AI receptionist vs hiring someone

What a hire actually costs

A part-time receptionist in Australia costs somewhere between $28,000 and $40,000 a year, depending on the role and location. That is before superannuation, leave entitlements, training time and the management overhead that comes with any employee. You get coverage for the hours they are rostered. Not before opening. Not after closing. Not on weekends unless you pay for weekend shifts.

A full-time receptionist or office manager pushes that to $55,000 to $75,000. The constraint is the same: they cover the hours they are in the building.

What an AI receptionist does differently

An AI receptionist picks up every call, at any hour. It does not take breaks, it does not call in sick and it does not need training every time your prices change. It knows your services, your availability and your booking rules. It answers common questions, takes details and books appointments directly into your calendar.

The cost is a fixed monthly fee that does not increase with super, leave or overtime. And it handles volume without getting flustered or making the caller wait.

Where a hire still wins

An AI receptionist handles the routine work well. What it does not do well is handle complex or emotionally sensitive situations with the nuance a person brings. A distressed caller, a complicated complaint, a negotiation on pricing. Those need a human, and a good system knows when to hand them across.

The right answer for most businesses is a system that handles the routine calls so the person you hire can focus on the ones that actually need them. Your team member spends their time on high-value conversations instead of answering the same four questions 30 times a day.

The numbers

• Part-time receptionist: $30,000 to $40,000 per year. Coverage: 20 to 30 hours per week. After hours: none.
• AI receptionist: fixed monthly fee. Coverage: 24/7, 365 days. After hours: full.
• Combined: the AI handles the volume, the person handles the complexity. Better coverage for less than the cost of a hire.