What is an automated answering service called?
Automated answering services go by several names depending on the technology. The oldest term is IVR — interactive voice response — the menu system that asks you to 'press 1 for sales.' AI receptionist and AI answering service are the modern terms for software that holds a natural conversation with the caller instead of reading from a menu. Virtual receptionist is sometimes used interchangeably with AI receptionist, though the term historically described human agents working remotely. Voice AI agent and conversational voice AI are the technical terms. The practical distinction is straightforward: IVR makes callers navigate a menu; AI receptionists answer the call, understand the reason, and either resolve it, book an appointment, or transfer to a human. our full AI receptionist comparison. See what Aira handles on calls.
Related questions
- What does an AI receptionist do?An AI receptionist answers calls, books appointments, takes messages, routes callers, and handles 30+ languages — 24/7. Here's the full capability list.
- Can I use AI to answer calls?Yes — inbound AI call answering is legal across the US with no disclosure requirement. Setup takes under 15 minutes. Here's what's allowed and how to start.
- What is the best AI answering service?The best AI answering service depends on call volume, languages, and integrations. Here's how to compare providers by what actually matters.