Stop losing work to missed calls: AI receptionists compared

A missed call is often a lost job, because many callers ring the next number instead of leaving a voicemail. An AI receptionist answers when you can't, takes the details, books routine work and passes urgent calls straight to you. In the site's worked examples it starts at about $59£44€52A$84C$83 a month for a one-van trade, and at the plumber example's figures (a $239£180€214A$346C$338 job at an assumed 30% margin, about $72£54€64A$104C$102 of profit) one extra job a month roughly covers it. This guide compares five ideas from different kinds of business, shows which tool suits whom, and covers what to set up so it helps callers rather than annoying them. All costs and savings come from the ideas' illustrative worked examples, not named businesses.

Trades: answered while your hands are full

AI receptionist for plumbers uses Jobber's AI Receptionist. Jobber's page says it answers calls and texts 24/7, books visits using your online booking settings or takes a message, and saves each call with a summary, transcript and recording. You choose keywords such as 'leak' or 'emergency' that transfer the caller to you or send you a text alert. In the worked example, a one-van plumber in Bristol misses about 5 calls a week and keeps 1 to 2 extra jobs a week: about $306£230€274A$442C$432 to $599£450€536A$864C$846 a month in profit at an assumed 30% margin, against $59£44€52A$84C$83 to $128£96€114A$184C$180 a month. Jobber prices in US dollars, and the add-on is $29 a month on top of a plan; check with Jobber which plans it works with before you commit.

AI receptionist for lockout calls uses Powered Now's PN Receptionist, which answers in a British voice and is priced in pounds. It answers 24/7, texts you the caller's name, number and job details, and texts you at once or puts the call straight through when it hears words you set, such as 'child inside'. Speech is $39£29€35A$56C$55 a month and Speech + Text, which also follows up callers by text, is $52£39€46A$75C$73. The example locksmith in Stoke-on-Trent runs it with Powered Now Business at $37£28€33A$54C$53 so $76£57€68A$109C$107 to $89£67€80A$129C$126 a month excluding VAT. Missing 8 calls a week, the example keeps 2 extra $126£95€113A$182C$179 lockouts a week, about $544£409€487A$785C$769 a month in profit at an assumed 50% margin.

Appointment businesses: book straight into the diary

A therapist with a client on the table has the same problem as a plumber under a floor. AI receptionist for massage therapists uses Fresha's AI Concierge, an add-on to its booking software. Fresha's page says it answers calls and replies to messages, books and reschedules in the Fresha calendar, answers common questions from a knowledge base you add, transfers calls and passes on messages it can't handle. It costs €94.95 (about $109£82€98A$157C$154) a location a month with 200 minutes and 500 messages included, then €0.57 a minute. The example, a solo therapist in Cheltenham missing about 6 calls a week, keeps 1 booking a week at $73£55€65A$106C$103 about $251£189€225A$363C$355 a month in profit at an assumed 80% margin. Set anything about injuries, pregnancy or medical conditions to become a message you return, because the AI must never say a treatment is safe.

Offices and regulated work: routine calls only

AI receptionist for accountants uses Aircall's AI Voice Agent, which works with or without an Aircall phone system. It answers from knowledge sources you give it, routes callers, books meetings and transfers callers to a person with the conversation details. The example is a five-person practice in Leicester with about 40 routine calls a week about opening hours, where to send records and fees. It values the staff time at about $458£344€409A$660C$647 a month, against about $145£109€130A$209C$205 to $173£130€155A$250C$244 in agent minutes: $0.49£0.37€0.44A$0.71C$0.70 a minute after 50 free minutes a month, or a 500-minute bundle at $173£130€155A$250C$244. Anything about a client's own tax, accounts or HMRC letters goes to a person.

Not every firm wants an automated voice on the line. Callback booking for personal injury inquiries takes a lighter route: a Calendly page where the injured person picks a callback time, with reminders on the Standard plan at $11£8€10A$15C$15 a seat a month billed yearly. The form asks only for a name, a number and a preferred time; injury details are special category data and are discussed on the call. The example, a Glasgow firm with 40 web inquiries a month, saves about 2.7 hours of phone tag, worth around $106£80€95A$154C$150. Someone rings at the booked time, every time, because a missed callback is worse than none.

For a real account, a UK marketing consultant describes on her own blog putting a basic AI voice agent on a second number for after-hours calls. She says it answered 41 calls in six weeks that would have gone to voicemail, that 11 callers booked a slot and that two became clients worth about $6,384£4,800€5,712A$9,216C$9,024 together. It is one person's claim with a small sample, recorded in Real examples.

Which one to start with

• Already on Jobber, Powered Now or Fresha: add that tool's receptionist. It books into the diary you already keep, so setup is easiest.
• A UK trade choosing job software now: Powered Now is priced in pounds with a British voice; Jobber prices in dollars, so the pound cost moves with the exchange rate.
• An office with many routine questions: Aircall's AI Voice Agent charges by the minute, so price your busiest month, not an average one.
• A regulated firm, or callers who hang up on automation: start with a Calendly callback page from $11£8€10A$15C$15 a seat a month.

What goes wrong, whichever you pick

• Some callers hang up on anything automated. Check the call log daily and ring back short calls, and turn on text-back where your tool offers it.
• It books into the diary it can see. If your diary isn't up to date, it fills slots you've already promised.
• Tell callers they are speaking to an AI and that calls are recorded, and add it to your privacy notice. Recordings are personal data under UK GDPR, and health details are special category data.
• Don't let it quote or advise: no prices except for fixed-price jobs, no answers about a client's own tax, no word on whether a treatment is safe.
• Allowances run out in busy months. Fresha charges €0.57 a minute over 200, and Aircall's minutes add up fast in January.
• An urgent alert only helps if you see it. Check your texts between jobs.

Where to start

Before paying for anything, count what you miss. For two weeks, note every missed call from your phone's call log and whether the caller left a message or rang back. If that's more than a few a week, pick the tool that matches your diary from the list above. Write down the five questions callers ask most and the words that mean 'put me through now', load them in, then ring your own number from another phone and test it before you switch on call forwarding.