Two kinds of virtual receptionist
“Virtual receptionist” used to mean one thing: a person at a remote service answering your line with your business name. You paid by the minute or by the call, and coverage depended on how many people were on shift.
Today there’s a second kind. An AI virtual receptionist answers with a natural voice, knows your business from what you tell it, and picks up every call at once, around the clock. There’s no shift schedule and no per-call bill. You get a flat monthly plan with minutes of Talk Time included.
FrontDesk Talk is the second kind. It answers questions, books appointments on the Real Talk plan and up, transfers urgent calls to your cell, and sends you Talk Notes, the summary of every call. It works with the phone number you already have.
What your virtual receptionist handles
Greets every caller
A friendly answer with your business name, on the first ring.
Answers the usual questions
Hours, prices, services, and service area, the same way every time.
Takes clear messages
Name, number, and what they need, sent to you by text and email.
Books the appointment
On Real Talk and Big Talk, straight into Google or Outlook Calendar.
Texts back missed callers
On Real Talk and Big Talk, Talk Back texts anyone who hangs up early, right away.
Speaks Spanish
Switches to Spanish when the caller does, on every plan.
Switching from a virtual receptionist service
You don’t have to cancel anything until you’re happy.
1
Set up FrontDesk Talk
Tell it about your business. It takes about 10 minutes.
2
Hear it on your own phone
It calls you so you can hear exactly what callers will hear. Change anything that sounds off.
3
Move your forwarding
Point your call forwarding at FrontDesk Talk instead of your old service. That takes about a minute.
Flat pricing, not per call
Virtual receptionist services usually bill by the minute or by the call, so a busy month costs more. FrontDesk Talk plans are flat: $99, $199, or $399 a month with 200, 450, or 1,000 minutes of Talk Time included. Extra Talk Time is $0.45 a minute.
Small Talk
Answers every call, 24/7.
Billed monthly
For owners who can’t always get to the phone.
- Answers every call, 24/7
- Talk Notes by text and email after every call
- Answers your FAQs, hours, and prices
- Transfers urgent calls to your cell
- Keep your current number
Real Talk
RecommendedAnswers, books appointments, and texts back.
Billed monthly
For businesses that run on appointments.
- Everything in Small Talk
- Books into Google or Outlook Calendar
- Talk Back texts every caller you missed
- Two-way texting with customers
- Call recordings and transcripts
Big Talk
Adds outbound calls and up to 3 lines.
Billed monthly
For teams ready to call customers back.
- Everything in Real Talk
- Outbound call campaigns
- Up to 3 numbers or locations
- Custom AI voice
- Priority support
Extra Talk Time is $0.45 a minute. We text you before you reach your limit, so there are no surprises on your bill.
Running a healthcare practice? FrontDesk Care adds HIPAA compliance, a signed BAA, and EHR connections. Visit FrontDesk Care
Compared with live virtual receptionist services
As of September 2026, Ruby’s plans start around $250 a month for 50 minutes (ruby.com), and Smith.ai’s receptionist plans start around $300 a month for 30 calls (smith.ai). Check their sites for current prices.
Virtual receptionists for every kind of small business
Questions
Is a virtual receptionist the same as an answering service?
The terms overlap. An answering service usually takes messages. A virtual receptionist usually does more, like booking appointments and answering questions. FrontDesk Talk does both.
Is an AI virtual receptionist as good as a person?
For routine calls like hours, prices, booking, and messages, it does the job well and never puts anyone on hold. For sensitive or complicated calls, a person is still better, and it can transfer those to you.
Can I switch from my current service?
Yes. Set up FrontDesk Talk, test it on your own phone, then point your call forwarding at it instead.
Does it work with my calendar?
On Real Talk and Big Talk, it books into Google Calendar or Outlook Calendar.
What happens if I run out of Talk Time?
We text you before you get close. Extra Talk Time is $0.45 a minute, or you can move up a plan.
Can it transfer a call to me?
Yes. Tell it what counts as urgent, and it transfers those calls to your cell or to someone on your team. Everything else ends with a summary.
Keep reading
Stop paying for voicemail.
Setup takes about 10 minutes. Cancel anytime.