: 150 inbound calls/month, 40% going unanswered after hours and weekends, $850 average job value (mix of maintenance and emergency service calls), 35% of missed calls would have converted to a booked job.
- Missed calls/month: 60
- Missed calls/year: 720
- Lost jobs at 35% conversion: 252/year
- At $850 average: $214,200 annual revenue leak
AI receptionist cost (WildRun Starter): $497/month = $5,964/year + $1,500 setup = $7,464 year-one cost.
- Conservative: 60% capture × 35% conversion = $108K recovered
- Median: 70% capture × 35% = $126K recovered
- Optimistic: 80% capture × 40% = $165K recovered
ROI range: 14.5× to 22.1× on year-one cost.
HVAC ROI is particularly strong because: (1) emergency dispatch jobs are first-caller-wins, meaning capture rate is high for an agent that answers immediately, and (2) call volumes spike predictably in summer/winter, exactly when after-hours coverage matters most.
Business type 3: personal injury law firm
Assumptions: 80 inbound calls/month, 60% missed after hours and weekends (PI callers are often in crisis and call evenings), $15,000 average case value (net to firm after expenses), 15% of missed calls would have converted to a retained client.
- Missed calls/month: 48
- Missed calls/year: 576
- Lost clients at 15% conversion: 86/year
- At $15,000 average: $1,296,000 annual revenue leak
AI receptionist cost (WildRun Scale): $1,497/month = $17,964/year + $2,500 setup = $20,464 year-one cost.
- Conservative: 50% capture × 15% conversion = $324K recovered
- Median: 65% capture × 18% conversion = $504K recovered
- Optimistic: 75% capture × 20% conversion = $648K recovered
ROI range: 15.8× to 31.7× on year-one cost.
PI law is the highest-ROI vertical because: average case value is high, after-hours call volume is significant (people get injured and call attorneys at all hours), and the first attorney to do an intake consultation has a substantial advantage in retention.
What these numbers assume and where they break down
These calculations are only as good as the inputs. They break down if:
- Actual conversion rate is lower than assumed — this is the most common error. Don't use industry averages; use your own historical data if possible.
- Capture rate is lower — AI agents typically capture 60–85% of previously missed calls in the first 90 days, not 100%.
- Integration doesn't work — an AI agent that can't book directly into your scheduling system captures fewer conversions than one that does. Integration quality matters.
- Call volume is lower than estimated — if your actual missed-call count is half of what you thought, the ROI halves. Measure first.
When this is NOT the right solution
AI receptionists have clear negative ROI scenarios:
- Under 50 calls/month — The math almost never works. At 40 calls/month with 30% missed and $1,000 LTV, annual leak is ~$36K. ROI is marginal at best at $500+/month agent cost.
- Very low LTV businesses — A food truck with $15 average transaction doesn't have the LTV to justify AI receptionist costs. It's a volume business, not a relationship business.
- Fully booked operations — If you're turning away business regardless of call volume, capturing more calls creates operational strain without proportional revenue upside.
Build your own model
The calculator linked below takes your actual numbers: monthly call volume, estimated miss rate, average LTV, conversion rate assumption. It outputs conservative/median/optimistic scenarios in the same format as above. Book a demo after running it — we'll review the model together and adjust the assumptions to your actual situation.
Frequently asked questions
What conversion rate should I use for my ROI calculation?
If you have historical data from answered calls, use that. Industry benchmarks: dental new-patient calls convert at 30–50% when answered live (Patient Prism data); HVAC emergency calls convert at 40–60% when answered immediately (first-caller-wins dynamic); PI inquiry calls convert at 15–25% depending on case type and jurisdiction. Start with the low end of your industry range for a conservative model.
What capture rate can I expect from an AI receptionist?
Capture rate — the percentage of previously unanswered calls now answered by AI — typically runs 80–90% in the first 90 days. The 10–20% gap comes from callers who hang up before the AI can engage (immediate hang-ups), callers who reach the AI but don't leave useful information, and technical edge cases. Use 65–75% as a conservative assumption in your model.
How long before I see ROI from an AI receptionist?
For high-LTV businesses (dental, legal, HVAC), most practices see the AI agent pay for itself within 30–60 days based on captured appointments alone. The setup fee is recovered in the first month for any business with LTV over $1,000 and a meaningful missed-call rate. Lower LTV businesses may take 60–90 days.
Should I factor in front-desk time savings in the ROI calculation?
Yes, but conservatively. An AI agent handling 40–60% of inbound calls frees front-desk staff from FAQ calls and routine booking — typically 1–3 hours/day. At $20–$25/hour loaded cost, that's $400–$1,500/month in staff time recovered. Add this to your revenue capture ROI for a more complete picture.
What's the best way to get accurate inputs for my ROI model?
Pull your actual call data from your VoIP system (RingCentral, Dialpad, Grasshopper, 8x8 all have analytics exports). Count missed calls by hour and day. Your actual LTV comes from your CRM or accounting system — average revenue per new client over 12–24 months. Your actual conversion rate is harder to measure but can be estimated from your close rate on answered calls.