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Operations 4 min read
The Economics of Greeting: Human Receptionists vs. Voice AI
Sarah Jenkins
Head of Growth
Dec 05, 2024
The £30,000 Hello
The average salary for a full-time receptionist in London is ~£28k-£32k. Add NI, pension, and overhead, and that seat costs you £40k/year.
For that price, you get:
- 40 hours of coverage a week.
- Someone who can handle 1 call at a time.
- Potential for sick days and holidays.
The AI Alternative
A dedicated Voice AI Receptionist (like our flowVoice agent) costs roughly £200-£500/month depending on volume. That's £6k/year.
For that price, you get:
- 168 hours of coverage a week (24/7).
- Infinite concurrency (can handle 500 callers at once).
- Zero missed calls.
So, Fire the Receptionist?
No. You promote them.
The most successful clinics we work with move their front-desk staff into "Client Success" roles. Instead of answering "Are you open today?" 50 times a day, they are calling high-value patients, managing complex referrals, and greeting people with a smile when they walk in the door.
Let the AI handle the phone. Let your people handle the people.