Honest comparison

AI receptionist vs answering service: what actually books plumbing jobs?

Traditional answering services take messages. You call back hours later. The customer has already booked someone else. Here is how AI changes that.

Feature	Supportive AI from £69/month	Human answering £200-400/month	Voicemail Free
Answers the call	✅ Instantly, 24/7	✅ During staffed hours	❌ Records a message
Books into your calendar	✅ Live availability check	❌ Takes a message	❌
Handles pricing questions	✅ Knows your rates	❌ "Someone will call back"	❌
Sends confirmation texts	✅ To you and the customer	❌ Email summary only	❌
Emergency detection	✅ Instant SMS escalation	⚠️ Depends on training	❌
Multiple calls at once	✅ Unlimited parallel	❌ One at a time	✅ But nobody answers
Per-minute charges	None - flat rate	£1-2 per minute	None
Nights and weekends	✅ No extra cost	💰 Premium rates	✅
Setup time	1 day	1-2 weeks	Already on

The real cost of each option

Supportive AI

£69/month

Unlimited calls. No per-minute charges. No setup fee. = £828/year

Human answering

£250/month avg

~100 minutes. +£1.50/min overage. After-hours + holiday surcharge. = £3,000-5,000/year

Receptionist hire

£2,000/month avg

£22-28k salary +NI +holidays. Mon-Fri 9-5 only. = £28,000+/year

Answering service

10:14am - Customer calls about a leaky tap

10:17am - Receptionist takes a message

12:30pm - Plumber sees email on lunch break

12:45pm - Plumber calls customer back

12:45pm - Customer already booked someone else

Supportive AI

10:14am - Customer calls about a leaky tap

10:15am - AI checks calendar, offers Thursday 1pm

10:16am - Customer confirms

10:16am - Job booked. Texts sent to both sides.

10:16am - Job locked in. Customer sorted.

Phone answering cost breakdown 2026

Blog · 6 min

Transparent pricing from £69/month

Pricing

AI receptionist for plumbers

Industry

AI receptionist for electricians

Industry

Hear how it sounds for your business. Free trial, no setup fee, cancel anytime.

From £69/month · No per-minute charges