AI receptionist: what is it, what does it cost and when does it pay off? (2026)

An AI receptionist is an AI assistant that answers your phone and website chat 24/7, handles customer questions and puts appointments directly in your calendar. In the Netherlands, you pay about €100 to €600 per month for it. It pays off as soon as you miss customers because no one answers.

How does an AI receptionist work?

1. The customer calls or chats. Outside office hours, during a job or if the line is busy.
2. The AI introduces itself as a digital assistant and asks how it can help.
3. It answers the question with knowledge of your company: services, prices, opening hours, working area.
4. It takes action: schedule an appointment, note a callback request, or transfer in case of emergency.
5. You get a summary by email, with name, question and next step.

What does an AI receptionist cost?

Prices from Dutch providers are in this range (October 2026):

Cheap packages are often do-it-yourself: you set it up yourself. More expensive packages are fully configured, with links to your calendar and CRM and monthly adjustments.

For comparison

You can read an extensive comparison in Answering service or AI receptionist?.

When does an AI receptionist pay off?

Calculate it with your own figures:

Missed calls per week × percentage that could have become a customer × average order value × 4

Example: an installer misses 15 calls per week. If 20% of those would have yielded a job of €400, that is 15 × 0.2 × €400 × 4 = €4,800 in missed turnover per month. Compare that potential return with the personal proposal for your AI receptionist.

It pays off especially for:

• installers, contractors and garages who are often on location;
• practices (physio, dentist, vet, beauty) where appointments are the core;
• service providers who conduct many intake interviews.

What do you look for when choosing?

• Dutch voice quality: have someone with an accent and background noise do test calls.
• Calendar integration: can it really book in your calendar or booking system?
• Website chat included: same knowledge for phone and chat saves double work.
• GDPR and AI Act: data in the EU, a processing agreement and a clear AI notification. See The EU AI Act for SMEs.
• What happens to the conversations? Do they go into your CRM or AI Operating System, or do they stay in a separate dashboard?

The AI receptionist from Tergem

Our receptionist answers the phone and voice calls from your website, schedules appointments in your calendar and puts every conversation in your AIOS, so you see what came in in your daily briefing. Pricing reflects your needs, call volume, integrations and business environment. Explore our tailored approach or schedule a demo for a personal proposal.