Voicemail and manual texting don't cut it any more — customers message at 2pm and 2am with the same expectation: an answer now. AI receptionists went from novelty to standard kit for local firms in about a year. But they vary wildly, so here's how to judge them before trusting one with your customers.
⚡ Key Takeaways
- Check it lives where your customers are — WhatsApp and text first, not just phone trees from 2010. Watch the pricing model: per active hour or per lead beats a fat monthly minimum you'll never use. Insist on real integrations, not "we'll look into it" — diary, job software, accounts, payments. And confirm the handoff: the best handle the routine 80% and fetch you instantly for the rest.
Four things actually matter when you're choosing:
The field, honestly described:
The legacy phone bots share a blind spot: voice-first design. Susan went the other way — messaging-first, for businesses that live on WhatsApp. She doesn't take messages so much as take over: qualifies the lead, drops photos into your field software, builds Stripe deposit links, chases Xero invoices. And the trying is free, which makes it the cheapest experiment on the list.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Other languages?
Detected and answered — Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, and friends. Your Polish builder and French landlady both get served.
How long to set up, realistically?
Fifteen minutes in a chat. Prices, hours, area, diary link — teach it once, done.
What if my phone dies?
Irrelevant to callers. It runs in the cloud, answering WhatsApps and booking slots while your handset charges in a drawer.