Glossary
What is a virtual receptionist?
Definition
A virtual receptionist answers and handles a business's calls remotely instead of from the front desk. It can be a live remote agent, an AI voice assistant, or a mix — greeting callers, scheduling, taking messages, and routing calls.
01Live vs. AI virtual receptionists
A live virtual receptionist is a remote human, often shared across several businesses and billed per minute or per call. An AI virtual receptionist is software that answers automatically, handles unlimited simultaneous calls, and costs a flat monthly rate. The trade-off is human nuance versus instant, always-on availability and lower cost.
02What a virtual receptionist handles
Typical tasks are greeting callers, answering FAQs, booking and confirming appointments, capturing caller details, screening spam, and notifying the team. The setup connects to a business phone number and forwards or natively answers calls.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a virtual receptionist cost?
Live virtual receptionist services usually charge per minute or per call, with monthly plans sized by expected volume — so a busy month costs more. AI virtual receptionists are typically a flat monthly rate regardless of call count. When comparing, look at what counts as billable time and whether overage rates apply once you exceed your plan.
Is a virtual receptionist the same as a call center?
No. A call center is built for high-volume, script-driven work across many agents, often for large companies. A virtual receptionist acts as a single business's front desk — greeting callers by the business name, answering its specific questions, and booking its appointments. The experience is meant to feel like your own staff, not a queue.
Do I need new phone equipment to use a virtual receptionist?
No. Virtual receptionists work with the phone setup you already have. You either forward your existing number — all calls, or only the ones you don't answer — or publish a number the service provides. That works from a landline, a mobile phone, or a VoIP system, and you can usually turn forwarding on or off anytime.
See also
Related terms
Ahoya is an AI receptionist that answers every call 24/7.
Start free