What an AI receptionist does for a small business
If you run a service business, the phone rings at the wrong moment. You are under a sink, in a treatment room or driving between jobs. A caller who reaches voicemail may simply call the next business on the list.
An AI receptionist (a virtual receptionist that is software, not a person) answers that call. It greets the caller, says it is an AI assistant, answers common questions from information you approved, takes the details and sends your team a summary. It is not a person and does not pretend to be one. Callers can reach a person or leave a message.
Magnet Mint is a Boston studio. We set this up as part of an AI assistant that can also cover your website chat, texts and email.
AI receptionist for small businesses in Boston and Massachusetts
We set up the receptionist for owner-run businesses in Boston, Greater Boston and across Massachusetts, and remotely for businesses elsewhere in the US. Magnet Mint is based in Boston and works with clients in Boston, Greater Boston and across the US by phone, video and screen share. Massachusetts adds one thing to plan for: the state requires all parties to consent to call recording, so the receptionist announces recording if you turn it on (see the law section below).
Where the AI receptionist helps: five jobs, five pages
The role is the same. What changes is the situation you need covered, and each has its own page with the details.
- Every call answered. The service itself: calls picked up, qualified and logged. See AI phone answering.
- Nights, weekends and holidays. The receptionist answers when you are closed. See after-hours and 24/7 answering.
- A busy line during open hours. It picks up when you or your staff cannot. See overflow and busy-line answering.
- Booking on the call. It books the appointment and hands off to reminders. See AI appointment booking.
- New leads. It calls and texts web, email and ad leads back, with their consent. See AI lead follow-up.
Start with the situation where you lose the most calls. You can add the others later.
How we set it up
- Call review. We look at when you miss calls and what callers ask.
- Answer list. We write the answers to the most common questions: hours, services, service area, what a visit involves, prices you want shared. You approve each one.
- Call flow. We decide what the assistant collects (name, number, reason, preferred time), what counts as urgent and where each type of call goes.
- Connections. If you use a booking tool or CRM, such as Square Appointments, Acuity Scheduling, Jobber, Housecall Pro, HubSpot or GoHighLevel, we connect it. If not, requests arrive as a summary by text or email and staff confirm.
- Test calls. We call it with real questions, including awkward ones, before launch.
- Launch and tuning. The first 30 days include tuning within the agreed scope.
Virtual receptionist: AI or a person?
A human virtual receptionist is a live operator who follows a script you write. An AI receptionist answers at any hour you set, from the answers you approved, but should hand off anything that needs judgment. For the full comparison, read AI receptionist vs virtual receptionist vs answering service. For the cost of hiring someone in-house, read AI receptionist vs hiring a receptionist.
Published prices show the difference in cost. The figures below come from each vendor’s own pricing page as we read it in October 2026. The cost per minute is our arithmetic from the plan price and included minutes, so treat it as a rough guide.
| Service | Type | Plan | Included | Cost per included minute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ruby | Human receptionists | $250 a month | 50 minutes | about $5.00 |
| Ruby | Human receptionists | $720 a month | 200 minutes | about $3.60 |
| Rosie | AI | $49 a month (billing period not stated) | 250 minutes | about $0.20 |
| Dialzara | AI | $99 a month | 220 minutes | about $0.45 |
| My AI Front Desk | AI | $99 a month | 200 minutes | about $0.50 |
| Goodcall | AI | $79 a month | 100 unique customers (about 150 calls) | billed by customer, not minute |
These are asking prices from companies that sell the service, and a minute means different things at different vendors. Setup fees, done-for-you tiers and overage are covered in how much an AI receptionist costs.
The self-serve plans above cost less than ours. If you are comfortable configuring a tool, writing the answers and testing calls yourself, one of them may be enough. Our price covers the setup, the answer list, the testing, the connections and the tuning, done by a named person.
PhoneAnswer and CallReply
We also run two AI phone products.
- PhoneAnswer (phoneanswer.ai) is a self-serve AI receptionist. You set it up yourself.
- CallReply (callreply.com) is a done-for-you AI phone agent, set up for you.
If you are not sure which to choose, ask for a free demo and we will say which one fits your call volume.
What to tell callers, and what the law says
- The AI says it is an AI. Every call starts with a plain disclosure. Callers can reach a person or leave a message.
- Recording needs consent in some states. Massachusetts requires all parties to consent, and its law targets secret recording, according to the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. If you record, the assistant announces it at the start of the call. Details are on AI phone answering.
- Outbound calls are different. Answering calls is one thing. If the assistant calls people back, the FCC ruled in February 2024 (FCC-24-17) that AI-generated voices count as “artificial” voices under the TCPA, so those calls need the person’s prior express consent, and marketing calls need prior express written consent. See AI lead follow-up.
- Clinics. Dental, medical, chiropractic and PT offices should not let a phone assistant take patient information, including a name tied to an appointment request, unless every vendor in the chain signs a HIPAA business associate agreement. Without that, the assistant gives general answers and points callers to the practice’s booking system or front desk. Staff handle clinical questions. Veterinary clinics are not covered by HIPAA.
- Law firms. The assistant does intake and scheduling and gives no legal advice. Attorney advertising rules apply.
This is not legal advice. Check your rules with a lawyer.
AI receptionist for your trade
- AI receptionist for HVAC, plumbing, roofing and electrical contractors
- AI receptionist for dental offices
- AI receptionist for chiropractic, PT, medical and veterinary clinics
What it costs and what is not included
Phone answering: from $299/month (about 300 minutes). Setup: from $900, usually 2-3 weeks, with the first month included. Prices are as of October 2026.
Not included in any price: domain and hosting, new photography, third-party software subscriptions (billed at cost), SMS carrier registration (A2P 10DLC) and message fees, and AI usage above the plan allowance.
Who this is for, and who it is not for
It suits businesses that lose real work to missed calls and have no one to answer them. If a person already answers every call within a few rings, an AI receptionist adds little. If most of your calls are complex or emotional, such as legal matters, keep a person on the phone and use the assistant for the calls you cannot take. Our article is an AI receptionist worth it helps you decide.
How to start
Ask for a free demo: 30-minute call; demo shared within 3 business days. Or call 617-991-9912. Our AI assistant answers and passes your request to the team, which is available Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm ET.
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