The AI receptionist for UK small businesses
Meet Molly, the receptionist that comes with Line. She answers every call to your business number, 24 hours a day, in a natural British voice. She answers questions, books appointments, updates your CRM, and follows up.
Enter your website and she learns your business in seconds, then rings you for a live demo.
Free demo — no sign-up needed. Phone demos are recorded and kept for 90 days. Privacy
What is an AI receptionist?
An AI receptionist is software that answers your business phone and holds a real conversation with the caller. It greets them in your business name, works out what they need, answers questions from the information you give it, books the appointment or takes the message, updates your records, and writes the whole call up for you.
It is not voicemail, which records and waits. It is not a press-one menu, which routes and gives up. And it is not a virtual receptionist service, which puts a person in a call centre on your line and charges you per call. An AI receptionist answers instantly, at any hour, and costs the same whether it takes one call or a hundred.
Start with Molly, or build your own agent
Molly is the receptionist we've already built. She's one agent on a platform where you can build as many as you need, each with its own name, voice, knowledge, tools, and rules.
Set up your AI receptionist in minutes
No scripts to record. No call centre to brief. Tell it about your business and it's ready to answer.
Switch it on for your number
Enable the receptionist on any of your Line numbers. It starts answering in minutes. No setup appointment and no scripts to record.
Tell it about the business
Add your business name, services, prices, opening hours, team, and FAQs. Connect your calendar and CRM. Set what it may do on its own and what it must ask you first.
Read the transcript in your inbox
Every call appears in your Line inbox with the full transcript, the caller's details, and what the receptionist did next.
An AI employee that actually does the work
It answers the call, then chases the lead, books the job, updates your CRM, and follows up. The work a great receptionist and a great assistant would do, done around the clock.
Answers every call
Picks up every inbound call on your business number, instantly, at any hour. No hold music and no voicemail black hole. Answer everything, only out of hours, or only when nobody else picks up.
Knows your business
Give it your services, prices, opening hours, and the questions you get asked every day. It answers callers accurately and in your tone, the way your best-trained employee would.
Books straight into your calendar
Checks live availability in Google Calendar or Microsoft 365, books the slot, reschedules when plans change, and sends the confirmation and reminders. Ask for a one-tap approval if you want the final say.
Qualifies every enquiry
Asks the questions you'd ask, scores the answers against your criteria, and flags the hot leads. You call the ready-to-buy customers first.
Does the work inside your CRM
Every call creates or updates the contact, logs what was said, and records the next action. In Line's CRM, or in yours through Zapier, Make, n8n, or the API.
Follows up by text and email
Sends the quote, the booking link, the directions, or the document the caller asked for, the moment the call ends. By SMS, WhatsApp, or email.
Makes outbound calls
Returns missed calls, confirms appointments, chases outstanding quotes, and follows up after a job, on its own and within the rules you set.
Chases every lost lead
The enquiry that didn't book isn't gone. It follows up by call, text, and email until the caller books or clearly says no.
Transfers and hands over
Transfers the call to the right person by your rules. If they're unavailable, it takes the details, flags the call to them, and books the callback.
Takes detailed messages
Captures the caller's name, number, and the full reason for calling. It lands in your shared inbox as a transcript you can act on in seconds.
Runs whole workflows
Give it an objective and it completes the sequence: answer, qualify, book, confirm, remind, rebook if cancelled, chase the quote. Built in the workflow builder, no code.
Works to your rules
Every action has a policy you set: do it, ask first, or draft only. Bookings, messages, and outbound calls stay under your control.
Sounds natural, not robotic
A clear, natural British voice. Callers get a warm, professional conversation. Enter your website above and ring it to hear for yourself.
An AI receptionist for your trade. A plumber under a bath and a solicitor in court miss calls for different reasons. Each page shows the whole job of a receptionist in that trade, replicated.
The duties, the workflows you can build, the tools it connects to, and a day on the phones.
Tradespeople
Answers while you're on the tools and books the job.
Plumbers
Talks the caller through the stopcock, then books the engineer.
Electricians
Finds out if it's a fault or a job, and how urgent.
Builders
Takes the site address and the scope, and books the visit.
Carpenters and joiners
Captures the job and books the measuring visit.
Garages and MOT centres
Takes the reg and books the MOT into the right bay.
Salons and barbers
Books the cut with the stylist they asked for.
