AI receptionist cost & missed-call calculator
Compare AI-assisted answering, a human answering service and your current approach using your own call volumes and costs.
What is this tool for?
An AI receptionist answers a defined range of incoming calls, such as routine questions, callback requests and appointment routing. This calculator helps you decide whether a scoped pilot deserves investigation. It does not assume every missed call is a lost customer: callers may already leave a message or call again. Use incremental bookings that would otherwise be missed.
How it works
- Recovered calls = inbound calls × missed percentage × recovery percentage. Extra bookings = recovered calls × booking conversion.
- AI cost = platform fee + all modelled handled call minutes × per-minute cost. This conservatively bills the whole call volume, not just recovered calls.
- Monthly net contribution = extra bookings × contribution per booking − AI running cost. Human comparison assumes the same recovered bookings; it compares running costs, not service quality. Setup payback uses positive monthly net contribution.
A worked example
Illustration: 300 calls, 20% missed, 50% recovered and 15% conversion produce 4.5 expected additional bookings. At £100 contribution each, that is £450 before answering costs. Expected bookings are a scenario average, not a promise of half a booking.
What the results do—and do not—tell you
No provider tariff is supplied. Enter current quotes, including transfer, telephone number and integration charges in the platform fee. Human escalation, accuracy, availability, caller preferences and data handling need a separate review. Do not double-count bookings already recovered by your staff.
What to do next
Compare a cautious and optimistic recovery rate, then pilot one call type with a clear human handover.
Model and guidance reviewed 10 November 2026. Financial scenarios use GBP; use a consistent VAT basis. No result is a quote or promised outcome.
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