You're on a ladder installing gutters. Your phone rings in the truck below. A customer needs an emergency roof repair quote—storm damage, water coming in. The call goes to voicemail. By the time you climb down and check your messages, they've already called another contractor.
Google Voice helps with voicemail transcription and spam filtering. You can read what the customer said instead of listening to a message. But here's the problem: you're still checking a voicemail backlog. You're still missing calls.
In our analysis of 13,175 customer service calls from 45 home services contractors over 7 months, 74.1% went completely unanswered. That's 31 out of every 42 calls per month for a typical contractor. Better voicemail doesn't fix that.
There's a better way—and you don't have to port your number or abandon Google Voice to get it.
The Google Voice Dilemma
What Google Voice Does Well
Google Voice has come a long way. You get AI-powered voicemail transcription so you can read messages instead of listening to them. Spam filtering blocks robocalls. Basic call forwarding lets you route calls to your cell phone.
For a solopreneur just getting started, these features are useful. The free personal version works fine. Even the business version at $10/user/month beats paying $500-800/month for a traditional answering service.
What It Can't Do: Answer Your Phone
Here's what Google Voice doesn't do: answer your calls when you're unavailable.
It's still fundamentally a voicemail system—just with better features. When you're on a roof, under a house, or meeting with a customer, calls still go to voicemail. Industry research shows small businesses miss 60-80% of incoming calls.
Our data is even more specific: 74.1% of calls go unanswered.
Google Voice tells you someone called at 2 PM requesting an emergency quote. But by the time you call back at 5 PM, they've already hired someone else. They needed help NOW, not a callback three hours later.
Better voicemail transcription doesn't capture that lead. It just gives you a more readable version of what you lost.
5 Signs You've Outgrown Google Voice
1. Your Voicemail Has Become a Backlog
If checking voicemail feels like a chore instead of a system, you've outgrown Google Voice.
We analyzed 2,487 calls and found that 25.4% included explicit callback requests—"please call me back," "give me a call when you get this," "looking forward to hearing from you."
Without a systematic way to track and complete these callbacks, most never happen. The customer moves on. You lose the lead.
2. You've Hit the 10-User Cap (Starter Plan)
The Starter plan caps you at 10 users, forcing costly upgrades as your team grows.
Once you pass 10 people, you're automatically bumped to the Standard plan at $20/user/month. That's double the cost per person, and it doesn't solve the missed call problem—it just costs more.
3. You Need CRM Integration
Google Voice locks you into Google's ecosystem, unable to connect with CRMs like HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, or Zoho.
Every call requires manual data entry. Customer name, phone number, what they wanted—you're typing it all into your CRM after the fact. If you're swamped, it doesn't happen at all.
Leads fall through the cracks. Opportunities disappear because no one logged them.
4. You're Missing Emergency Calls
In our analysis, 15.9% of calls contained urgency language like "emergency," "urgent," or "ASAP." Of those, 6.2% were true emergencies—burst pipes, power outages, AC failures in 95-degree heat.
These aren't calls you can return three hours later. The customer needs help RIGHT NOW. Voicemail isn't acceptable, no matter how good the transcription is.
Emergency jobs also pay better. Our data shows they average $4,200 compared to $3,500 for routine work. Missing one emergency call per week costs you $16,800 per month—$201,600 per year.
5. Per-User Costs Are Adding Up
Here's what Google Voice actually costs: you must pay for a Google Workspace subscription, starting at $7 per user per month on top of your Google Voice plan.
Let's do the math:
- Starter: $10/user (Google Voice) + $7/user (Workspace) = $17/user/month
- Standard: $20/user (Google Voice) + $7/user (Workspace) = $27/user/month
- Premier: $30/user (Google Voice) + $7/user (Workspace) = $37/user/month
A 5-person contractor team pays $85-$185/month. A 10-person team pays $170-$370/month. Those costs keep climbing with every new hire—and you're still missing 74% of calls.
As one plumber told us: "I didn't even know I was missing that many calls until I saw the data. I just thought business was slow."
The Real Cost of Missed Calls
The Math Small Business Owners Miss
Let's calculate what those missed calls actually cost you.
A typical home services contractor gets 42 calls per month. If 74.1% go unanswered, that's 31 missed calls.
