A receptionist team you pay per call, or one you pay per credit.
Smith.ai puts trained human receptionists, backed by AI, on your phone and chat. Joe is software: he answers everything himself, on every channel, and asks for a person only when your rules say he should.
400 credits on us for 7 days to decide if he keeps the job.
What each one actually does.
Human receptionists are excellent and priced accordingly. The question is how much of your volume needs one.
| Feature | We love Joe | Smith.ai |
|---|---|---|
| Who answers | An AI agent trained on your business, escalating to your team by your rules | Trained human receptionists, with AI assistance |
| Availability | 24/7 on every channel, including bank holidays | Business hours coverage, extended plans available |
| Channels | Phone, WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, email, SMS, web chat, Slack, Teams, LinkedIn, YouTube, X | Calls, web chat, some messaging |
| Volume behaviour | Handles a spike of fifty simultaneous conversations at the same rate | Cost rises with every call answered |
| Depth of knowledge | Reads your whole knowledge base and your live systems before answering | Follows the script and intake you provide |
| Languages | Over twenty, chosen by what the customer wrote or said | English and Spanish |
| Pricing shape | Credits: one message is one credit, one call minute is ten | Monthly plan per number of calls |
Compiled from each product’s public documentation and pricing pages. Vendors change these. Tell us if something here is out of date.
Joe doesn't pretend to be someone else. He is Joe.
Smith.ai is good at what it was built for. So is Joe. The honest comparison is about which job you are hiring for.
Where Smith.ai is a good fit
High-value, low-volume calls
If one converted call is worth thousands, a human on every call is easy to justify.
Regulated intake
Legal and medical intake where a person must judge the situation.
Hand-off comfort
Some clients simply prefer knowing a human answered.
Where Joe is stronger
Volume does not scare him
The busiest morning of your year is handled at the same speed and the same price per credit.
He works the quiet channels too
The Instagram DM at midnight is as covered as the call at eleven in the morning.
You keep the escalation rules
Define exactly what he must hand to a person and he never crosses that line.
Every channel, one agent.
Smith.ai covers part of the map. Joe answers everywhere your customers write or call, with the same answers and the same manners.
See every channel →Are you open Sunday? I would like a Clio.
Yes, 9 to 6. A Clio is £78 for the day. Shall I book it?
Need a quote on 3 vans for two weeks in August.
Quote sent. 3 vans, 14 days, with the long term discount.
How much for a deep clean on a 3 bed?
£185, or £155 with a monthly visit. Saturday is free.
Running late, can I move my 3pm?
Moved to 4:30 and confirmed. See you then.
Do you cover Bordeaux for a monthly garden contract?
We do. A monthly contract starts at £89. Want the details?
Is the brunch menu on today?
It is, until 3. Want me to book you a table for two?
I need a refund of £240.
Refunds over £200 go to the team. Passing you over now.
I would like to reschedule my delivery.
Done, moved to Thursday morning. Anything else?
Do you take on agency partnerships?
We do. I can set up a call with the team this week.
Where do I buy this kit?
Link is in the description. Ships in 48 hours.
What is the price for the annual plan?
£1,490 with the yearly discount, from the price list.
Has order 4512 shipped?
Yes, this morning. Tracking sent to the customer.
Do you ship to Ireland?
We do, 2 to 3 days. Want the checkout link?
You do not have to choose all at once.
Give Joe the overflow
Nights, weekends and the calls your receptionists cannot reach in time.
Load your intake script
The same questions your receptionists ask, in the same order.
Compare the transcripts
Every conversation is logged with a summary. Read a week of both.
Set the split
Keep humans on the calls that deserve them and let Joe absorb the rest.
Two ways to work with Joe
The same Joe either way. You only choose who builds him and who runs him.
Unused credits roll over on quarterly and yearly billing.
Self serve
You set it up, you run it. Live in 15 minutes, no code.
Starter
For a single location starting on one channel.
2,000 credits per monthabout 300 resolutions
Free for 7 daysNo code. No setup calls. No fuss.
Included
- 1 agent
- 1 active channel
- 1 language
- 5 concurrent calls
- 1 knowledge base
- 1 GB storage
Growth
For a business that gets messages on every channel at once.
6,000 credits per monthabout 1,000 resolutions
Free for 7 daysNo code. No setup calls. No fuss.
Everything in Starter, plus
- Unlimited active channels
- Unlimited operators, your whole team at no extra cost
- Unlimited concurrent calls
- Unlimited knowledge bases
- 15% off additional credits
- 3 GB storage
Business
For several locations, or customers who write in several languages.
16,000 credits per monthabout 2,600 resolutions
Free for 7 daysNo code. No setup calls. No fuss.
Everything in Growth, plus
- Up to 3 agents
- Unlimited languages
- Unified inbox
- 25% off additional credits
- 7 GB storage
How many credits do you need?
A resolution, one request handled start to finish, uses about 6 credits. Estimate your usage →
Run out mid-month? Joe does not stop. Additional credits are billed from €0.05, with your plan’s discount applied.
Done for you
For companies and networks that want a turnkey solution.
We build, we connect your tools, we operate. Everything is sized to your needs.
Let’s talk. Fifteen minutes to understand your volume, your channels and your tools. We tell you what it looks like.
Book a callEverything in Business, plus
Sized for you
- Unlimited agents
- Volume sized for your operation
- Custom storage
- Unlimited languages
- Unlimited operators
- Unified inbox
Custom work and support
- Dedicated onboarding support
- Dedicated contact
- Automations and workflows set up for you
- Custom integrations
- Custom voice
- Custom branding and domain
- Bring your own key
- SSO login
400 credits on us for 7 days to decide if he keeps the job. Compare all plans in detail →
Questions from teams already using a receptionist service.
Can I keep my receptionists for some calls?
Yes. Joe can answer first and warm-transfer any call that matches your rules, or only take the overflow.
How good is he at intake?
He asks the questions you specify, in order, and never forgets one. The result lands in your CRM as a structured record.
What if he does not know something?
He says so and hands over, with everything he has already collected, rather than guessing.
Is there a per-call minimum?
No. Credits are consumed by what he actually handles.
Can he take payments?
He can send a secure payment or booking link and confirm once it is paid.
Joe's ready. Are you?
Pay for judgement. Automate the other ninety percent.
400 credits on us for 7 days to decide if he keeps the job.