Virtual Receptionist UK: What They Do, What They Cost, and Human vs AI
By the Porter team · Updated 2 November 2026 · 9 min read
The short answer
- A virtual receptionist answers your phone in your company name from somewhere else, takes messages, transfers calls, and can book appointments.
- UK services are usually priced per call or per minute, often with a monthly minimum. Check what counts as a call and what happens out of hours.
- AI virtual receptionists answer around the clock and can answer real questions, but some callers still prefer a person.
- Many enquiries now start on your website, not the phone. A website AI receptionist catches those for a flat monthly fee.
Every small business hits the same wall. The phone rings while you are with a customer, on a job, or out of the office, and a missed call is often a missed sale. A virtual receptionist is the usual fix.
This guide explains what a virtual receptionist actually does, what UK services cost and where the hidden charges sit, the difference between human and AI virtual receptionists, and how to pick the right one.
What is a virtual receptionist?
A virtual receptionist is a receptionist who works remotely, answering your calls as if they were sitting in your office. Callers hear your business name and a friendly greeting. They usually have no idea the person is somewhere else.
The term now covers three different things:
- Human virtual receptionists, sometimes called remote receptionists or a call answering service. A team of real people answers your line.
- AI virtual receptionists, where software with a synthetic voice answers the call, understands the question, and replies.
- Hybrid services, where AI handles routine calls and a person takes over for anything complex.
There is also a fourth option that solves the same problem from a different side: a website AI receptionist, which answers people in a chat window on your site before they ever pick up the phone.
What does a virtual receptionist do?
Most UK virtual receptionist services offer some or all of the following:
- Answer calls in your company name with a greeting you choose.
- Take messages and send them to you by email, text, or app straight away.
- Transfer calls to you or a colleague when you are free.
- Screen calls so sales calls and time wasters do not interrupt you.
- Book appointments directly into your online diary, if the service connects to it.
- Cover out of hours, lunch breaks, holidays, and busy periods.
What most human services do not do is answer detailed questions about your prices, policies, or services. They take a message so you can call back. That is fine for some businesses, and a real gap for others.
How much does a virtual receptionist cost?
Virtual receptionist pricing in the UK follows a few common models. Compare them on what a typical month will cost you, not on the headline price.
| Pricing model | How it works | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Per call | A fee for each call answered | Low or unpredictable call volumes |
| Per minute | Charged by call length | Short calls, mostly message taking |
| Monthly bundle | A set number of calls or minutes, extra charges above it | Steady, predictable volumes |
| AI per minute | A base fee plus a lower rate per minute | High volumes of routine calls |
Before you sign, ask about the charges that do not appear on the pricing page:
- What counts as a call? Some services charge for spam, wrong numbers, and hang-ups.
- Is there a monthly minimum or a setup fee?
- Do out-of-hours calls cost more? Evenings and weekends are often extra.
- What do transfers and appointment bookings cost? These are sometimes billed separately.
- What happens above your bundle? Overage rates can be much higher than the bundle rate.
- How long is the contract and what is the notice period?
For comparison, an in-house receptionist is the most expensive option. A full-time role at the National Living Wage is roughly £25,000 a year in wages alone. Our UK guide to AI receptionist costs compares all the options side by side.
Virtual receptionist vs AI receptionist: which is right for you?
Neither is better in every case. It depends on how your customers get in touch and what they need when they do.
| Human virtual receptionist | AI virtual receptionist | Website AI receptionist | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Answers | Phone calls | Phone calls | Website chat |
| Hours | Depends on the plan | 24 hours, every day | 24 hours, every day |
| Answers detailed questions | Usually takes a message | Yes, from a script or knowledge base | Yes, from your own pages |
| Feels like | A real person | A voice assistant | A quick chat |
| Typical pricing | Per call or per minute | Base fee plus per minute | Flat monthly fee |
Choose a human virtual receptionist if
Your callers expect a person, the calls are sensitive or emotional, or most calls simply need a message passing on. Many solicitors, care providers, and high-end services fall here.
Choose an AI virtual receptionist if
You get a high volume of routine calls, most questions have clear answers, and you need cover around the clock without paying per call for a person.
Add a website AI receptionist if
People research you online before they call. Estate agents, clinics, recruiters, and accountants often find that a large share of new enquiries arrive through the website in the evening. A chat that answers straight away catches people who would never phone. See whether an AI receptionist is worth it for a small business for a quick way to work out the return.
What is the best virtual receptionist?
The best virtual receptionist for your business is the one that fits how your customers contact you and handles your calls the way you would. Use this checklist to compare UK providers:
- Coverage. Does it cover the hours you actually miss, including evenings, weekends, and bank holidays?
- Quality. Ask for a test call. Listen for how they handle a question they cannot answer.
- Speed of messages. You want messages within minutes, by the channel you check most.
- Diary and CRM links. Can they book straight into your calendar or log calls in your system?
- Data handling. Ask where call recordings and messages are stored and for how long. The ICO's UK GDPR guidance explains what you need to tell callers.
- Trial and notice period. A free trial and a short notice period are signs of a provider confident in its service.
- Reviews. Read recent reviews, especially complaints about billing.
Do you need a phone service and a website receptionist?
Many businesses use both, because they solve different halves of the same problem. A virtual receptionist makes sure nobody who calls goes unanswered. A website AI receptionist makes sure nobody who visits leaves without an answer.
The website half is often the bigger gap. Someone browsing at 9pm is unlikely to ring. If your site cannot tell them your fees, your areas, or how to book, they go back to Google and contact the next business on the list.
Accountants in particular see this around tax deadlines. Our guide to AI for accountants covers how practices handle the January rush.
Where Porter fits
Porter is a website AI receptionist for UK businesses, built for estate agents, clinics, recruiters, and professional firms. It answers visitors from your own pages, day and night, and emails you every quote, booking, and call back request with the page they were on.
It does not answer phone calls, so it works alongside a virtual receptionist rather than replacing one. It costs a flat £79 a month after a one-off setup, with no per-chat charges within your allowance. See pricing or try the live demo.
Want to see it on your own site? Send us your website. Leave your name and email, and Donna will reach out to arrange a chat.
Frequently asked questions
What does a virtual receptionist do?
A virtual receptionist answers your calls in your company name from a remote location. They take messages, transfer calls, screen unwanted calls, and can book appointments into your diary.
How much does a virtual receptionist cost in the UK?
Most UK services charge per call or per minute, or sell monthly bundles with extra charges above the allowance. Check what counts as a call, out-of-hours rates, and the notice period before comparing prices.
Is an AI virtual receptionist as good as a human?
For routine calls with clear answers, an AI virtual receptionist can be faster and is available around the clock. For sensitive or complex calls, and for callers who want a person, a human is still better.
What is a remote receptionist?
A remote receptionist is another name for a human virtual receptionist: a real person who answers your calls from outside your office, usually as part of a call answering service.
Do virtual receptionists work 24/7?
Some do, often at a higher rate for evenings and weekends. AI virtual receptionists and website AI receptionists work around the clock as standard.
Is a virtual receptionist worth it for a small business?
Usually, if you miss calls that could become customers. Compare the monthly cost with the value of one new customer. If enquiries also come through your website, a website AI receptionist may catch more of them for less.
Sources
- National Living Wage
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