AI Front Desk: an AI receptionist that answers customer questions day and night, and hands off to a person when it should.
Are you open, do you take walk-ins, is there parking, can I book for six on Friday. Your staff answer these all week, and the messages nobody answers in time go to a competitor. AI Front Desk answers them from your real information and passes the rest to you.
The short answer
AI Front Desk is an AI receptionist for small businesses: $299 to set up, then $99 a month. It is trained on your real hours, menu, prices and policies, answers on your website and optionally your business text line, takes bookings and large-party inquiries with the details, and hands the conversation to a person instead of making things up. The bar for it to pay for itself is one recovered booking a month.
What it answers
- Are you open right now, and until when?
- Do you take walk-ins, and how long is the wait?
- Do you have gluten-free options, and what is on special?
- Where do I park, and is there wheelchair access?
- Can you fit 20 on Saturday? Can I book for six on Friday?
- How much is a haircut, a tune-up or a first visit?
It answers from what you give it: your hours, menu, prices, services and policies. When those change, the answers change with them.
Where it works
- A chat on your website, day and night.
- Your business text line, if you want it there.
- Your Facebook and Instagram messages.
- Missed-call text-back: a caller you could not answer gets a text within seconds with a link to book or order.
- Voicemails turned into text on your phone, so you can read them in seconds.
Handing off to a person
The moment it is unsure, it stops and a person takes over, with the whole conversation attached so the customer does not have to repeat themselves. You set the rules: which questions always go to you, who gets the handoff, and at what hours. Bookings and large-party inquiries arrive with the details already collected.
Limits, stated plainly
- It only knows what you have told it. If your hours or prices change, update them, and the answers follow.
- It will not invent an answer. Anything outside what it knows goes to a person.
- Complaints, refunds and judgment calls belong with you, and it hands those over.
- It does not give medical, legal or financial advice, whatever your trade.
- It works in messages. If most of your customers phone and expect a person on the line, tell us before you buy, and we will say honestly whether it fits.
What it costs, compared
| Option | Price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| AI Front Desk | $299 setup, then $99 a month | Our pricing page |
| Growth bundle | $499 build, then $199 a month for the website, care, Get Found on Google and AI Front Desk, setup included, 12-month term | Our pricing page |
| National AI receptionist service | From $150 a month on its Pro plan | Smith.ai published pricing, September 2026 |
| Staffed virtual receptionists | From $300 a month for 30 calls | Smith.ai published pricing, September 2026 |
A staffed answering service is the better choice if your customers mostly call and need a person on the phone. AI Front Desk suits businesses where the same questions arrive by chat, text and social messages all day.
Questions owners ask us
What does an AI receptionist cost for a small business?
Ours is $299 to set up, then $99 a month, or included in the Growth bundle at $199 a month with your website and Google management. National services publish plans from about $150 a month, and staffed receptionists start around $300 a month for 30 calls, per Smith.ai's pricing.
What happens when the AI does not know the answer?
It stops and hands the conversation to a person, with everything the customer said attached. It is set up never to guess, and you decide which questions always come straight to you.
Can it take bookings for my business?
Yes. It takes bookings and large-party inquiries with the details collected, such as date, time, party size and contact, so you or your staff can confirm without starting from scratch.
Do I need a website from you to use AI Front Desk?
No. It is sold on its own as well as in our bundles. Tell us where your current site lives and which channels you use, and we will say what setup involves before you pay.
How is it trained on my business?
During setup we load your real hours, menu or services, prices and policies, and the questions your staff hear most. When anything changes, the information is updated and the answers follow.
Is AI Front Desk part of a bundle?
Yes. The Growth bundle, $199 a month after a $499 build, includes the website with care, Get Found on Google and AI Front Desk with setup included. The Complete bundle at $249 a month adds Stay in Touch.
Related
Stop losing the questions nobody had time to answer.
Every project starts with a signed contract and a working demo: $200 for a website, or a website and apps, and a quoted demo price for everything else.