AI receptionist or an answering service? What I would compare
I'd try both with the calls your business receives. A price comparison only helps once you know what each service can handle and what it passes back to you.
Write down what the caller needs
Some calls need a name, number and message. Others need somebody to discuss an unusual situation or make a judgement. Work out how many of each type your business receives before choosing how they should be answered.
An AI receptionist can use the information and rules you agree for it. A human answering service also has a brief and limits on what its operators are authorised to do. Ask either provider how it handles a question outside that brief.
Test the handover to you
Make a call that the service should pass on. Check what details arrive, where they arrive and what the caller has been told. A useful summary needs enough information for you to return the call without starting again.
Decide how urgent calls should be marked and what happens if you do not answer. Neither service should promise your attendance or availability without a rule you have agreed.
Check booking against your actual calendar
Ask for a demonstration with the booking system you use. Check whether the service can make a confirmed appointment or only collect a preferred time for you to approve.
Rescheduling, different staff calendars and jobs of different lengths need checking too. If the connection is not suitable, taking a request can be a sensible option, provided the caller knows it still needs confirmation.
Compare the whole bill
Ask about the monthly allowance, call or minute charges, setup, transfers and extra integrations. Find out what happens when usage rises and how you leave the service.
Flying Penguin managed AI phone receptionists start from £99.95 a month. The written quote confirms the scope and any usage charges. You can ring +44 7418 374 570 to hear mine answering before discussing a setup for your business.
Choose around the conversations you want to keep
I'd use the trial or demonstration to find the limits as well as the good calls. Try an interruption, an unclear request and a question the service should decline to answer. Check that callers have a reasonable way to reach a person.
If your calls regularly need discretion, reassurance or a specialist judgement, make human handling part of the decision. You can also discuss using an answering service for one kind of call and another route for the rest.