AI receptionist: what it is, what it costs and how to set one up
Everything small businesses need to know about AI receptionists: what they handle, how they compare with answering services, real cost maths and a setup checklist.
What is an AI receptionist?
An AI receptionist is software that answers your business phone and messages with a natural voice, handles common questions, books appointments and routes anything unusual to a person. Unlike an IVR menu, callers just speak normally.
Modern AI receptionists use the same knowledge as your website chat, so callers and visitors get consistent answers about hours, prices, services and policies.
What an AI receptionist can handle
Most receptionist calls are predictable. These are the ones AI handles well:
- Opening hours, location, parking and directions
- Prices and services from a list you approve
- Booking, rescheduling and cancelling appointments
- Taking messages with structured details
- Qualifying new enquiries and sending them to the right person
- Sending confirmations by email or WhatsApp
AI receptionist vs answering service vs hiring
Human answering services are typically billed per minute or per call and follow a script, but usually can’t book into your real calendar or answer detailed questions. A full-time receptionist knows the business deeply but covers limited hours.
An AI receptionist answers instantly at any hour, books into your actual calendar and costs a fraction of either — but it should always transfer complex or emotional calls to a person.
What an AI receptionist costs: worked example
Costs usually have three parts: a platform fee, a per-minute voice charge and your phone carrier’s call rates.
Example with ResolveX: a clinic receives 300 calls a month averaging 3 minutes — 900 minutes. Two 500-minute packs cost $198 ($99 each), plus one $15 seat, for about $213 a month before carrier charges. Minutes never expire, so unused minutes roll forward.
Setup checklist
Most businesses can go live in an afternoon:
- Write down services, prices, hours and booking rules
- Connect your calendar (Google Calendar or Calendly)
- Connect your existing number (Twilio, Plivo, Exotel, Vonage or SIP)
- Define what must always go to a person
- Choose a greeting that says callers are speaking with an AI assistant
- Call it yourself ten times with different requests before going live
Frequently asked questions
How much does an AI receptionist cost?
With ResolveX, a $15 monthly seat plus prepaid voice minutes from $0.19 per minute (100 minutes for $22, 500 for $99, 2,000 for $380). Your phone carrier bills its own call rates.
Can an AI receptionist book appointments?
Yes. Connected to Google Calendar or Calendly, it checks real availability and books while the caller is on the line, within your rules.
Do callers know they are talking to AI?
You control the greeting. Telling callers they are speaking with an AI assistant is good practice and required in some jurisdictions.