What is an AI receptionist?
Software that answers your phone with a voice. It talks to the caller, gets the job details and books the job. Here’s how it works, what it can’t do, and what it costs.
The short answer
An AI receptionist is a computer voice that answers your business phone when you can’t. It holds a normal conversation, asks the questions you’d ask, and does something with the answers: books a time, takes the details or sends you a text.
It’s different from voicemail, which just records, and from an answering service, where a person at a call centre takes a message.
Some pretend to be a person. Ours says straight up that it’s your assistant.
What happens on a call
Your phone rings
You choose: it rings you first, or the assistant picks up straight away.
It says who it is
“You’ve reached Mario’s Plumbing. I’m Mario’s assistant. What can I help with?” (example)
It gets the job details
Name, suburb, what’s wrong and how urgent it is.
It books it, or gets you
Routine jobs go in your calendar. Emergencies get texted to you straight away.
What it can’t do
It can’t do the job. It can’t look at a leak or check a switchboard.
It only knows what it’s been told. A good one says when it doesn’t know, takes the details and gets you to ring back.
It can get things wrong, which is why we read what ours says and fix it.
AI receptionist, answering service or voicemail?
| OffsiteMate | An answering service | Voicemail | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who answers | Your assistant, any hour | Someone at a call centre | A beep |
| Gets the job details | Yes, and asks what you’ve told it to | Takes a message | If they leave one |
| Books the job | Yes, at times you’re free | Some do, for an extra fee | No |
| What it costs | From A$299 a month, 100 minutes and 150 texts included | From about A$25 a month plus GST for message taking, or A$2.95 to A$3.90 a call | Free |
Answering service prices are from Australian services we checked in October 2026. Theirs change, and some add GST on top.
What it costs in Australia
Ours is A$299 a month for a sole trader, with 100 minutes and 150 texts included, plus A$299 to set up.
Human answering services we checked in October 2026 charged from about A$25 a month plus GST for message taking, or A$2.95 to A$3.90 a call.
Voicemail is free, and books nothing.
Fair questions about AI receptionists
Is an AI receptionist the same as a chatbot?
Close. A chatbot answers in text, usually on a website. An AI receptionist answers your phone with a voice. Ours does both.
Will my customers know it’s not me?
Yes. It tells them straight up it’s your assistant. If they want you, it takes their number and you ring them back.
Does it work after hours?
Yes, any hour, every day.
Do I have to set it up myself?
No. We have a chat with you, set it all up and keep it running. You don’t touch any software.
What if it says something wrong?
Text us. We read what it says to your customers, and we fix it.
This phone is answered.
Ring us on the number below, or email. Either way, a human gets back to you.
0468 075 000Or email hello@offsitemate.com.au