Updated July 2026
In short: an answering service and a virtual receptionist both use people to answer calls in working hours, charge per call or extra for 24/7, and mostly take messages. An AI receptionist answers automatically in seconds — 24/7 as standard, across calls, web, WhatsApp and DMs — and doesn't just take a message: it qualifies, books and follows up. AI wins on cost and coverage for most service businesses; a human service is worth it only for very complex or sensitive calls.
| AI front office | Human answering service | Virtual receptionist | In-house receptionist | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Typical UK cost | From £300/mo (24/7, all channels) | £150–£550/mo + per-call | £100–£400/mo (more for 24/7) | £25,000–£40,000/yr |
| 24/7 cover | Standard | Paid add-on | Paid add-on | No (~40 hrs/wk) |
| Answers in seconds | Yes | Usually | Usually | If free |
| Many enquiries at once | Yes | Limited | No | No |
| Calls + web + WhatsApp + DMs | All channels | Calls mainly | Calls mainly | Calls mainly |
| Qualifies & books, not just messages | Yes | Sometimes | Sometimes | Yes |
| Chases leads that go quiet | Yes (multi-touch) | No | No | Rarely |
| Handles complex / sensitive calls | Escalates to your team | Yes | Yes | Yes |
AI receptionist / front office — best for most service businesses that need every enquiry caught, qualified and booked, around the clock, without paying a salary. Cheapest for the coverage, never sleeps, handles every channel, and follows up leads. Genuinely complex or sensitive calls are passed to your team.
Human answering service — best when calls are often complex, emotional or highly variable and a human touch matters more than cost or speed. Expect per-call fees and extra for out-of-hours.
Virtual receptionist — a remote person answering in working hours; good if you want a consistent human voice and don't need true 24/7 or multi-channel cover.
In-house receptionist — best only if you have the call volume and budget to justify a full-time salary, and accept that they cover one shift, one call at a time.
Two things trip up traditional services: 24/7 is almost always a paid extra (yet evenings and weekends are when many enquiries arrive), and they mostly take a message rather than convert the lead. An AI front office answers every hour as standard and actually books the job — which is why, for capturing and converting demand, it usually comes out ahead on both cost and results.
An answering service uses people to answer calls and take messages, usually per call or per minute. An AI receptionist answers automatically in seconds, 24/7, across calls, web and messaging, and can qualify, book and follow up — not just take a message. AI is typically cheaper and covers every channel; a human service suits very complex or sensitive calls.
They solve the same problem differently. A virtual receptionist is a remote person answering in working hours, often charging more for 24/7. An AI receptionist answers instantly at any hour, handles many enquiries at once and every channel, and costs less — but escalates genuinely complex calls to your team.
Yes — 24/7 is standard with an AI receptionist, including evenings, weekends and lunchtimes. With most human services it's a paid add-on, even though that's when a large share of enquiries come in.
An AI receptionist, for the coverage you get — from a few hundred pounds a month for 24/7, all-channel handling. A human answering service runs £150–£550/mo plus per-call fees; an in-house receptionist £25,000+ a year for one person on ~40 hours a week.