AI receptionist and missed calls
Direct answer
An AI receptionist for a small business should take a name, a number, and the job, then stop. It should not quote a price or promise a visit. Lindy is the do-it-yourself phone agent if a UK number exists. Smith.ai is the hosted answering service, billed per call. Both logs are still pending.
For trades and salons that lose work when the phone rings during a job. The agent takes a message. It does not run the diary.
A missed call is often a lost job. An agent that answers can help, and it can also promise a Tuesday you are already on a roof. The useful version collects five facts, says it is automated, and stops.
Before you pay for a phone number, check the caller can dial it as a normal UK number. If the only number on offer is overseas, use a UK missed-call text instead.
Playbooks
- AI receptionist and missed callsSmith.aiAbout an hour, plus test calls£0 for 25 real calls, then about £2 a call/mo
AI receptionist for a small business with Smith.ai
Smith.ai can answer a small business line on a free plan of 25 calls, then stop. The script takes a name, a number, and the job. It does not quote a price or promise a visit. Confirm callers can reach a normal UK number before you divert. This page has not been live-tested.
- AI receptionist and missed callsLindy1–2 hours, plus test callsabout £38–£60 before call minutes/mo
Missed-call answering for trades with Lindy
A Lindy phone agent can take a missed-call message for a tradesperson: name, number, address, and the job. It must not quote a price. Only buy a number if customers in the UK can dial it without an international code. This page has not been live-tested.
- AI receptionist and missed callsSmith.aiHalf an hour to read the pricing tableabout £113 a month for 75 real calls/mo
Smith.ai answering service: what a call costs
Smith.ai's answering bill is a bundle of real calls, not a flat receptionist wage. On 25 October 2026 Free was $0 for 25 real calls and Pro started at $150 a month for 75. Extra calls and spam rules change the invoice. Read them before you divert. This buying guide has not been live-tested.
Questions
Is voicemail enough?
Often yes. These guides are for when people hang up on voicemail and you have checked that a message-taker does better on your own test calls.
What if the number is not a UK number?
Stop. Customers reporting a leak or a cancelled appointment should not have to dial overseas. The playbooks say this before the subscription step.
Which page compares the options?
The receptionist comparison puts Lindy next to Smith.ai. It does not declare a winner from a score, because no calls were timed.