Article · · Updated: · 10 min read
AI receptionist: what it is, how it takes requests 24/7 and how to choose one
In short
An AI receptionist is an assistant that answers clients when nobody at the business can: it replies to common questions, collects booking or consultation requests and passes urgent cases to a person. It works in chat (website, WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram) or on phone calls, and hybrid services add live staff. At Veilvex a chat receptionist starts at $350 as a scenario bot and at $600 as an AI assistant.
Clients write and call when it suits them, often at night or on weekends, and many contact several businesses at once. An AI receptionist covers those hours: it answers in seconds, asks your intake questions and hands a ready request to your team. Below are the three types, what each one fits, the limits it needs in sensitive niches and the questions to ask before you pay.
Related service AI automation & bots — from $350
Figures and sources
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0 of 7
law firms in the sample link to WhatsApp or Telegram, versus 22 of 23 dental clinics
Source: Veilvex study of 178 small business websites (October 2026)
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1 of 7
family law firms in the sample show any price or a link to prices
Source: Veilvex study of 178 small business websites (October 2026)
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2 Aug 2026
EU AI Act rule applies: people must be told they are interacting with an AI system (Art. 50)
Source: Regulation (EU) 2024/1689
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July 2024
ABA Formal Opinion 512: US lawyers who use generative AI tools must protect client confidentiality and supervise the tool's output
In this article08
01What an AI receptionist is
Short answer: an AI receptionist is software that does the first part of a receptionist's job outside working hours or when the team is busy. It greets the client, answers the questions you have approved, collects the details of the request and passes it on. Everything that needs a professional decision goes to a person.
- Answers common questions: hours, services, prices from your list, how the first visit or consultation works.
- Collects a request: name, contact, the service or matter, preferred time.
- Books or requests a slot in your calendar or sends the request to the person on duty.
- Flags urgent cases and gives the client the right next step at once.
- Says it is an assistant and hands over to a person when asked.
02Chat, phone or hybrid: three types
| Type | How it works | Fits | Check before you choose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chat receptionist | Answers in writing on the website, in WhatsApp, Telegram or Instagram; collects details and books or sends a request | Clients who write first, several languages, requests that must reach a CRM | It needs your approved answers; phone calls stay with you |
| AI voice receptionist | Picks up calls with a synthetic voice, takes a message or books a slot | Businesses where most first contacts are calls | Usually billed by minutes or plan; test accents, noise and how it handles emergencies |
| Hybrid answering service | AI handles routine contacts, live staff take sensitive ones | Sensitive first contacts: injury, family matters, medical | Ask how it is billed, who the staff are and what they may say |
Veilvex builds chat receptionists. If most of your clients call, add a messenger link to your website and voicemail greeting so that a missed call can continue in a chat.
03If the receptionist works in Telegram: platform rules
Short answer: in Telegram a chat receptionist is a bot, and the Telegram Bot API itself is free. The platform sets a few rules that shape the scenario, so check them before you order.
| Rule | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| A bot cannot start a conversation | The client has to open the bot first, through a t.me link, a QR code or a search. Put the link on your website, your profiles and in booking confirmations. |
| Broadcast limits | Telegram's Bot FAQ says a bot cannot send more than about 30 messages per second without paid broadcasts; send reminders only to people who expect them. |
| Payments | Physical goods and services are paid through one of 20+ third-party providers, and Telegram takes no commission; digital goods and services are paid only in Telegram Stars. |
| Your own account | With Telegram Business, available to Premium subscribers, you can connect a bot to your business account so that it answers chats on your behalf. |
Telegram's rules change: check the Bot FAQ and the payments page before launch. How WhatsApp and Telegram differ in set-up and platform fees: AI chatbot for business.
04What it should do in different niches
| Niche | Typical first message | What it collects | Hand to a person when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Law firm | "Can you take my case?" | Matter type, location, key dates, the other party's name for a conflict check | The client asks about the merits, a deadline, or someone is in custody |
| Dental clinic | "Do you have a slot tomorrow?" | Treatment, new or existing patient, preferred time | Pain, swelling, bleeding or an injury |
| Beauty salon | "Can I come for a manicure on Saturday?" | Service, specialist, preferred time | A skin reaction or a complaint after a procedure |
| Plumber or electrician | "Can someone come today?" | Address, the problem, a photo, how urgent it is | A leak, a gas smell or no power |
| Vet clinic | "My dog ate something, what should I do?" | Species, symptoms, when it started | Any emergency: give the emergency number right away |
In our study of 178 small business websites, none of the 7 law firms and none of the 7 vet clinics linked to a messenger, so a client who prefers to write has no fast channel there. Niche pages: law firms, dental clinics, beauty salons, home services.
05What an AI receptionist must never do
- Give legal, medical or veterinary advice, or judge whether a case is strong.
- Estimate deadlines such as limitation periods, or name prices that are not on your list.
