What is an AI receptionist?

An AI receptionist is a virtual receptionist powered by artificial intelligence that answers your business phone calls 24/7 — greeting callers, answering common questions, routing calls, and taking messages — exactly like a human receptionist would, but at a fraction of the cost.

How much does an AI receptionist cost?

Robot Half offers AI receptionist plans starting at $80 for a single emergency shift, $105 for same-day coverage, and $199/mo for unlimited 24/7 phone answering. Compare that to $3,500–$4,750/mo for a full-time human receptionist.

How quickly can I set up an AI phone answering service?

Robot Half is live in under 5 minutes. Tell us about your business, we generate your AI receptionist scripts, and you're covered. No long contracts or onboarding calls required.

Is a robot receptionist as good as a human receptionist?

For routine call handling — answering questions, taking messages, routing to staff — a robot receptionist performs at human quality with sub-5-second pickup times, zero hold music, and 24/7 availability. For complex situations requiring judgment, Robot Half escalates to your staff.

What kinds of businesses use Robot Half?

Robot Half's AI receptionist is used by HVAC companies, roofing contractors, dental practices, law firms, and other small businesses that can't afford to miss a call but can't staff a receptionist 24/7.

What's the difference between an AI receptionist and a virtual receptionist service?

Traditional virtual receptionist services use offshore human agents who may have accents, limited knowledge of your business, and variable response times. An AI receptionist like Robot Half is trained specifically on your business, available instantly, and costs 90% less.

Can I try Robot Half before committing?

Yes. Start with a single emergency shift for $80 — no contract, no monthly commitment. Most customers switch to the unlimited $199/mo plan after their first call.

Emergency coverage · same day

Your receptionist called in sick, or had to leave early? Your AI receptionist covers the phones with a moment's notice.

Skip the temp agency. Robot Half is your AI-powered phone answering service — live in under 5 minutes, routing jobs, taking messages. Our virtual receptionist covers dental practices, HVAC companies, and law firms 24/7. Try a single emergency shift, then go unlimited when you're ready.

Get Emergency Coverage →

One shift from $80 · Unlimited at $199/mo

< 5s Average pickup time

24/7 Always available

90% Cost reduction vs. temp staffing

9+ Offices covered

The problem

Temp staffing is broken

Robert Half and friends

The old way

48-hour minimum lead time
70-75% markup on hourly wages
Temp doesn't know your business
Phone etiquette is inconsistent
Can't handle after-hours or routing rules

Robot Half

The new way

Live in minutes, not days
Flat daily rate, no surprises
Trained on your business instantly
Consistent, professional, always on
Phone answering and intelligent call routing

What we do

Never miss a job again.

Phone Answering

Picks up in under 5 seconds. Greets callers professionally. Answers questions about your services, hours, pricing, and availability — 24/7.

Message Taking

Captures caller name, number, and reason for calling. Delivers detailed messages instantly so you can call back the right leads first.

Call Routing

Routes callers to the right person. Dispatches urgent calls — like emergency AC repairs or burst pipes — directly to your on-call tech. No hold music purgatory.

Built for your industry

From HVAC to roofing to legal.

🌡️

HVAC

Never miss an emergency AC repair call again. Robot Half answers 24/7, qualifies the job, and routes emergency calls directly to your on-call tech — even at 2am.

🏠

Roofing

Book more estimates while you're on the roof. We answer calls, capture contact info, and schedule callbacks so no lead slips through while your crew is working.

⚖️

Legal

Professional intake for every potential client. We screen callers, capture matter details, and route urgent calls — so your attorneys focus on billable work, not intake calls.

How it works

Three minutes to coverage

Tell us about your office

Business name, hours, services, staff directory, common caller questions. Takes about three minutes.

AI generates your scripts

Our AI creates a custom greeting and FAQ responses tailored to your business. Edit them or use them as-is.

Go about your day

Robot Half handles every call. You get a real-time log of every call and message. Cancel anytime.

How we compare

Robot Half vs. the alternatives

Feature	Robot Half	Ruby Receptionist	Smith.ai	Robert Half
Monthly Cost	$199 flat	$349–$1,589	$293–$975	$3,500–$4,750
Per-Call Fees	✓ None	✗ $5.90–9.75/call	✗ $5.60–7.00/call	✓ None
24/7 Coverage	✓ Always on	✗ Business hours	✗ Business hours	✗ Business hours
Setup Time	✓ 5 minutes	2–3 days	1–2 days	2–4 weeks
Voice Quality	Natural AI (OpenAI)	Human agent	Human + AI hybrid	Human staff
Contract Required	✓ None	Monthly	Monthly	✗ Annual

Competitor pricing sourced from public rate cards. Robot Half $199/mo = unlimited calls, no per-call fees. Full comparison →

Every missed call is a missed job. We fix that.

Start with an emergency shift — $80 for a day, $105 for same-day coverage — and see exactly what you've been missing. Robot Half is the robot receptionist that HVAC teams, law firms, and dental offices rely on. Most customers go unlimited at $199/mo after their first call.

Try Emergency Coverage →

Not sure how we compare? See Robot Half vs Smith.ai, Ruby, and Dialzara →

No credit card to start Setup in under 5 minutes No contract, cancel anytime AI-powered, human-quality voice