| AI receptionist | Call centre | |
|---|---|---|
| Answer speed | First ring | Queue at busy times |
| Out of hours | Included | Often available, check the rates |
| Knows your business | Your FAQs, your prices, your rules | A script |
| Urgent transfer | Yes, your rules | Sometimes, per script |
| Typical cost | £20–£70/month | Typically £40–£100+/month with per-call fees |
Calls involving complaints, sensitive circumstances, complex negotiations or unusual requests often benefit from human judgement. AI is better suited to common questions, collecting information and routing calls to the right person.
The strongest setup for most small businesses is not one or the other. It is AI handling the straightforward calls, with a clear route through to a person when the conversation needs one. That routing is built in here: you decide which calls transfer straight to your phone.
No setup fee, no contract, and it is free to build and ring before you pay. Every plan includes a local number.
A human in a distant call centre reading "I'll pass that on" reassures less than an assistant that instantly knows your prices, your hours and can put an emergency straight through to you.
There's no contract, test the AI free, run it for a month, and compare the messages you get against what an agency sends you.
Build your assistant and talk to it in your browser, free, no card, two minutes.
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