Virtual receptionist vs answering service: honest comparison
Cost, hours and honesty. $297/mo, answers in about 15 seconds.
- From $297/mo
- First month free
- No per-minute billing
- Cancel anytime
Cost: per-minute or per-seat vs flat
Human virtual receptionist plans usually charge per minute of talk time or per agent. That is fine for predictable volume, but a cold snap turns the bill into a surprise. Chloe is $497 setup plus $297/mo with included calls, first month free, no per-minute meter, no contract.
Availability
Human services follow business hours and staffing. Chloe answers 24/7 with no hold time and no queue, including 2 AM on a Sunday.
AI is not a human: say it plainly
Chloe is an AI voice agent. Callers talk to AI, not a live person. She collects name, callback, address, problem and urgency and texts it to you. She does not counsel a panicked caller or make judgment calls a trained dispatcher would. If your shop needs a live human, hire one; we would rather say so than oversell.
When a live human is the better choice
High-touch consults, complex scheduling, emotional callers, medical contexts. For after-hours plumbing and HVAC emergencies, collection and triage is enough. See HVAC answering service and the blog. Read how it works and /pricing.
Questions shop owners ask
What is a virtual receptionist?
A live person, often remote, who answers your phone as if part of your office. They take messages, book appointments and sometimes transfer calls.
How is an answering service different?
An answering service is broader: it might be live operators answering many businesses, or an automated system. Chloe is an AI answering service.
Is Chloe cheaper than a human service?
Yes. Human virtual receptionist plans usually charge per minute or per agent seat. Chloe is $297/mo with included calls and no per-minute meter.
Does Chloe work at 2 AM?
Yes. 24/7, no hold time, no staffing gap.
Is Chloe a live person?
No. Chloe is an AI voice agent. Callers talk to AI, not a live person. The site says so in the footer and we say it here too.
When should I hire a human instead?
If your callers need empathy, complex scheduling or judgment calls, a trained human is better. Chloe collects facts and routes; she does not counsel.
Tier pricing. Never a per-minute meter.
One flat monthly price on every plan, with the included-call allowance spelled out right beside it. A storm-week pileup doesn't change your monthly price — only calls past your plan's allowance do, at a flat $1.91 per call, never per-minute.
| Standard (entry) | $297/mo | 150 after-hours calls included |
|---|---|---|
| Pro | $497/mo | 250 after-hours calls included · summaries to multiple phones |
| Elite | $797/mo | 400 after-hours calls included · our biggest included allowance |
| Setup | $497 one time | Chloe's line, your greeting and your call forwarding — any plan |
| Extra calls | $1.91 each | Only past your plan's included calls, billed next cycle |
| First month | Free | The monthly fee is waived for month one |
| Per-minute fees | None | Never metered by the minute |
| Contract | None | Cancel anytime |
Standard — $297/mo
- 150 after-hours calls included
- Answers in about 15 seconds
- Collects name, callback, address, problem and urgency
- Emergency script for gas smells and active floods
- No per-minute billing · no contract
Pro $497/mo (250 calls, multi-phone summaries) · Elite $797/mo (400 calls — our biggest allowance) — see /pricing
Questions? Call (848) 800-6087 or see the blog. Link to /pricing and /how-it-works.
Start your free month
Tell us about your shop. We'll set up your Chloe line and forwarding and get you live.
- 1Send this form (about 60 seconds)
- 2We build your greeting and Chloe line
- 3You forward after-hours calls, and the texts start
Rather talk first? Call (848) 800-6087.