AI phone receptionists answer calls when you can’t, take messages, and can book appointments. For businesses that miss calls while working, they can mean more jobs booked. Before you choose one, check these points.
Losing jobs to missed calls? See our Never Miss a Call page for the types of tools that help and who they help most.
Call quality
- Call the demo number yourself several times, at different times of day
- Listen for long pauses, robotic speech or talking over the caller
- Try an accent, background noise and a confusing question
- Check whether it tells callers they’re speaking with an AI
What it can actually do
- Book into your calendar, or only take messages?
- Send you a text or email summary after each call?
- Transfer urgent calls to your cell phone?
- Answer questions from your own information, such as hours, prices and service area?
Setup and your phone number
- Can you keep your existing business number?
- How long does setup take, and do you need help?
- Can you easily change what it says?
Pricing
- Is it priced per minute, per call, or a flat monthly fee?
- What happens if you go over your minutes?
- Is there a free trial on your real number?
- How do you cancel, and is there a contract?
Privacy and recordings
- Are calls recorded, and where are recordings stored?
- How long are recordings and transcripts kept?
- Some places require telling callers a call is recorded. Check the rules where you and your callers are
Try it before you trust it
Run it alongside your normal setup for a week. Review every call summary. Once it handles your common calls well, let it take over after hours first, then expand.
Every product listed on AI Links is tested by a person before it goes live. See how we test, or read more guides.