Virtual receptionist
What a virtual receptionist does, how the service works, and when an AI receptionist is the better fit, or the worse one.
The short answer
What is a virtual receptionist?
A virtual receptionist is a receptionist who isn't in your office. Most often the term means a real person, at an outside company or working from home, who answers your calls in your business's name, takes messages, books appointments and transfers calls to you. Some vendors also use it for AI software that answers calls. The difference matters: a person brings judgment and is paid for their time, while software answers every call at once.
How it works
You forward your business number to the service: every call, or only the calls you don't answer. The receptionist picks up with your greeting, follows the instructions you gave, and sends you the message by email, text or app. Pricing is usually per minute, per call or a monthly bundle, so check what counts as a billable minute before you compare.
Virtual receptionist vs AI receptionist
| Compared on | Virtual receptionist (a person) | AI receptionist (software) |
|---|---|---|
| Who answers | A trained person at the service | Software, in a natural voice |
| Several calls at once | Depends on how many people are on shift | All answered at the same time |
| Cost | Usually per minute or per call, so it grows with volume | Usually a monthly plan with included minutes |
| Strongest at | Judgment, empathy, unusual requests | Routine questions, booking, nights and busy hours |
What it means for a small business
Pick a person when most of your calls need human judgment: sensitive intake, complaints, advice. Pick an AI receptionist when most calls are the same questions, bookings and messages, or when they come at night or all at once. Many businesses combine the two: the AI answers first and transfers to a person when the caller needs one. Daber AI is the software kind; it does not employ receptionists.
Questions
Is a virtual receptionist a real person?
Usually, yes: the classic virtual receptionist is a person at an answering-service company. But some vendors call their AI software a virtual receptionist too, so ask whether a person or software will answer your calls.
Can I use a virtual receptionist and an AI receptionist together?
Yes. A common setup is that the AI answers every call, handles the routine ones, and transfers the rest to a person: your own staff or an outside service. With Daber AI you choose the number it transfers to and when.
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