Even with a conservative 20% conversion rate (1 in 5 callers books a job), and an average project value of $3,500:
31 missed calls — 20% conversion — $3,500 = $21,700 per month
That's $260,400 per year in lost revenue—just from calls going to voicemail.
You're not losing because customers don't want your services. You're losing because you didn't answer the phone.
Emergency Calls = Higher Revenue
Remember those 15.9% of calls with urgency language? Those average $4,200 in revenue—20% higher than routine work.
If you get ~7 urgent calls per month and miss just one per week because you're on a job site:
4 emergency calls — $4,200 = $16,800 per month
That's $201,600 per year lost to missed emergencies alone.
Better voicemail transcription doesn't solve this. The customer calling about a burst pipe at 9 PM can't wait for a callback. They need someone NOW.
The Hybrid Solution: Keep Your Number, Add Intelligence
You Don't Have to Choose
Most Google Voice alternatives require porting your number away. You have to leave Google Voice entirely and switch to a different system.
NextPhone works differently. You keep your Google Voice number and add an AI answering layer via call forwarding.
Set up forwarding in your Google Voice settings to route calls to NextPhone. You can forward all calls, or only forward when you don't answer. Your choice.
How Call Forwarding Works
Here's the setup:
Step 1: Get your NextPhone AI receptionist number (takes 5 minutes)
Step 2: Open Google Voice settings and set up call forwarding to your NextPhone number
Step 3: NextPhone AI answers every call in under 5 seconds
Step 4: Routine questions (hours, pricing, service area) get handled automatically. Emergencies route to your phone immediately.
Step 5: You get email and SMS summaries with call recordings and transcripts
The customer calls your Google Voice number. They get a live answer—not voicemail—in under 5 seconds. They don't know or care that it's AI. They just know someone actually answered their call.
What This Solves
That 74.1% missed call rate drops to zero. Every call gets answered.
You're on a roof installing shingles. A customer calls your Google Voice number asking about your hourly rate and availability next week. Instead of voicemail, NextPhone AI answers:
"Thanks for calling [Your Company]. This is the AI assistant. How can I help you today?"
The customer asks their questions. AI provides your rates, checks your calendar availability, and books an appointment. The customer gets immediate help. You get an email summary: "Appointment booked for Tuesday at 2 PM - roof inspection at 123 Main Street."
No voicemail backlog. No missed opportunity. No callback that might never happen.
How NextPhone Upgrades Google Voice
24/7 AI Call Answering
NextPhone AI answers every call in under 5 seconds—not 30+ seconds like traditional answering services, and definitely not voicemail.
The AI is trained on YOUR specific business: what services you offer, your pricing, your hours, your service area. It doesn't give generic responses. It knows your business.
Routine questions get handled without escalation. The conversation feels natural. Most callers don't realize they're talking to AI—they just appreciate getting answers immediately.
Intelligent Call Routing
The AI doesn't just answer blindly. It listens for urgency.
In our analysis of 13,175 calls, we identified patterns in the 15.9% that contained urgency language. Words like "emergency," "urgent," "burst," "leak," "ASAP," "no power," "no heat."
When NextPhone detects these keywords, it routes the call to your phone immediately while capturing the caller's information.
You get both: the emergency reaches you right away, AND you have complete details (name, callback number, address, what's wrong) before you even pick up.
For routine calls—hours, pricing, general availability—AI handles them completely. You get a summary afterward, not an interruption.
CRM Integration Google Voice Can't Offer
NextPhone uses HTTP webhooks to push lead data to ANY CRM: HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, Zoho, or your custom system.
Every call automatically becomes a CRM record. Caller name, phone number, what they needed, when they called—all logged within seconds of the call ending.
No manual data entry. No leads falling through cracks because someone forgot to log them.
Our data shows businesses using CRM integration captured 3X more leads because information was automatically logged in their system within seconds, not hours later when someone "got around to it."
SMS & Email Follow-Up
After handling a call, NextPhone can automatically send an SMS to the caller with your booking link, service area details, or any other information they requested.
You get an email notification with:
- Call summary
- Full transcript
- Audio recording
- Caller contact info (tap to call back)
- Next steps (appointment booked, message taken, emergency routed)
The system closes the loop. The caller gets immediate confirmation. You get actionable information.
