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AI receptionist guides, in plain words
What an AI receptionist is, how it works, what it costs, how it compares with the alternatives, and how to set one up well. Written by the team that builds Frontivo.io, with no invented statistics.
Basics
- What is an AI receptionist? An AI receptionist is software that answers a business's calls and messages, books appointments and captures leads. Here's how it works and who it's for. 7 min read
- How do AI receptionists work? How an AI receptionist answers a call, in plain words: number forwarding, speech recognition, knowledge retrieval (RAG), booking, handoff and transcripts. 8 min read
- What is an AI voice agent, and how is it different from an AI receptionist? An AI voice agent is software that holds spoken phone conversations. Learn how it works, what it does for a business and how it differs from an AI receptionist. 7 min read
- What is an AI answering service? How it works, what it costs and how to choose one What an AI answering service is, how it differs from IVR and live answering services, what it costs per month, and what to check before you buy. 9 min read
- The benefits of an AI receptionist, and the honest drawbacks The concrete benefits of an AI receptionist, from answering at any hour to predictable cost, plus the honest drawbacks and when it is not the right tool. 8 min read
Costs and comparisons
- How much does an AI receptionist cost? How AI receptionists are priced, what drives the cost, hidden fees to check, Frontivo.io's plans and allowances, and how to pick a plan from your call volume. 11 min read
- AI receptionist vs virtual receptionist: which is right for you? A fair look at AI receptionists vs human virtual receptionists: availability, simultaneous calls, empathy, booking, cost model and when to choose each. 8 min read
- Virtual receptionist pricing: what human, AI and hybrid services cost per month What a virtual receptionist costs per month: human services billed per minute or per call, AI receptionists on flat plans, hybrid options and hidden fees. 9 min read
- AI receptionist vs answering service: what actually changes? AI receptionist or answering service? Compare message-taking vs handling calls end to end, per-minute billing, hold times, scripts, channels and hybrid setups. 8 min read
- AI receptionist vs voicemail: what changes when calls get answered? Why voicemail loses customers, what an AI receptionist does instead, where missed-call text-back fits, what each costs, and what voicemail is still good for. 7 min read
Buying guides
- AI receptionist for small business: what to look for and how to choose A buying guide to AI receptionists for small businesses: why owners use one, what to look for, the questions to ask a vendor and which plan size fits you. 8 min read
- Which AI receptionist is best for a small business? 9 options compared Nine AI receptionists and answering services for small businesses compared on price, included usage, channels, booking and handoff, with who each fits. 9 min read
- How to stop missing calls at a small business Why small businesses miss calls, what a missed call costs, and five fixes ranked from cheapest to most complete, from voicemail greeting to AI receptionist. 8 min read
- After-hours answering service: your options compared (and what each costs) After-hours answering service options compared: voicemail, on-call staff, a live answering service or an AI receptionist, with costs and when each fits. 10 min read
- How to choose a medical answering service: operators, nurse triage or AI, HIPAA and cost How to choose a medical answering service: live operators, nurse triage or AI, when a HIPAA BAA is needed, and how each option is billed. 9 min read
See how Frontivo.io does it
Each guide links to the matching product page, with a plain definition, how it works and the plans that include it.
- AI phone receptionist
- Website chat and voice widget
- Text messaging (SMS)
- WhatsApp, Instagram & Messenger
- AI email replies
- AI appointment booking
- Lead qualification and capture
- Human handoff and live call transfer
- Knowledge base and AI training (RAG)
- Unified inbox, transcripts and AI summaries
- Integrations and automations
Your AI receptionist is ready
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Talk to Frontivo.io's own AI receptionist in the live demo, or start a free trial. No credit card required.
- 14-day free trial
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