What is Virtual Receptionist?
Quick Definition
A virtual receptionist is a remote or AI-powered service that answers phone calls on behalf of a business. It can refer to either live remote agents or AI-powered phone answering software.
Virtual Receptionist explained
A virtual receptionist is a phone answering service that operates remotely rather than on-site at a business location. The term encompasses two distinct models: (1) Live virtual receptionists — real human agents working from a remote call center who answer calls on behalf of your business. Companies like Ruby, Smith.ai, and AnswerConnect provide this service, typically charging $1-$7 per call or $200-$700+ per month. (2) AI virtual receptionists — software powered by conversational AI that answers calls automatically without human involvement. Services like AIRA, Rosie, and Dialzara provide this, typically charging $25-$100 per month. Both models provide businesses with professional call answering without hiring an in-house receptionist ($50,000+/year). The key difference is cost and scalability: AI virtual receptionists handle unlimited simultaneous calls at a flat rate, while live virtual receptionists charge per call or per minute and have capacity limits. Many businesses are switching from live to AI virtual receptionists as the technology improves.
Where is virtual receptionist used?
Small businesses, law firms, medical offices, any business needing call coverage.
Related terms
AI Receptionist
An AI receptionist is software that answers business phone calls using conversational artificial intelligence. It greets callers, answers questions, books appointments, takes messages, and transfers calls without human involvement.
Answering Service
An answering service is a company that answers phone calls on behalf of businesses, typically using live operators or AI. Services include message taking, appointment scheduling, and call transfer.
Want to see virtual receptionist in action?
AIRA is an AI receptionist that answers your business calls 24/7.