Front desk covered, around the clock
Virtual receptionist: your front desk for trades and SMEs.
It greets every caller, gives information, takes down requests, and books appointments. Even on Saturday at seven, when your office is empty.
A virtual receptionist is software that handles your business's phone reception: it answers every call, greets callers in your company's name, answers questions about hours and procedures, captures requests in a structured way, and books appointments. Unlike a human receptionist, it works around the clock, handles any number of calls in parallel, and costs a fixed monthly fee.
TÜV SÜD & IHK (German Chamber of Commerce) certified · based in Hesse, Germany, built for SMEs
What the virtual receptionist takes over at your front desk.
We call her Steffi: a virtual assistant who runs your phone reception the way you'd train a good receptionist to. She does five things on every call.
-
Greets callers in your company's name
Every call starts like your front desk is staffed.
No ringing into nowhere, no answering machine. The virtual receptionist picks up with your company's name, friendly and in natural language. The caller's first impression: someone here is on it.
-
Answers routine questions
Hours, directions, process: answered instantly.
The questions that come up again and again get answered right on the call, the way a good receptionist would. Only what genuinely needs your decision lands on your desk.
-
Captures requests in a structured way
Every call becomes a clear note.
Who's calling, what's it about, how urgent is it, what number can they be reached at? The AI asks and logs it all in order. You work through a sorted list instead of a pile of sticky notes.
-
Books appointments
Appointment requests land in the calendar, not on a notepad.
The virtual receptionist takes appointment requests and, depending on how we set it up, can book open slots directly into your calendar.
-
Recognizes what can't wait
The burst pipe doesn't get buried under the day's business.
Routine question or emergency? The AI tells the difference and flags anything urgent straight to you or your team instead of letting it sit in the call log.
Hire a receptionist or set up a virtual receptionist?
A human receptionist can do things no AI can: greet visitors, take in the mail, make coffee. On the phone, the picture flips, because what matters most there is that someone always picks up. Technically, the virtual receptionist is a full AI phone assistant, configured for front-desk tasks.
| Criterion | Human receptionist | Virtual receptionist |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | During office hours, if no one's out sick | Around the clock, weekends included |
| Simultaneous calls | One call at a time, the rest wait | Any number of calls at once |
| Vacation and sick days | Arrange cover | Keeps running, no downtime |
| Cost model | Salary plus payroll overhead | Fixed monthly fee |
| Hiring and onboarding | Post the job, hire, train | We set it up, you sign off |
| On-site reception, visitors, mail | Yes, only a human can do that | No, it only works the phone |
What a virtual receptionist costs.
In Germany, a virtual receptionist costs between €29 and €99 per month at entry level, €139 to €499 for businesses with more call volume, and €999 to €2,499 for fully managed packages (verified provider pricing, as of July 2026). Extra minutes beyond the included volume run roughly €0.08 to €0.30 depending on the provider; some charge €0.25 to €0.28 per call instead.
| Price tier | Price per month | What's usually included |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level plans | €29–99 per month | Basic features, usually 50 to 1,000 included minutes |
| Business plans | €139–499 per month | More minutes, more users, calendar and CRM integration |
| Fully managed packages | €999–2,499 per month | Setup, ongoing support and optimization included |
titanspear.ai works with a predictable fixed price per month instead of per-minute billing. The amount depends on call volume, scope of tasks, and integration with your calendar or CRM; you'll learn the exact price in the free intro call.
Virtual receptionist, AI receptionist, AI switchboard.
Four names, one solution: whether you say virtual receptionist, AI receptionist, AI switchboard, or AI front desk, it's always software that handles AI call handling and phone reception. If you're comparing the term AI receptionist on its own, see our dedicated page on the AI receptionist term. Most providers build their AI reception for hotels or medical practices. Steffi is built for businesses that don't even have a front desk: trades, construction, service providers, SMEs. Where reception rings off the hook at peak times, like with reservation calls in restaurants, she picks up in parallel instead of being busy.
A phone answering service, without an outside provider.
