A virtual receptionist: always available, without staff
A virtual receptionist answers your phone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. No waiting times, no missed calls, no staffing costs. Callers are greeted professionally and transferred directly where necessary.
GDPR Compliant
What is a virtual receptionist?
A virtual receptionist is an AI-powered telephone assistant that answers incoming calls as if there is a real employee on the line. The technology understands what callers are asking, provides relevant answers and performs actions such as scheduling appointments or transferring calls.
Unlike a traditional receptionist or answering service, a virtual receptionist is available 24/7, knows your business inside and out, and costs a fraction of what you would spend on staff.
Virtual receptionist vs. staff: what does it cost?
A fair comparison between the costs of a virtual receptionist and hiring staff.
Physical receptionist
Traditional approach
Virtual receptionist
24/7 available
How a virtual
receptionist from Voicelabs works
No technical knowledge required. Within a day, your virtual receptionist is operational and answers every call professionally.
Configure your virtual receptionist
Enter your business details and our AI automatically learns who you are, what you do and how you sound. Add frequently asked questions and transfer rules.
- AI analyses your website and adapts
- Test with trial calls before going live
Connect your business number
Connect your existing phone number. Decide when your virtual receptionist answers: always, outside office hours, or when you do not answer.
- Works with any business or mobile number
- Operational within minutes
Receive calls and insights
Every call is recorded, transcribed and summarised. You know exactly who called, about what, and what the outcome was.
- Summaries directly in your inbox
- Improve your receptionist with real data
Who is a virtual receptionist suitable for?
Almost any business with incoming telephone traffic benefits from a virtual receptionist.
Self-employed and freelancers
You cannot always answer when you are with a client. The virtual receptionist takes over and you will not miss another job.
SMEs and small teams
No budget for a full-time receptionist? The virtual receptionist offers the same service for a fraction of the cost.
Healthcare sector
Patients often call outside opening hours. The virtual receptionist handles urgent questions and schedules appointments.
Legal services
New cases often come in by phone. Never miss an intake again and let the AI ask the right questions directly.
Hospitality and restaurants
Reservations, questions about the menu, opening hours. The virtual receptionist handles it whilst you serve guests.
Property and estate agents
Schedule viewings, answer questions about properties. Always available for potential buyers and tenants.
Virtual receptionist vs. alternatives
How does a virtual receptionist compare to other solutions?
| Virtual receptionist | Answering service | Own staff | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24/7 available | Yes | Extra charge | No |
| Knows your business fully | Yes | Limited | Yes |
| Schedule appointments | Automatic | Manual | Manual |
| Waiting time for callers | 0 seconds | Varies | Varies |
| Cost per month | From £129 | £170-430+ | £2,600+ |
| Scalability | Unlimited | Limited | Limited |
Ready to try your own virtual receptionist?
60 minutes free trial. No credit card required. Operational within 10 minutes.
Frequently asked questions about virtual receptionists
Everything you want to know about deploying a virtual receptionist for your business.
A virtual receptionist is an AI-powered telephone assistant that answers incoming calls on behalf of your business. Unlike a physical receptionist or external call centre, the virtual receptionist works 24/7, without breaks, sick days or holidays. The technology is so advanced that callers can barely tell the difference from a human employee.
A traditional answering service employs people in a call centre who follow scripts. A virtual receptionist uses AI to conduct natural conversations, knows your business inside and out, and takes direct actions such as scheduling appointments or transferring calls. The result: faster handling, lower costs and more consistent quality.
At Voicelabs, prices start from £129 per month. By comparison, a part-time receptionist costs around £1,300 to £1,700 per month in salary, employer contributions and overhead. With a virtual receptionist, you save up to 90% on staffing costs, with 24/7 coverage as a bonus.
Yes. You connect your existing business number to the virtual receptionist. You decide when the AI answers: always, only outside office hours, or as overflow when you cannot answer. The transition is seamless and callers notice no difference in availability.
During setup, we analyse your website and you add your business information. The AI learns your products, services, opening hours, frequently asked questions and tone of voice. You can always update and expand this. The more context, the better the conversations.
The virtual receptionist can transfer calls to you, specific employees or departments. You set the rules yourself: when transfers are allowed, to whom, and what the AI should ask first. Customers are always helped.
Virtual receptionists work excellently for virtually any industry with incoming telephone traffic. From law firms and dental practices to estate agents, restaurants and installation companies. The AI adapts to your specific situation and terminology.
Most businesses are live within a day. You enter your business details, test the assistant with trial calls, and connect your phone number. No weeks of waiting, no complicated installations.