Clinics and practices
Books the appointment and routes anything clinical to your team.
Dental practices
Grades the toothache by your rules and books the emergency slot.
GP surgeries
Takes the 8am requests and passes them to the care navigator.
Estate agents
Takes the address and books the valuation with a negotiator.
Solicitors and law firms
Captures the matter type and books the first consultation. No advice.
Accountants and bookkeepers
Books the intro meeting and routes clients to their accountant.
Cleaning businesses
Takes the property size and books the first clean.
Landscapers and gardeners
Takes the garden and the job and books the visit.
Removal companies
Gets both postcodes, the date, and the size.
Looking for the whole phone system for your trade? Line by industry
How much does an AI receptionist cost in the UK?
Most UK AI receptionists charge a flat monthly fee with a call or minute allowance. Human answering services charge per call on top of a monthly fee. Line's receptionist comes with your plan and bills only the minutes it spends on calls.
| Option | Typical cost | How you pay |
|---|---|---|
| In-house receptionist | £24,000 to £29,000 a year salary, before employer costs | Fixed salary, one desk, business hours |
| Human telephone answering service | £0.60 to £2.50 per answered call, or a monthly plan | Monthly fee plus per-call or per-minute charges |
| Typical UK AI receptionist | About £10 to £200 a month | Flat monthly fee with a call or minute allowance |
| Line's AI receptionist | Included with Pro and Business. Calls from 2 credits a minute (2p) | Plans from £4 a month. No setup fee, no per-call charge, no minimum term |
Third-party ranges from public UK pricing pages, September 2026: Sway Digital, AI receptionist vs human receptionist (UK salary range), ReceptionHQ, 24/7 phone answering service cost UK 2026, Hey Jodie, best AI receptionist UK 2026 (provider price table). Line's figures come from the pricing page. Full breakdown in how much an AI receptionist costs in the UK.
AI receptionist vs human answering service vs hiring
Four ways to make sure the phone gets answered. What each one does with the caller, and what it costs you when you're busy.
| Voicemail | Human answering service | In-house receptionist | Line's AI receptionist | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who answers | Nobody. A recording. | A receptionist in a shared call centre | Your employee, at the desk | An agent on your number, in a British voice |
| Answers at 9pm | Records a message | Only on a 24/7 plan, at a premium | No | Yes |
| Sick days and holidays | None | Covered by the centre | You cover the desk | None |
| Knows your prices and hours | No | Reads the brief you wrote | Yes | Yes, from the knowledge you give it |
| Books appointments | No | Some services, as an extra | Yes | Yes, into your calendar |
| Updates the CRM and follows up | No | No | Yes, when there's time | Yes, on every call |
| Transcript of every call | A recording | A message by email | Whatever gets written down | Yes, in your inbox |
| Cost when you get busy | Nothing, and the calls are gone | Rises with every call | Fixed, until you need a second person | Rises with minutes, not calls |
| Setup | Already there | Days: a brief, a script, a contract | Weeks: hiring and training | Minutes |
| Contract | None | Often a minimum term | Employment contract | None. No minimum term |
Human answering service terms summarised from UK providers' public pricing pages in September 2026. Terms vary by provider and call volume.
From answering calls to running the work
Start with answering, move to doing the work, then hand over a whole customer-facing function. There is no setup fee and no separate subscription. You pay for the minutes it spends on calls.
Answers
Never miss another customer. The receptionist answers calls, handles questions, takes messages, transfers callers, and books appointments.
- Answers calls 24/7
- Knowledge and FAQs
- Messages and transcripts
- Call transfers
- Calendar bookings
Works
It doesn't just take the message. It books, follows up, updates your CRM, and makes outbound calls.
- Everything in Answers
- SMS, WhatsApp, and email follow-up
- CRM read and write
- Multi-step work
- Outbound calls
Owns it
Give it responsibility for a whole customer-facing function, with approval policies and autonomous, multi-step workflows.
- Everything in Works
- Approval workflows
- Autonomous workflows
- Multiple departments
- Custom tools
Included with Pro and Business. See full pricing
Built for UK businesses
A UK number, a British voice, and a written record of every call.
Your UK number, or a new one
It answers a UK mobile or local number. Port the number that's already on your van and your website, or start with a new one today.
A British voice
Callers hear a natural British accent, not an American one. Ring it from the demo above and listen.
