The short answer
If most of the calls you miss are bookings and simple questions, an AI receptionist answers every one of them, day or night, for less than a wage. It is an after hours answering service that never clocks off. If your callers need judgment, comfort or advice, a person is better. That can be a virtual receptionist service or your own hire.
A mix works too: a person in business hours, and an AI receptionist after hours and when the line is busy.
Key takeaways
- An AI receptionist answers every call, books the time and sends you a summary. It says it is AI at the start of the call.
- A virtual receptionist is a real person at another company who answers in your name.
- Your own receptionist costs the most and gives you the most control.
- Voicemail is free. The caller who hangs up without a message rings the next name on the list.
- Count the calls you miss first. The answer depends on that number.
The four options side by side
| AI receptionist | Virtual receptionist service | Your own receptionist | Voicemail | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who answers | An AI voice agent that says it is AI | A person at an outside company | A person on your team | Nobody |
| Hours | Every call, day or night | Depends on the plan you buy | Their working hours | Always on, never answers |
| Bookings | Books, moves and confirms, if your booking system allows it | Usually, if they have access to your calendar | Yes | No |
| Simple questions (hours, prices, directions) | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Judgment, advice, upset callers | No. It passes these to a person | Some, within the script you give them | Yes | No |
| How you pay | Set-up, then a monthly fee | Per call or per month | Wages plus super, leave and a desk | Free |
| Time to start | Days to weeks, after test calls | Days | Weeks to hire and train | Now |
| Best for | Missed calls, after hours, busy lines | Callers who want a human voice | Busy front desks with walk-ins | Very low call volume |
Two rows decide it. If your calls need judgment, a person wins. If your problem is the hours when nobody is there, the AI wins.
When an AI receptionist is the right call
An AI receptionist suits you if three things are true. Most of your missed calls are new bookings or the same few questions. You lose calls after hours or while you are with a client. And your booking system can take a booking from outside.
That last one matters. I check what your booking system allows before I quote, and I won’t promise a link I haven’t tested.
Here is how mine works for clinics and service firms:
- It books, moves and confirms appointments.
- It takes a message and sends it to the right person.
- Anything clinical or urgent goes straight to a person. It never gives health advice.
- You hear it answer test calls before a real client ever does.
The full set-up is on my AI receptionist for Melbourne clinics and service firms page.
When a person is the right call
Pick a person if your callers are often upset or worried, or if every call is different. A family law enquiry or a patient in pain needs a human voice. An AI receptionist should pass those calls to a person straight away.
A virtual receptionist service gives you a human voice without a hire. You pay for the time or the calls you use. The catch is that they only know what you tell them. Write down your common questions and your rules for urgent calls before you start.
Your own receptionist is the best fit for a busy front desk with walk-ins and paperwork. It is also the biggest cost. Hiring brings pay, super, leave and record keeping. The Employees section of business.gov.au states what you take on as an employer, so read it before you hire.
What it costs with MaxBiz
My prices are on my site, and I’ll keep them honest here.
- The free snapshot costs nothing. I check how many calls you miss now and tell you if an AI receptionist would pay for itself.
- Foundations is $1,500 plus GST, one-off. Half to start, the rest when the work is done and checked. It fixes what you already have, so Google reads your business right.
- The AI receptionist sits in the Action stage, the reply and the booking. Like every stage after Foundations, it is quoted on the Foundations report.
I don’t show a price I can’t stand behind. If you want a number for your business, the snapshot is the way to get it.
How to decide in ten minutes
- For one week, note every call, answered or missed. Use your phone system’s call history so missed calls count too.
- Mark each one by type: new client, booking or change, simple question, existing client with a problem, or urgent.
- Write down what a new client is worth to you.
- Multiply missed new-client calls by that value, then by 52.
- Compare that number to the cost of each option in the table.
Then read the pattern. Mostly bookings and simple questions, or many missed calls after hours: an AI receptionist fits. Mostly existing clients with problems that need care: a person fits. A mix: AI answers first and passes the rest to a person.
The calculator on my AI receptionist page does steps 3 to 5 for you. On a call, I check how many calls you really miss.
If your Google Business Profile has a call button, that is where many of these calls start. My page on Google Business Profile management covers that side. If you want everything after the call to run too, see AI automation for Melbourne service firms.
Frequently asked questions
Will callers know it’s AI?
Yes. The AI voice agent says so at the start of the call. The OAIC’s guidance on AI products states that public-facing AI tools should be clearly identified as AI. Most people just want their booking made.
What if the AI receptionist can’t answer?
It takes a message and sends it to a person straight away. Urgent calls go through to your phone.
Is an AI receptionist cheaper than a virtual receptionist?
It can be, if your calls are mostly bookings and simple questions. If most calls need a human, a virtual receptionist or your own hire is better value. Count your missed calls first.
Can I use both?
Yes. One set-up that works is a person in business hours and an AI receptionist after hours or when the line is busy.
Want to know if it would pay for itself?
Send me your business and suburb. In the free snapshot I’ll check how many calls you miss and tell you plainly whether an AI receptionist is worth it for you, or not.
Get the free snapshot or call 03 8692 4716.
Related guides
These pages go deeper on the parts of this guide that need their own page.
Where this leads: Foundations and Action
See who is taking customers nearby.
For your free Competitor snapshot, I look at who is ranking nearby for the work you sell, and send you the names that actually matter.
