An AI receptionist for your small business
Speechless answers your business phone in under a second, day or night. It talks to callers, takes the details and sends you a summary, so you can keep working.
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What is an AI receptionist?
An AI receptionist is software that answers your business phone the way a front-desk person would. It picks up, greets the caller by your business name, finds out what they need, and passes the details to you. It works as an AI phone receptionist for small business owners who cannot be at the desk, and it does the job on every call.
It is not a phone tree. Nobody hears 'press 1 for sales.' The caller just talks, and the agent answers back in a natural voice. If someone asks your hours, your prices or whether you cover their area, it answers from the facts you gave it. If it does not know, it says so, takes their number and tells you to follow up. It does not make things up.
A virtual receptionist used to mean a remote human reading from a script. Here the agent is the voice on the line. You choose from 15+ voices, and it speaks English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese and Italian, switching when the caller does. You still decide what matters: which calls get put through to your phone, which become messages, and which are ended politely.
What your AI receptionist handles
Answers every call, any hour
It picks up in under a second, at 2 PM or 2 AM. It can take several calls at once, so a busy morning or a storm day never sends anyone to voicemail.
Gives callers real answers
Services, hours, prices, service area and the questions you hear every week. The agent uses what you told it, and it says 'I'm not sure' instead of guessing.
Takes messages that are worth reading
When a caller wants you, it records who they are, why they called and the best number to reach them. You get a clean summary instead of a 40-second voicemail you have to replay.
Puts urgent calls through
You decide what is urgent. A flooded kitchen or a locked-out customer can ring straight to your phone. The agent can announce the caller first, or flag the call so you phone back.
Blocks the noise
Robocalls, sales pitches and wrong numbers are ended politely. They never reach you and they do not use up your attention.
Books jobs when your calendar is connected
With a calendar connected, it offers only the slots that are really open. Until then it takes a booking request and you confirm it.
How to set up an AI receptionist
- 1
Chat with the setup assistant
Go to go.speechless.so/onboarding. Give it your website and it reads your services, hours, prices and FAQs. You keep or untick each fact.
- 2
Test it before you pay
Call your new agent from the browser. Listen to the voice, ask a few questions, and change anything that sounds off. Creating an account and testing are free.
- 3
Forward your existing number
Keep the number on your truck and your cards. Forward all calls, only missed calls, or only after-hours calls to Speechless from your carrier.
- 4
Get a summary after every call
Each call ends with the caller's details sent to you by SMS, WhatsApp, Slack, Discord, Google Chat or email. Most owners are live in about 5 minutes.
AI receptionist vs a human receptionist vs voicemail
| Speechless | Human receptionist | Voicemail | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | From $39 a month, billed by minutes | Salary plus benefits, or an agency fee | Free with your phone plan |
| Hours covered | 24/7, including nights and holidays | Their shift only | 24/7, but nobody answers |
| Calls at the same time | Several in parallel | One per person | Each caller leaves a message |
| Answers questions | Yes, from the facts you gave it | Yes, once trained | No |
| What you get after a call | A summary with the caller's details | A note or a message, depending on the person | A recording you have to play back |
Who uses an AI receptionist
- PlumbersBurst pipes caught, even at 11 PM.
- HVACNo-heat calls answered in January.
- ElectriciansHazard calls flagged, quotes booked.
- LocksmithsLockouts answered at 2 AM.
- Cleaning ServicesQuotes captured between cleans.
- LandscapersSpring estimate calls, answered.
- Salons & SpasA full book, even mid-cut.
- Law FirmsEvery caller gets a proper intake.
Integrations
Connects to the tools you already use
Bookings, contacts and call notes land where you already work.
Native integrations + 1,000+ more apps via Zapier
Simple monthly pricing
Every plan has every feature. Plans differ only by the minutes included.
Frequently asked questions
- What is an AI receptionist for small business?
- An AI receptionist for a small business is a voice agent that answers the company phone, talks to callers, takes messages and books appointments, then sends the owner a summary. It works around the clock, so owners who are on a job, in a meeting or asleep still catch the call.
- How much does an AI receptionist cost?
- Speechless starts at $39 a month. Starter is $39 with 250 minutes, then $0.20 a minute. Pro is $129 with 1,000 minutes, then $0.17 a minute. Scale is $249 with 2,000 minutes, then $0.15 a minute. Every plan has every feature, so you pick by minutes. Adding a card starts a 14-day free trial of Starter with 250 minutes, and you are not charged during the trial. There are no contracts and no setup fees.
- Can I keep my current business number?
- Yes. You keep your number and set up call forwarding to Speechless. You can forward all calls, only missed calls, or only calls after hours or when you are busy. Forwarding works with carriers that support it, including AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, RingCentral, Vonage, Google Voice and Aircall.
- Does an AI phone receptionist sound natural?
- Yes. The conversation flows with no menu and no 'press 1.' You choose from 15+ voices, and you can hear examples on the Speechless home page before you sign up. It detects the caller's language and switches between English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese and Italian.
- What does an AI phone receptionist do when it does not know the answer?
- It tells the caller it is not sure, takes their name and number, and notes the question in your summary. You follow up. It will not invent a price or promise a time you never gave it.
- Is an AI receptionist the same as a virtual receptionist?
- Not quite. A virtual receptionist usually means a remote human who answers for several businesses. An AI receptionist is software that answers instantly, handles many calls at once and is available at any hour. Both can take messages and screen calls. Read the full comparison in our blog post on virtual receptionist vs AI receptionist.
- How long does setup take?
- Most owners are live in about 5 minutes. You chat with the setup assistant at go.speechless.so/onboarding, share your website, test a call in the browser, then turn on forwarding. There are no scripts, flowcharts or code.
Further reading
More of what Speechless does
Stop letting calls go unanswered
Build your AI receptionist in a short chat, test it in your browser, and forward your number when you are happy with it.
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