Data from 25.3 million customer service calls across more than 14 industries reveals new insights, trends to help small businesses grow.

A first-of-its-kind call trends report from Ruby.com, the premier provider of live virtual receptionist and chat services for 14,000 U.S. small businesses, catalogs and analyzes findings collected from 25.3 million customer service calls the company handled between 2020-2021 across a variety of industries, showing that nine of ten calls a business receives are opportunities to win or retain customers. As phone conversations provide important insights into the needs of modern consumers, the report includes information about when customers are reaching out, why they call and how these interactions impact a business’s bottom line, along with details about how these expectations have changed and how they vary across specific industries.

Ruby created this report so small businesses can use the findings as a framework to improve customer experiences, attract more prospects, and retain existing customers.

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Key insights from Ruby’s 2022 call trends report:

• 92% of phone calls represent opportunities for business growth—to win, retain or lose business, improve perceptions, strengthen connections, and more.
• Small businesses receive the highest call volume from 8 a.m to 2 p.m. PT with the peak occurring between 9 a.m to 10 a.m PT.
• Call volume typically starts high at the beginning of the week before tapering off, with the volume on Friday 12.92% lower than the peak on Tuesday.
• Businesses receive fewer calls outside of working hours (6 p.m to 5 a.m PT) but these calls are increasing in frequency YOY, up from 3.2% in 2020 to 3.8% in 2021.
• Frustrated callers are more infrequent between January to April, and peak towards the end of the year, representing 0.56% of all calls.
• Ruby captured 1.6M leads for its customers in 2021, representing 12.1% of all incoming calls—a 21% jump from 2020.

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Key takeaways from Ruby’s 2022 call trends report:

1. Businesses are bouncing back after an unpredictable period in the market, with an overall increase in incoming customer calls.
2. More customers expect 24/7 availability. Though traditional work hours remain predominant in a remote world, an increase in after-hours calls points to a shift in customer expectations around business availability.
3. Consumers seek small business services year-round. Call volume increases in automotive, business services and healthcare align with market realities.
4. Businesses are better at marketing themselves, with a large increase in leads suggesting an investment in marketing efforts and/or brand reputation growth.

“Every customer interaction is an opportunity for businesses to provide a positive experience that builds loyalty and inspires future business,” says Rebecca Grimes, CRO of Ruby. “Ruby’s 2022 call trends report shows how phone interactions, in particular, are more important than ever, and Ruby specializes in creating these kinds of interactions.”