Traditional answering services have been the go-to for small businesses that can't staff a phone. AI receptionists are the newer option. Here's how they compare on the things that matter.
Availability
Both can cover nights and weekends. An AI receptionist answers on the first ring every time and handles many callers at once, so there's no hold queue on your busiest day.
Knowledge of your business
Answering service agents usually work from a short script and take a message. An AI receptionist can answer detailed questions about pricing, services and policies, because it's trained on your full knowledge base.
What you get afterward
An answering service typically sends a short message. An AI receptionist can send the full transcript, the caller's details, how they heard about you and what they asked first, which makes follow-up faster.
Cost
Answering services often bill per minute or per call, which gets expensive as volume grows. AI receptionists are usually a flat monthly price with a generous minute allowance. FrontDeskReply's phone plan is $299 a month with 300 minutes.
When a human still makes sense
Complex, emotional or high-stakes calls can need a person. The best AI receptionists know their limits and take a detailed message for a callback instead of guessing.
The bottom line
For businesses where most calls are questions and booking requests, an AI receptionist gives faster, more detailed answers at a predictable cost. See it on your own business.