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What is an AI receptionist?

It is software that answers a phone call, listens to the caller and responds using instructions and business information you provide. It should have a clear job, a clear handover and a clear fallback.

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Updated 31 August 2026 · 6 minute read

SimplyAnswered starts with a UK business number. You choose what calls do when the business is open, when nobody answers and when the business is closed. The AI receptionist is one possible destination; forwarding and voicemail also work without it.

What happens during a call

  1. A customer calls your SimplyAnswered number.
  2. Your saved call plan chooses the destination for that time of day.
  3. If the assistant answers, it follows the role, knowledge and handover rules you set.
  4. The portal keeps the captured details, summary and transcript. Recording is optional.

What it can do well

  • Answer routine questions from approved business information.
  • Capture a caller's name, number, reason for calling and other fields you request.
  • Send an SMS to the caller when you enable that action.
  • Transfer a caller to the right saved UK number according to your rules.
  • Take an appointment or job request for your team to confirm.

What it should not do

An assistant is only as reliable as its instructions and source material. It should not invent a price, promise work, give regulated advice or make a decision that needs a person. Create a fallback for anything uncertain.

Booking limit: the assistant can take the details of a request, but it should not promise that a time is available until your team confirms it.

Where it fits in the call plan

You can let the assistant answer every call, only calls outside your hours, or only when a person does not pick up. The last option is often a straightforward starting point for a small team: the team still answers first, but an unanswered call has a useful next step.

What SimplyAnswered costs

Paid AI plans start at £89.99 a month for 100 minutes and include one UK 01 or 02 number. Extra assistant minutes on a paid plan cost 49p each. A standalone number is £5 a month, with optional pay-as-you-go AI answering at 99p per connected assistant minute. Additional numbers are £5 a month, and all prices include VAT. A once-per-account trial provides 60 assistant minutes for 14 days.

Other call usage and optional specialist services use the rate shown in the portal before you enable them.

What to prepare before switching it on

  1. Your normal opening hours.
  2. The phone that should ring while you are open.
  3. A closed and no-answer outcome.
  4. A short list of facts the assistant may state.
  5. Cases that must go to a person or be taken as a message.

You can explore the portal with isolated sample data before creating an account.

Start with a clear call plan. Add AI only where it helps.

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