Hotel TechnologyPublished September 3, 20261 min read

The 85% of callers who don't get an answer never call back

JSBy Joan SanzCurated by Joan Sanz. · September 3, 2026 · Follow on LinkedIn

Voice reading · ~1 min

Néstor Rodríguez, founder of ThinkIN, puts a brutally clear number on the table: 85% of callers who don't get an answer never call back. The guest has already gone through photos, prices, reviews and room selection. That's the most qualified lead a hotel can get, and the front desk just let it slip away.

Rodríguez points to the mismatch between marketing spend and phone coverage in an interview with Smart Travel News. The hotel invests in Google Ads, metasearch and a solid website to get that phone to ring. Then nobody picks up. The money is gone.

My take: voice is not dead, it's just been forgotten. While everyone obsesses over chatbots and generative AI, the phone still converts at a higher rate than any widget. Hotels that treat calls as a revenue channel, with staffing, call tracking and clear scripts, will win the direct booking battle. The tech exists to measure and optimize every single call. The first step is just answering.

Quick questions

Why is answering the phone important for hotels?

Because it captures high-intent bookers who already finished their online research. If nobody answers, 85% won't try again and the booking goes to an OTA or competitor.

What is the 85% statistic about in hotels?

It's the percentage of customers who hang up and never call back when their call goes unanswered, based on findings by Néstor Rodríguez from ThinkIN.

How can hotels reduce missed calls?

By staffing the front desk properly, using call overflow services, and setting up call tracking to measure response rates and peak call times.

Do call tracking tools work for hotel bookings?

Yes. They connect a call to its source campaign, show peak hours, and even record calls to train staff on better conversion scripts.

Is the phone still relevant for direct bookings?

Completely. Often, the phone is where high-consideration bookings actually close. Guests who call are usually ready to book, so good phone service directly increases revenue.

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