The guide
What is an AI receptionist?
An AI receptionist is software that answers a business's phone calls with a natural voice, 24 hours a day. It answers questions from the business's own information, books appointments into its calendar, captures every caller's details and passes urgent calls to a person. Unlike voicemail, it helps the caller right away.
01 · How it works
How does an AI receptionist work?
Behind the voice are three parts working together in real time: speech recognition, a language model that follows your rules, and a natural text-to-speech voice.
- Step 1
A customer calls your number
Your number stays the same; calls forward to the AI receptionist when you choose.
- Step 2
It answers on the first ring
A natural voice greets the caller in your business's name and says it's a virtual assistant.
- Step 3
It understands the request
Speech recognition and a language model work out what the caller needs, one short question at a time.
- Step 4
It takes action
It answers from your knowledge base, books into your calendar, captures details or escalates urgent calls.
- Step 5
You get the record
The transcript, summary and outcome of the call reach your dashboard seconds after hang-up.
02 · Compared
AI receptionist vs answering service vs voicemail.
How the common ways of handling business calls compare.
| AI receptionist | Answering service | Voicemail | In-house receptionist | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Answers 24/7 | Yes | Usually | Records only | Office hours |
| Answers on the first ring | Yes | Queues at peaks | No | When free |
| Many calls at the same time | Yes | Limited by staff | No | One at a time |
| Answers questions about your business | From your own info | Scripted basics | No | Yes |
| Books into your calendar | Yes, live | Sometimes | No | Yes |
| Transcript and summary of every call | Yes | Message notes | Audio only | No |
| Cost | From €149/month | Per minute or per call | Free | A full salary |
03 · Cost
How much does an AI receptionist cost?
Fraxbot Starter costs €149 a month with 300 minutes included, and Fraxbot Pro €249 a month with 800 minutes, more languages and numbers. Extra minutes are €0.25. Both have a one-time €900 setup that is done for you.
Every call's cost is shown in the dashboard, so the price of each answered call is always visible. There is no unlimited plan, and no long contract.
See full pricing04 · By industry
AI receptionists by industry.
Any business that lives on phone calls. See how it works for yours.
- AI receptionist forDental offices
- AI receptionist forMed spas
- AI receptionist forSalons & beauty studios
- AI receptionist forHome services
- AI receptionist forHVAC companies
- AI receptionist forVeterinary clinics
- AI receptionist forLaw firms
- AI receptionist forReal estate & property management
- AI receptionist forAuto dealerships
- AI receptionist forHotels & B&Bs
05 · FAQ
Questions, answered.
Do callers know they're talking to an AI?
With Fraxbot, yes: every call opens by saying it's the business's virtual assistant. It never pretends to be human. Transparency rules such as the EU AI Act expect people to be told when they're talking to an AI.
Will an AI receptionist replace my staff?
No. It takes the calls your team can't: after hours, when the line is busy, or when everyone is with customers. Your staff keep the conversations that need a person.
Can I keep my existing phone number?
Yes. With call forwarding, your number stays the same. You choose when Fraxbot answers: after hours, when busy, when nobody picks up, or always.
What happens when it doesn't know the answer?
It says so honestly, takes the caller's details and creates a callback request, so your team follows up. It never invents prices, availability or policies.
What languages can an AI receptionist speak?
Fraxbot speaks more than ten languages with native voices, including English, Spanish, French, German, Italian and Romanian.
How long does it take to set up?
With Fraxbot, about a week and roughly one hour of your time. fraxBIT writes the knowledge base, sets the booking and escalation rules, connects your number and tests it with real calls.