Virtual receptionist service
A virtual receptionist that answers every call and books the job
Callbook is a virtual receptionist for small service businesses. It answers your business line 24/7 in English or Spanish, asks the questions your office would ask and books the job while the caller is on the phone. Call-answering plans start at $149 a month, with a $29 trial for 7 days.
- Keep your business number
- English and Spanish
- No contract
What is a virtual receptionist?
A virtual receptionist answers your business calls from somewhere other than your office. It greets callers in your business name, takes their details, books appointments or takes messages, and passes urgent calls to you. Some virtual receptionists are remote people at a call center; others, like Callbook, are AI that answers right away at any hour.
What a virtual receptionist does for your business
The job is the same one a front desk does on the phone. Here is how Callbook handles each part.
Answers in your business name
Calls are picked up right away with your business name, day or night, instead of going to voicemail.
Takes the caller’s details
Name, address, what is wrong and how urgent it is, with a consistent set of questions. Caller ID gives it the callback number.
Books the appointment
It finds the next opening on your Callbook schedule and books it while the caller is still on the phone. Connect Google Calendar and turn on sync to see jobs there too.
Handles emergencies your way
Urgent calls get the soonest emergency slot, and a caller who needs a person can be put through to your cell.
Answers common questions
Hours, service area, the work you do and the work you don’t, answered from the business details you give it.
Sends you the details
Every call is recorded, transcribed and summarized in your dashboard, and you can turn on a text alert after each call.
How Callbook’s virtual receptionist works
- 1
Tell it about your business
Add your services, service area, hours and emergency rules. Setup takes about 5 to 10 minutes.
- 2
Forward your calls
Keep your number. Forward all your calls to your Callbook line, or only the ones you don’t pick up.
- 3
It answers, books and reports back
The virtual receptionist answers, books the job and texts the caller a confirmation. The call and its summary wait in your dashboard.
More detail on forwarding and setup is on how it works.
What a call with the virtual receptionist sounds like
An example call, shortened. The receptionist asks one thing at a time, checks the ZIP code before offering a time, offers one opening, and reads the booking back before it books. The job, recording and summary then show up in your dashboard.
Receptionist: Just so you know, this call may be recorded for quality and training. Thanks for calling [your business]. May I have your name, and how can I help you today?
Caller: This is Dana. Our water heater is leaking into the garage.
Receptionist: Is water still coming out, or has it slowed to a drip?
Caller: It’s a slow drip. Nothing is flooding.
Receptionist: What’s the ZIP code where you need service?
Caller: 32207.
Receptionist: The earliest I have is Friday at 9 AM. Does that work?
Caller: Yes.
Receptionist: What’s the street address?
Caller: 412 Oak Street.
Receptionist: To confirm: water heater leak, Friday at 9 AM, 412 Oak Street, 32207. Is that right?
Caller: That’s right.
Receptionist: You’re booked for Friday at 9 AM. A confirmation text is on its way.
To hear the receptionist yourself, call our demo line at (904) 799-5138. It answers as Callbook and can book you a free setup call.
Why small businesses use a virtual receptionist
Calls to a small service business come at the worst moments: mid-job, on the road between jobs, or after you have stopped for the day. A caller who hits voicemail often calls the next business on the list.
No missed calls while you work
Your hands are in a panel or under a sink when the phone rings. The call still gets answered and booked.
Nights, weekends and holidays covered
A homeowner with a leak at 10 PM gets a real conversation and a booked visit, not a voicemail greeting.
No hiring or training
No front-desk salary, no sick days, no one to train. You set the rules once and change them when you want.
Consistent questions on every call
Callers are asked what you would ask, so you arrive at the job knowing what you are walking into.
Two kinds of virtual receptionist: remote people and AI
Both answer your phone from somewhere else. They differ in who picks up, when, and what happens next.
| Feature | Remote human service | AI virtual receptionist (Callbook) |
|---|---|---|
| Who answers | People at a call center or remote office | Software that talks with callers in a natural voice |
| Hours | Depends on the plan you buy | 24/7, including nights, weekends and holidays |
| Booking | Some book appointments; many take a message for you to call back | Books into open slots on your schedule during the call; can sync to Google Calendar |
| How you pay | Usually by the minute or by the call | $149/month with 300 minutes included, then $0.40/minute |
| Languages | Depends on the provider | English and Spanish |
| Best for | Calls that need human judgment, such as sensitive or complex intake | Busy service businesses that need every call answered and booked |
The full breakdown is in AI receptionist vs virtual receptionist.