A transcript of every call
Every call is written up in your inbox with the caller's details and the next step. You read what was said instead of listening back.
You control what it says and does
You write the greeting, so you can tell callers the call is transcribed. You set what it may do on its own and what it must ask you first.
Your hours, your rules
Answer everything, only out of hours, or only when nobody picks up. Different greetings for open and closed.
A person when it matters
Advice, complaints, and anything sensitive get transferred or flagged to a named person with the details. It doesn't guess.
AI receptionist FAQ
Straight answers on cost, setup, limits, and what happens on the call.
What is an AI receptionist?
An AI receptionist is software that answers your business phone calls and holds a real conversation with the caller. Unlike voicemail or a press-one menu, it greets the caller, asks how it can help, answers common questions from your business's own information, takes messages, books appointments, and follows up. Line's pre-built AI receptionist is called Molly.
Do I have to use Molly?
No. Molly is the pre-built receptionist and the fastest way to start. You can also build your own agents in the agent editor: name them, choose a voice, give them your knowledge, connect their tools, and set what they may do on their own. The same platform runs sales agents, customer service agents, and booking agents.
How much does an AI receptionist cost in the UK?
UK AI receptionists are typically priced between about £10 and £200 a month, depending on the calls or minutes included. Human telephone answering services usually charge a monthly fee plus £0.60 to £2.50 per call. Line's AI receptionist is included with the Pro and Business plans, and bills calls per minute in credits with no setup fee and no per-call charge. See the pricing page for the current rates.
Does it sound like a real person?
It speaks in a natural British voice, responds conversationally, and handles interruptions. It introduces itself by the name you give it and you decide exactly what it says. The demo at the top of this page lets you ring it and judge for yourself.
What happens if the caller asks something it doesn't know?
It tells the caller that a member of the team will confirm, takes their name, number, and what they need, and flags the call in your inbox. It never guesses or makes things up.
Can it put a call through to my team?
Yes. You set the rules for which calls matter and who handles them. It transfers the call to that person. If they don't pick up, it carries on with the caller, takes the details, and books the callback.
Can it book appointments and update my CRM?
Yes. Connect Google Calendar or Microsoft 365 and it checks availability and books during the call. It creates and updates contacts and jobs in Line's CRM, and in yours through Zapier, Make, n8n, or the REST API. You can require a one-tap approval before any booking is confirmed.
Can I keep my existing business number?
Yes. Port your UK number to Line and the receptionist answers it. Or start with a new UK mobile or local number today and port your old one later.
Does it work outside business hours?
Yes. It works 24/7. You can give it a different greeting outside your hours, for example telling callers you're closed but still booking them in or taking a message for the morning.
Is there a contract?
No. Line plans have no minimum term and no setup fee. The receptionist is included with Pro and Business. Turn it off from your dashboard at any time.
Are calls recorded? Is it GDPR compliant?
The receptionist keeps a written transcript of each call in your inbox. A transcript is personal data under UK GDPR, so you tell callers in the greeting, keep a lawful basis and a retention period, and keep sensitive detail out of automatic texts. Line's guide to recording business calls covers what to do.
What won't it do?
It doesn't give legal, medical, or financial advice, and it doesn't make promises on your behalf. When a call needs judgement it takes the details and hands over to a person. That limit is deliberate, and you set where it sits.
How is an AI receptionist different from a virtual receptionist?
Virtual receptionist is the umbrella term for anyone who answers your calls remotely, human or software. A traditional virtual receptionist service puts a person in a call centre on your line. An AI receptionist answers instantly, at any hour, knows your business, and books the appointment itself. Our virtual receptionist page compares the two side by side.
Last reviewed . Read more: the complete UK guide to AI receptionists, AI receptionist vs virtual receptionist, best AI receptionists in the UK, recording and transcribing business calls in the UK.
Put a receptionist on your number
Ready in minutes. Every call answered, every message captured, every caller looked after.
- 24/7 AI call answering
- Natural British voice
- Transcripts in your inbox
- Calendar bookings and CRM updates
- Transfers, follow-ups, and outbound calls
- Approval policies you control
- Shared team inbox included
- No setup fee, no per-call charge, no contract
Included with Pro and Business. Full pricing
Also explore: Virtual receptionist · Workflow builder · Integrations · Shared team inbox