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AI receptionist for small businesses

An assistant that answers the phone when your team is busy or after hours. It understands what the caller wants, books the appointment or takes the order and sends you a summary of the call.

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What is an AI receptionist

An AI receptionist turns what the caller says into text, picks the answer with a language model and speaks it in a synthetic voice, in real time. Unlike a phone menu (“press 1 for…”), the caller just talks, and the receptionist can book straight into your calendar.

How it works and what it costs per minute: AI phone answering for small businesses: how it works and costs.

What it does on the phone

  • Answers calls

    Every call, only missed calls or only after hours, as you choose.

  • Books appointments

    It finds a free slot in your calendar, books it and sends a confirmation by text or email.

  • Takes reservations and orders

    It notes the reservation or order and enters it into the software you use.

  • Answers questions

    Hours, address, prices, services: it answers from the information you've approved.

  • Transfers calls

    When the caller asks for someone, or the situation calls for it, it transfers the call to your team.

  • Sends a summary

    After every call you get an email with who called, what they asked for and what was agreed.

Examples by industry

  • Clinics and dental offices

    • Bookings and rescheduling
    • Prices and what to bring
    • After-hours calls

  • Restaurants

    • Table bookings for a set time
    • Opening hours and address
    • Takeout orders

  • Auto repair shops

    • Service bookings
    • Questions about services and hours
    • Messages for the team

  • Home services and contractors

    • Requests with the address and the problem
    • Scheduling the visit
    • Emergencies transferred to a person

AI receptionist, phone menu or a person?

  • Phone menu

    The caller listens to options and presses keys. It routes the call but doesn't solve the request.

  • AI receptionist

    The caller says what they want in their own words. The receptionist answers, books the appointment and writes everything down.

  • A person on your team

    For delicate situations, complaints and decisions. The receptionist transfers the call or leaves them a summary.

What we work with

You keep your phone number: calls are forwarded to the receptionist. We choose the voice platform by language, voice quality and cost.

Voice platforms

  • Retell AI
  • ElevenLabs
  • Twilio

AI models

  • Claude
  • GPT

Tools

  • Google Calendar
  • Outlook
  • Gmail
  • HubSpot
  • Pipedrive
  • Google Sheets

What's included

On the phone, the receptionist speaks for your business, so we prepare it carefully.

  • The call script

    We write how it greets callers, what it asks, what it can handle on its own and when it transfers.

  • Voice and language

    We choose the voice and test it with the street names, services and products your callers mention.

  • Connection to your number

    We forward calls from your business number: all of them, only missed calls or only after hours.

  • Calendar and tools

    The receptionist sees free slots and writes the booking or order where you work.

  • Summaries and recordings

    You get a summary of every call. If you also want recordings, the receptionist announces them at the start of the call.

  • Tests with real calls

    We test it with real calls, hard questions and background noise before it answers customers.

How we work

  1. 1

    We talk

    You tell us which calls you get most often and what the receptionist should handle. The first conversation is free.

  2. 2

    We write the script

    We decide what it asks, what it does on its own and when it hands over to a person.

  3. 3

    We build and test

    We connect it to your calendar and tools and test it with real calls.

  4. 4

    We switch it on

    We forward your calls, read the summaries of the first ones and adjust it.

Questions

What is an AI receptionist?

An assistant that answers the phone: it understands what the caller says, answers out loud and can book appointments or reservations straight into your calendar. It uses a language model, such as Claude or GPT, and a synthetic voice.

Does it sound natural?

The leading voice platforms sound close to a person and cope with interruptions. Quality varies from one voice to another, so we choose one by testing it with real calls and with the names and words your callers use.

Do we keep our phone number?

Yes. Calls are forwarded from your business number to the receptionist: all of them, only the ones nobody picks up or only those after hours.

Does it have to say it's an AI?

In the EU, yes: since 2 August 2026 the AI Act requires people to be told they are talking to an AI system, and on the phone that isn't obvious. In the US the rules vary by state. Either way, it introduces itself as the business's virtual assistant in its first sentence.

What if the caller wants to talk to a person?

The receptionist transfers the call to a colleague or, if nobody is available, takes a message and sends you the summary so you can call back.

Can it make calls too?

Yes, for confirmations and reminders to customers who have an appointment. Automated marketing calls need the person's prior consent: in the US under the TCPA, in the EU under each country's e-privacy rules.

How much does an AI receptionist cost?

The price is set for each project after the first conversation. The build depends on how much it has to do and how many tools it connects to. Voice platforms usually charge between $0.07 and $0.31 per minute of conversation, so a few tens of dollars a month for a few hundred short calls. More in AI phone answering for small businesses.

Are calls recorded?

Only if you want them to be. In that case the receptionist announces the recording at the start, which some US states require for everyone on the call, and your privacy policy says how long recordings are kept. Summaries can be sent without recording.

Other AI services

Contact

Tell us which calls you get most often and which tools you use, and we'll send you a quote.

Email
contact@manvro.com
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