The virtual receptionist
that never misses a call.
HireJosie is an AI virtual receptionist. It answers every call in under a second, 24 hours a day, books appointments straight into your calendar during the call, and costs a fraction of a live answering service.
7-day free trial · 200 AI min/mo · cancel anytime
Sunrise Dental Group
Josie · Click to call
ALLOW MICROPHONE WHEN PROMPTED
Microphone required · 2-min demo limit · 5 calls remaining
Try a live call with Josie →
Sunrise Dental Group
Josie · Click to call
ALLOW MICROPHONE WHEN PROMPTED
Microphone required · 2-min demo limit · 5 calls remaining
What is a virtual receptionist?
A virtual receptionist answers your business calls without sitting in your office. For years that meant a live operator at a remote call center, picking up your line and following a script you provided. That model still exists, and it still works for some businesses.
Today, “virtual receptionist” also covers AI receptionists: software that holds a natural conversation, answers questions about your business, and books appointments on the spot. From the caller’s side the job is the same. What changes is the cost, the availability, and what happens after the phone is answered.
Live vs AI virtual receptionist
| Live virtual receptionist | AI virtual receptionist (HireJosie) | |
|---|---|---|
| Who answers | A remote human operator, usually covering several businesses | Conversational AI trained on your business |
| Availability | Set hours; after-hours often extra or voicemail | 24/7, nights, weekends, holidays |
| Simultaneous calls | Limited by staff on shift; callers may wait on hold | Unlimited; nobody waits on hold |
| Booking appointments | Usually takes a message; your team calls back | Checks your calendar and books during the call |
| Billing | Per minute or per call; wrong numbers cost the same | Flat monthly plan with included minutes |
| Typical cost | $245+/month for ~50 minutes; $400–600 at 100+ calls | $29 or $79/month |
| Complex or sensitive calls | Strong: human judgment on the spot | Recognizes them and transfers to a human |
Live pricing based on Ruby Receptionist’s published plans. Full breakdown in virtual receptionist cost.
Everything a virtual receptionist does. Without the meter running.
Answers in under a second
Every call is picked up on the first ring, greeted with your business name, and handled with your hours, services, and pricing.
Books during the call
Checks Google Calendar live and books a real slot while the caller is still on the line. No callback loop where leads go cold.
Never sleeps
Nights, weekends, holidays, and Monday-morning rushes. No after-hours surcharge and no voicemail.
Hands off to a human
Emergencies, upset callers, or anything that needs judgment get transferred to you or your team.
Texts a summary
Callers get an SMS recap after the call, and you get a transcript, recording, and summary of every conversation.
Live in minutes
Enter your business details, forward your existing number, and your virtual receptionist starts answering. No contracts.
How to choose a virtual receptionist service
Ask what happens after the phone gets answered. If most of your calls are routine (booking, hours, pricing, “do you service my area?”), an AI virtual receptionist closes the loop on the call itself. A live service usually can’t do that without a callback, and the callback is where leads quietly go to the next business on the list.
If your calls are often emotionally loaded, legally nuanced, or need a judgment call no script anticipates, a live operator’s flexibility is worth the higher per-minute price. Many businesses land in between: AI handles the routine volume and transfers anything sensitive to a real person.
Whatever you pick, test it the way real callers behave. Interrupt it, ask two things at once, change your mind halfway through booking. A genuinely conversational virtual receptionist keeps up; a voice-activated phone tree loops you back to the menu.
Built for your industry
HireJosie works as a virtual receptionist for dental offices, medical practices, law firms, HVAC companies, home services, insurance agencies, salons, and veterinary clinics.
Further reading
Virtual receptionist FAQ
What is a virtual receptionist?
A virtual receptionist answers your business calls without being physically in your office. Traditionally that meant a live operator at a remote call center; today it also includes AI virtual receptionists like HireJosie that answer with conversational AI, book appointments during the call, and work 24/7.
Is a virtual receptionist the same as an AI receptionist?
Not exactly. "Virtual receptionist" is the broader, older term and traditionally meant a live human operator working remotely. An AI receptionist is a newer kind of virtual receptionist that answers calls with conversational AI instead of a person. Both get called virtual receptionists today, but they work very differently.
How much does a virtual receptionist cost?
Live virtual receptionist services bill per minute or per call. Ruby's cheapest plan, for example, is $245/month for 50 minutes, and businesses with 100+ calls a month commonly pay $400–600. AI virtual receptionists cost less: HireJosie is $29/month for 200 AI minutes, starting with a 7-day free trial — cancel before day 7 and you pay nothing. Pro is $79/month for 500 minutes, with $0.25/minute overage after that.
Can a virtual receptionist book appointments?
It depends on the type. Most live virtual receptionist services take a message and rely on your team to call back and confirm. An AI virtual receptionist like HireJosie checks your calendar and books the appointment directly into Google Calendar during the call itself.
Do virtual receptionists work 24/7?
Live services often have set operating hours, with calls outside that window going to voicemail or billed at an after-hours rate. AI virtual receptionists are available around the clock with no separate after-hours pricing. HireJosie answers every call 24/7 on every plan.
Can I keep my existing business phone number?
Yes. Forward your existing number to HireJosie (always, or only when you don't pick up), or use the dedicated number HireJosie provides. Callers keep dialing the number they already know.
Which type of virtual receptionist is right for my business?
If most of your calls are routine (scheduling, hours, pricing questions), an AI virtual receptionist can handle them end to end and costs less. If your calls regularly involve sensitive or complex situations that need human judgment, a live virtual receptionist, or an AI with a warm transfer to a human, is the safer fit.
How can I test a virtual receptionist before paying for it?
Call it yourself and use natural, imperfect phrasing instead of a clean script: interrupt it, ask an unrelated question, then circle back to booking. You can try a live call with Josie on this page, then set it up for your own business in a few minutes.
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