Always Answering is a 24/7 AI receptionist that picks up every call, qualifies the lead, books the appointment, and texts the customer — before your competitor picks up the phone.
Service businesses miss 62% of incoming calls. The owner is on a roof. On a job site. Under a sink.
Here's what happens when that call goes unanswered:
We train it on your services, pricing, hours, and FAQs. It sounds professional, knows your business, and never wings it.
No new phone number. No changing anything your customers already know. You just set call forwarding on your carrier. We send you the exact code to dial.
Every call gets a live answer. Leads get qualified. Appointments get booked directly to your calendar. A confirmation text goes out automatically. You log into your dashboard to see everything and fine-tune anytime.
No contracts. Cancel anytime.
After signup, you get a private owner dashboard. No need to call us — tune your agent, apply templates, and watch it work.
Adjust how your AI receptionist handles calls — update your services, hours, pricing, and FAQs anytime without touching code.
Choose from pre-built templates for roofers, plumbers, HVAC, dental, and more. Apply one in seconds — it goes live on your Retell agent automatically.
Every change you make in your dashboard pushes directly to your live AI agent in real time. No delays, no support tickets.
See every call your AI handled, every lead it qualified, every appointment it booked — all in one place.
Most AI answering services charge per minute or per call. One busy week and your bill doubles. We don't do that.
| Service | Type | Monthly Cost | Pricing Model | Setup | 24/7 | SMS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Always Answering | AI + Full-Service Setup | $297/mo | Flat rate — unlimited calls | Done for you ($499) | ✓ | ✓ |
| AI Answering Services | ||||||
| Upfirst | AI only | $24.95/mo | Per-call pricing | Self-serve DIY | ✓ | — |
| Dialzara | AI only | $29/mo | 60 min, then $0.48/min | Self-serve DIY | ✓ | — |
| My AI Front Desk | AI only | $79/mo | Per-minute (100-200 min) | Self-serve DIY | ✓ | ✓ |
| Smith.ai | AI + Human | $95–$300/mo | Per-call ($2.10–$2.40) | $2,000 for custom voice | ✓ | — |
| Traditional Answering Services | ||||||
| MAP Communications | Live agents | $179–$649/mo | 125-500 min bundles | Included | ✓ | — |
| Ruby Receptionists | Live agents | $245–$999/mo | Per-minute ($3.39–$4.90) | Included | ✓ | — |
| AnswerConnect | Live agents | $350+/mo | 200 min, then $2.50/min | $49.99 fee | ✓ | — |
| Hiring In-House | ||||||
| Full-Time Receptionist | Employee | $4,100–$5,800/mo | Salary + benefits + training | $2,000–$5,000 training | 40 hrs/wk only | — |
Competitor pricing based on publicly available information as of March 2026. Actual costs vary by usage and plan.
Call our demo line. Hear exactly what your customers will experience. Then sign up — no calls, no back-and-forth. Our intake form collects everything we need and gets you live within minutes.
You fill out a form. We configure everything. You're live within minutes.
Based in Las Vegas. Serving service businesses across the valley.