AI voice agent vs virtual receptionist: what's the difference?
Virtual receptionists cost £200-800/month and work office hours. Georgia costs from £0.12 per call and never sleeps. Here's the full comparison.
If you've been looking at ways to handle inbound calls without hiring more staff, you've probably come across two options: virtual receptionists and AI voice agents. They sound similar. They serve very different purposes.
Virtual receptionists
A virtual receptionist is a human - usually working remotely - who answers calls on behalf of your business. They're professional, friendly, and can handle nuanced conversations. The limitations are significant: they work set hours, cost £200–800 per month for basic packages, and can only handle one call at a time.
AI voice agents
Georgia, Voxcierge's AI voice agent, is available 24/7, handles unlimited concurrent calls, and costs from £0.12 per call. It doesn't call in sick, doesn't need training after staff turnover, and logs every interaction to your CRM automatically.
The real comparison
| | Virtual receptionist | Georgia (AI) |
|---|---|---|
| Available hours | Office hours | 24/7 |
| Cost | £200–800/month | From £0.12/call |
| Concurrent calls | 1 | Unlimited |
| CRM logging | Manual | Automatic |
| Consistency | Variable | 100% |
When to use each
For routine enquiries, out-of-hours coverage, and high call volumes - AI wins on every metric. For highly complex, sensitive, or relationship-critical calls - a human is still the right choice. The best solution is often both: Georgia handles the volume, your team handles the relationships.
See how Georgia handles calls for your industry on our pricing page, or book a demo to hear Georgia in action.
Further reading
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See Voxcierge in action
Georgia is answering calls for UK businesses right now. Book a demo or see our pricing.