Services04 AI phone answering
Live phone answering, with a clear human handoff.
An AI receptionist answers live, handles agreed questions and follows your booking and handoff rules.
$1,500 setup, from $499 a month
How it works
- A full-time receptionist is a salary, and the phone still rings after they go home.
- A new enquiry can sit in voicemail while you are with a customer.
- Answering the phone interrupts the work in front of you.
- 01
Teach it your business
We script what it can say, book and answer. You approve the scripts, instructions and limits before activation.
- 02
Turn it on gently
It starts with overflow and after-hours calls. You listen to real recordings and we tighten it together.
- 03
Let it take the front line
It answers live and uses the booking permissions you approved. Sensitive enquiries follow the handoff plan, including what happens when your team is unavailable.
Every call needs a way forward.
An illustrative routing plan for your approved call handling.
Book a time
Use the agreed calendar and availability rules.
Answer a routine question
Use the information and boundaries you approve.
Hand to a person
Escalate when the caller or situation needs human judgment.
Start with after-hours or overflow coverage. Expand only after testing the calls and handoff.
What it costs
$1,500 setup, from $499 a month
Month to month. Starts with after-hours and overflow; grows as you trust it.
The price depends on the work we agree. The free hour helps us discuss fit and the next step. Scope and price are agreed before paid work begins.
What moves the number
- Hours of coverage: after-hours, overflow, or the full front line
- What it can book and answer on its own
- How it hands off to you and your team
How does a caller reach a person?
We agree handoff rules and what happens when your team is unavailable. Caller preferences and sensitive enquiries are part of the setup and testing.
How is this different from missed-call text-back?
This service answers calls live. Missed-call text-back sends a message after an unanswered call. We choose the approach that fits your call patterns and staffing.
What about mistakes?
We set limits on what it can say and do, test likely scenarios, and agree review and escalation arrangements. Any financial or legal commitment must go to an authorized person.
You work directly with me.
I'm Chris Patten: eighteen years leading technology as VP, IT and CIO, a finance and accounting background, and experience building and selling my own business. You work with me directly, and I have no software to sell you.
Running costs and ongoing support
Before you commit, the proposal separates implementation from recurring costs: hosting, software subscriptions, usage charges, monitoring and support where applicable. It also sets the included maintenance or change allowance, response expectations and how additional work is priced.
We agree who owns each account, who operates the system after handover and how issues are escalated. Ongoing monitoring or incident response is included only where specified in the agreement.