# AI Receptionist: features, integrations, and pricing > Canonical: https://dialzara.com/solutions/ai-receptionist > Summary: A 24/7 virtual front desk that answers calls, books appointments, and qualifies leads. ## Overview An AI receptionist is a 24/7 virtual front desk that answers business calls like a trained professional — greeting callers, answering questions, booking appointments, and taking messages. It handles many calls at once, never takes time off, and costs a fraction of a human receptionist. > **Category:** AI-Powered Phone Answering ## Who it's for - Law firms - Property management - Real estate - HVAC and home services - Insurance agents - Accountants ## What it does - **24/7 availability:** Answers every call professionally — day, night, weekends, and holidays. - **Natural conversations:** Natural language processing enables human-like conversations callers often cannot distinguish from a person. - **Unlimited concurrent calls:** Handles one or one hundred calls simultaneously, with no caller put on hold. - **Appointment scheduling:** Integrates with Google Calendar to check availability and book appointments in real time during the call. - **Smart message taking:** Captures caller details accurately and delivers messages via SMS, email, or CRM. - **Spam protection:** Built-in spam detection filters robocalls and unwanted solicitations. - **Call transfers:** Routes calls to the right team member using custom transfer rules. - **Custom training:** Trains on your business FAQs, services, and policies from your website or documents. ## How it works 1. **Add your website:** Dialzara scans it automatically to train the agent on your business, services, and FAQs. _(2 min)_ 2. **Test & refine:** Chat with your agent and adjust until it sounds right. _(10 min)_ 3. **Go live:** Forward your existing number or get a new one and start answering calls 24/7. _(Instant)_ ## Integrations - Google Calendar - CRM - SMS - Email ## Pricing - **Starting price:** $29/month - **Model:** Flat monthly tiers with included minutes - **Notes:** Plans include 60–500 minutes depending on tier. Spam and wrong-number calls do not consume the plan. ## Related solutions - [AI Call Routing](https://dialzara.com/solutions/ai-call-routing) - [AI Appointment Scheduling](https://dialzara.com/solutions/ai-appointment-scheduling) - [AI Voicemail Transcription](https://dialzara.com/solutions/ai-voicemail-transcription) ## Frequently asked questions ### What is an AI receptionist? An AI receptionist is an intelligent virtual assistant that answers your business calls 24/7, just like a human receptionist. It uses advanced natural language processing to greet callers, answer questions, take messages, schedule appointments, and route calls—all without hiring additional staff. ### How does an AI receptionist work? When a call comes in, the AI receptionist answers instantly with your custom greeting. It uses natural language understanding to comprehend what callers need, then responds conversationally. It can answer FAQs from your knowledge base, capture caller information, book appointments directly to your calendar, and transfer urgent calls to your team. ### Will callers know they're speaking with an AI? Our AI receptionist uses natural, human-like voices that many callers find indistinguishable from human receptionists. The key is providing helpful, professional service. Most callers care more about getting their questions answered quickly than whether they're speaking with AI or a human. ### How much does an AI receptionist cost compared to a human receptionist? A full-time human receptionist costs $35,000-$50,000+ per year in salary alone, plus benefits, training, and time off. Dialzara's AI receptionist starts at $29/month—a fraction of the cost—while providing 24/7 availability and handling unlimited concurrent calls. ### Can the AI receptionist handle multiple calls at once? Yes! Unlike human receptionists who can only take one call at a time, your AI receptionist handles unlimited simultaneous calls. Whether you get 1 call or 100 calls at the same time, every caller gets immediate, personalized attention without being put on hold. ### How quickly can I set up an AI receptionist? Most businesses are live in under 15 minutes. Simply answer a few questions about your business, upload any relevant documents or FAQs, choose a voice for your receptionist, and start forwarding calls. No technical expertise required. ### Can the AI receptionist schedule appointments? Absolutely. The AI receptionist integrates with popular calendar systems like Google Calendar to check real-time availability and book appointments directly. Callers get confirmed appointments while you stay focused on your work. ### What happens if the AI can't answer a question? You can set up escalation rules for complex situations. The AI can transfer calls to your team, take detailed messages for callback, or collect caller information and notify you immediately via SMS or email. You're always in control of how calls are handled. ### Does the AI receptionist work with my existing phone number? Yes! You can forward your existing business number to Dialzara, or we can provide you with a new local or toll-free number. The transition is seamless with no downtime for your business. ### What industries use AI receptionists? AI receptionists work for virtually any business that receives phone calls. Popular industries include law firms, medical practices, dental offices, real estate agencies, HVAC companies, plumbers, electricians, salons, and professional services. Any business that values never missing a call can benefit.