- Promise an outcome or a time slot that nobody has confirmed.
- Hide that it is an AI: in the EU this is required by Article 50 of the AI Act from 2 August 2026.
- Ask for confidential documents in the chat or collect more data than the request needs.
For law firms it is common practice to state that no attorney-client relationship exists until the firm confirms it in writing. In the EU the GDPR applies to every chat. Check the details with your lawyer.
06How to choose an AI receptionist: 6 questions to ask
- Which channels does it cover, and where does each request go: CRM, calendar, email?
- Can I see every answer it gives and change the answers myself?
- What happens with an urgent case at 3 a.m.?
- How does it say it is an AI, and when exactly does it hand over to a person?
- Where is the data stored, and will you sign a data processing agreement?
- What is the one-off price, and what will I pay every month for messages, the AI model or minutes?
AI receptionist for a law firm: what to check
There is no single best AI receptionist for a law firm, and many "best of" lists are published by the providers themselves. Compare every option by the same six checks.
| What to check | Why it matters for a law firm | Question to ask the provider |
|---|---|---|
| Disclosure | In the EU, Article 50 of the AI Act requires telling people they are talking to an AI system (from 2 August 2026); everywhere it avoids the impression that a lawyer is answering | What is the first message the client sees? |
| No legal advice | An answer on the merits can look like advice and create expectations the firm has not accepted | What does it reply to "Do I have a case?" |
| Conflict-check data | The firm must check the other party before taking a matter | Which names and dates does it collect, and where do they go? |
| Confidentiality | In the US, ABA Model Rule 1.18 protects information from prospective clients, and ABA Formal Opinion 512 (29 July 2024) asks lawyers to understand how an AI tool stores and uses client data | Where are chats stored, for how long, and is the data used to train models? |
| Urgent matters | An arrest, a court date tomorrow or a limitation deadline cannot wait until Monday | How does it flag urgent cases and who is notified? |
| Phone or chat, and integrations | Phone services answer calls; a chat assistant works on the website, WhatsApp and Telegram. Intakes should land in e-mail or your practice management system (for example Clio or MyCase) if it accepts connections | Which channels, and which system receives the intake? |
Rules differ by jurisdiction, so an attorney of the firm should approve the wording before launch. What a chat intake assistant for a firm includes: AI receptionist for law firms.
07What an AI receptionist costs
| Option | One-off | Every month |
|---|---|---|
| Chat receptionist: scenario bot | At Veilvex from $350 | Platform fees (WhatsApp messages are billed by Meta, the Telegram Bot API is free) and hosting |
| Chat receptionist: AI assistant | At Veilvex from $600 | The same, plus the AI model API, which depends on the number of conversations |
| Voice or hybrid service | Usually set-up within a subscription | A plan or per-minute fee; check with the provider |
A detailed breakdown of chatbot costs and channels is in AI chatbot for business. To get a price for your case, see AI bots and automation or write to us.
08Frequently asked questions
What is an AI receptionist?
An assistant that answers clients when the team cannot: it replies to approved questions, collects a booking or consultation request and passes urgent cases to a person. It can work in chat or on phone calls.
What is the best AI receptionist for a law firm?
It depends on whether clients mostly call or write, and on your rules. Many rankings are published by vendors, so compare them by the same checks: it says it is automated, gives no legal advice, collects conflict-check names, explains where chats are stored, flags urgent matters to a person and sends intakes to your e-mail or practice management system. A chat intake assistant at Veilvex starts at $350 for a scripted bot and $600 for an AI assistant; see AI receptionist for law firms.
Can an AI receptionist answer phone calls?
Voice AI receptionists can, usually for a per-minute or plan fee. A chat receptionist works in writing: on the website, in WhatsApp, Telegram and Instagram. Many businesses use chat and add a messenger link to the voicemail greeting so missed calls continue in a chat.
Is an AI receptionist for a dental office HIPAA compliant?
Only if the setup is. In the US a dental practice is usually a HIPAA covered entity, so any vendor that receives or stores patient messages needs a signed Business Associate Agreement (BAA), and the chat platform, AI model API and hosting it uses must be covered as well. Keep the chat to booking details, with no medical history, and agree how long chats are kept. Ask the vendor for this in writing before launch; see AI receptionist for dental clinics.
Can an AI receptionist for plumbers handle emergency calls at night?
It can take the request at any hour: address, problem, photo and urgency, and alert the on-call technician by message right away. It should tell the client how to shut off the water and, if they smell gas, to leave and call the gas emergency number. Whether someone comes at night is still your team's decision. At Veilvex a chat receptionist starts at $350; write to us.
How much does an AI receptionist cost?
At Veilvex a chat receptionist costs from $350 as a scenario bot and from $600 as an AI assistant, paid once. Monthly costs are platform message fees, hosting and, for an AI assistant, the AI model API. Voice and hybrid services are usually subscriptions.
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