What a virtual receptionist costs
Callbook’s Solo plan is $149 a month with 300 minutes of call answering included, then $0.40 for each extra minute. Paying yearly costs $1,490, ten times the monthly price. You can try it for 7 days for $29 (up to 60 minutes) before the plan starts. There is no contract.
Live virtual receptionist services price differently, usually by the minute or by the call, and add-ons can raise the bill. Our virtual receptionist cost guide lists published 2026 prices from the major services and shows how to estimate your own month.
Solo plan
$149/month
- 300 minutes included
- $0.40 per minute after that
- $1,490 a year if you pay yearly
- $29 for a 7-day trial
How to choose a virtual receptionist service
Ask every provider these six questions before you sign up.
- 1.Does it answer around the clock, or only during business hours?
- 2.Does it book the job during the call, or take a message for you to return?
- 3.What counts as a billable minute, and what happens when you go past your plan?
- 4.Does it know your trade well enough to tell an emergency from a routine call?
- 5.Can you keep your current business number?
- 6.Can you hear it answer a call before you pay?
To see how the main services answer them, read best virtual receptionist services compared.
Hear the virtual receptionist answer
Call our demo line and the Callbook AI picks up. Ask it about plans or book a free setup call: it is the same receptionist that would answer your line.
A virtual receptionist set up for your trade
Each trade gets questions and emergency rules that fit its calls, from a burst pipe to a dead AC.
Virtual receptionist FAQ
What is a virtual receptionist?
A virtual receptionist answers your business calls from somewhere other than your office. It greets callers in your business name, takes their details, books appointments or takes messages, and passes urgent calls to you. Some virtual receptionists are remote people at a call center; others, like Callbook, are AI that answers right away at any hour.
How much does a virtual receptionist cost?
Callbook starts at $149 a month with 300 minutes included, then $0.40 a minute, or $1,490 a year. Live virtual receptionist services usually charge by the minute or by the call.
Published prices from the major servicesIs a virtual receptionist a real person?
It can be either. Traditional virtual receptionist services use remote people. Callbook is an AI virtual receptionist: software answers, which is why it can pick up every call at any hour.
AI receptionist vs virtual receptionistCan a virtual receptionist book appointments?
Callbook books into open slots on your schedule during the call, and jobs can sync to Google Calendar once you connect it and turn sync on. Many human services take a message for you to return instead, so ask before you sign up.
Can I keep my business phone number?
Yes. You forward your existing number to Callbook: all your calls, or only the ones you miss.
Does it answer at night and on weekends?
Yes. Callbook answers 24/7, including holidays, and follows your emergency rules for urgent calls.
Does the virtual receptionist speak Spanish?
Yes. It greets callers in English and switches to Spanish when the caller speaks Spanish, then takes the details and books in Spanish.
Is a virtual receptionist the same as an answering service?
They overlap. An answering service usually takes messages and passes them on. A virtual receptionist acts more like a front desk: it answers questions and books appointments.
Virtual receptionist vs answering serviceHow long does setup take?
About 5 to 10 minutes: add your business details, then forward your number.
Related pages
Virtual receptionist cost
Published 2026 plan prices, cost per minute, and the add-ons that raise the bill.
Best virtual receptionist services
Live and AI services compared side by side, with prices and who each fits.
AI vs virtual receptionist
Software or a remote human team: cost, hours and booking compared.
Virtual receptionist vs answering service
What each one does, what each costs, and how to choose.
How the AI receptionist works
Answering, qualifying, booking and escalation in plain English.
Setup and call forwarding
Keep your number and go live the same day.
English and Spanish answering
Answering and booking in the caller’s language.
Pricing
Monthly plans with included minutes and a published per-minute rate after that.
Stop sending callers to voicemail
Forward your number tonight and the next call gets answered, qualified and booked.