Pricing Comparison: What You Actually Pay
Google Voice True Cost
Google Voice looks cheap until you factor in the required Google Workspace subscription:
- Starter: $10/user (Google Voice) + $7/user (Workspace) = $17/user/month (max 10 users)
- Standard: $20/user (Google Voice) + $7/user (Workspace) = $27/user/month
- Premier: $30/user (Google Voice) + $7/user (Workspace) = $37/user/month
For a 5-person contractor crew:
- Starter: $85/month
- Standard: $135/month
- Premier: $185/month
For a 10-person team:
- Starter: $170/month (at max capacity)
- Standard: $270/month
- Premier: $370/month
And remember—you're STILL missing 74% of calls. You're paying for better voicemail, not answered calls.
NextPhone Flat Rate
NextPhone costs $199/month total.
No per-user fees. Whether you have 1 person or 20 people, same price. Unlimited calls. Includes AI answering, intelligent routing, CRM integration, SMS follow-up, and email notifications.
The Scaling Difference
Here's where the economics flip:
At 8+ users, NextPhone is cheaper than Google Voice Standard.
10-person contractor team on Google Voice Standard: $270/month, still missing 74% of calls.
Same team with NextPhone: $199/month, answering 100% of calls.
You're paying less AND capturing $21,700/month in previously missed revenue.
The ROI calculation is simple: invest $199/month, capture $21,700/month in leads that were going to voicemail. That's a 10,900% return.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep my Google Voice number?
Yes. You keep your Google Voice number and set up call forwarding to route calls to NextPhone. No porting required. You can forward all calls, or only forward when you don't answer. It's your choice.
Do I need to cancel Google Voice?
No. You can keep Google Voice active and use it for outbound calls if you want. NextPhone handles inbound calls via forwarding. This hybrid approach gives you flexibility—you're not locked into an all-or-nothing decision.
How does AI know when to transfer emergency calls?
The AI detects urgency keywords like "emergency," "urgent," "ASAP," "burst," "leak," and similar language. Our analysis of 13,175 calls identified patterns in the 15.9% that contained urgency markers. When detected, AI routes the call to your phone immediately while capturing caller details. You can also customize routing rules for your specific business needs.
Can AI really handle my business-specific questions?
Yes. The AI is trained on YOUR business—your services, pricing, hours, and service area. It handles 85-95% of routine questions accurately (hours, pricing, availability, basic service descriptions). For complex or unusual questions, it routes to you rather than attempting to answer and potentially getting it wrong. You provide the knowledge base, AI uses it.
What if I already upgraded to Google Voice Standard or Premier?
It's still worth comparing. Google Voice Standard costs $27/user/month. For a team of 8, that's $216/month—and you're still missing 74% of calls. NextPhone costs $199/month flat and answers 100% of calls. Premier at $37/user is even more expensive. The crossover point is around 8 users: beyond that, NextPhone is both cheaper AND solves the missed call problem Google Voice doesn't address.
How long does setup take?
About 15-30 minutes for basic setup. You provide your business information (hours, services, pricing, service area). Then you set up call forwarding in your Google Voice settings. The AI is trained and live the same day. Most customers are answering calls within an hour of signing up.
What about spam calls?
NextPhone includes spam filtering. In our analysis, 7% of calls were spam or robocalls. The AI detects and blocks automated spam while answering legitimate customer calls. You get a report of blocked spam, so you know the filter is working. Legitimate callers get through, spam gets stopped.
Start Capturing Every Customer Call
Google Voice is great for getting started. Voicemail transcription beats listening to messages. Spam filtering helps. For a solopreneur just launching, it's a solid choice.
But it doesn't solve the core problem: 74.1% of customer calls still go unanswered.
You don't have to choose between keeping Google Voice or switching to an expensive VoIP system. Keep your Google Voice number. Add AI intelligence via call forwarding. Capture the 31 calls per month that are currently going to voicemail.
At $199/month flat rate, NextPhone costs less than Google Voice for teams of 8+ users—and it actually answers your calls instead of sending them to voicemail.
The businesses winning in 2025 aren't the ones with the biggest marketing budgets. They're the ones answering every call.
Speak with one of our experts
Book a CallMeta Description: Keep your Google Voice number, add AI answering. Our data shows 74.1% of calls go unanswered with voicemail alone. NextPhone captures them at $199/month flat rate.