A phone answering service takes calls in your business's name, greets callers, gives information, and passes on requests. Traditionally, outside office services handle this with human staff, usually during fixed service hours and billed per call or minute. The virtual receptionist delivers the same answering service, automated: it picks up around the clock, handles any number of calls in parallel, and costs a fixed monthly fee. No briefing, coordinating, or supervising an outside provider: you listen in once, sign off, and your front desk is staffed.
For businesses where no one sits at the front desk.
-
The technician up the ladder
The phone buzzes in a pocket, both hands are on the pipe. The virtual receptionist picks up, clarifies the request, and adds the callback to the list. The job doesn't go to a competitor just because someone was mid-install.
-
The boss in a client meeting
The office phone rings unanswered while she's discussing the next project. Instead of a full voicemail box, she finds three sorted requests afterward: name, topic, urgency, callback number.
-
Friday, 4:30 pm
The office is closed, but the inquiries keep coming. The virtual receptionist takes them over the weekend and books appointments for Monday. Our guide on phone availability explains why calls spike right then.
And if answering calls should turn into sales: the same technology also actively calls back new inquiries from your website, in under 60 seconds. In a real client project, 83 leads reached led to 19 booked appointments (23 %). See how it works on the Speed to Lead page.
How your virtual receptionist moves in.
-
You describe your front desk
What calls come in, which questions repeat, where should appointments go? One conversation is enough for us to know the scope.
-
We set Steffi up for it
Greeting with your company name, information, appointment booking, escalation for emergencies. You listen in beforehand and sign off before it talks to callers.
-
It picks up the phone
From then on, your front desk is staffed, day and night. You get every request neatly prepared instead of a list of missed calls.
Frequently asked questions about virtual receptionists.
What is a virtual receptionist?
A virtual receptionist is software that handles a business's phone reception: it answers every call, greets callers in the company's name, answers questions about hours and procedures, captures requests in a structured way, and books appointments. Unlike a human receptionist, it works around the clock, handles any number of calls in parallel, and costs a fixed monthly fee.
What does an AI employee cost?
An AI employee on the phone costs, in Germany, depending on scope, €29 to €99 per month at entry level, €139 to €499 for businesses with more call volume, and €999 to €2,499 for fully managed packages. Extra minutes beyond the included volume run roughly €0.08 to €0.30 depending on the provider (verified provider pricing, as of July 2026).
What does an AI cost per month?
Most virtual receptionists are billed monthly: entry-level plans start at €29 to €49 per month, common business plans run between €99 and €499, usually with an included volume of call minutes. titanspear.ai works with a fixed monthly price and no per-minute billing; the amount depends on call volume and scope of tasks and becomes concrete in the free intro call.
How much does a receptionist get paid?
A receptionist's salary depends on region, industry, and experience; on top of gross pay, the business also carries payroll overhead, paid vacation, and sick days. A virtual receptionist, by contrast, costs a fixed monthly fee, works around the clock, and takes any number of calls in parallel. It doesn't replace the front desk in person, but it does replace phone reception.
What's the name of the AI you can talk to?
It depends on the provider: on your phone, voice assistants are called Siri or Google Assistant, in your living room, Alexa. titanspear.ai's virtual receptionist is called Steffi. You don't operate her through an app; she answers your business phone number and talks to your callers directly.
What's the difference between a virtual receptionist and an AI phone assistant?
It's the same technology with a different focus: AI phone assistant is the umbrella term for software that conducts phone calls itself. Virtual receptionist describes the specific use as front desk: greeting, giving information, taking down requests, and booking appointments. Whether you search for virtual receptionist, AI receptionist, or AI switchboard, you mean the same solution.
Is a virtual receptionist GDPR-compliant?
Yes, when set up correctly: the provider acts as a data processor, callers are informed transparently, and all data is processed under GDPR. That's exactly how we set up your virtual receptionist. You'll find the details in our privacy policy.
For more answers on setup, dialects, and data storage, see the full FAQ →
Last updated: July 30, 2026
Talk to us about your phone reception.
Pick an open slot directly in the calendar for your free intro call. Together, we'll look at what the virtual receptionist can take over in your business, and what it can't.
Your virtual receptionist introduces herself: on the phone.
Book a free intro call: on the call, you'll hear Steffi live, exactly the way your callers would experience her.
Free and no obligation.
Or book your free intro call directly →