An AI receptionist answers your business phone when you can't, books the job and sends you the details. In New Zealand in 2026 you'll pay anywhere from about $35 to $400 a month, depending on what it actually does. Here's what you get at each level.
The three types, and what they cost
Missed-call text back: about $35–$180 a month
The cheapest option doesn't answer the phone at all. When you miss a call, it sends the caller a text ("Sorry we missed you, what do you need?"). It's better than nothing, but many callers have already rung the next business by the time they read it.
Pay per minute: about $1 a minute
Some services answer calls and take a message, charged by the minute. It's cheap if you get a handful of calls, but a busy month can surprise you, and taking a message still leaves you calling everyone back.
An AI employee: about $99–$400 a month
This is a voice that sounds natural, knows your services, prices and hours, books straight into your calendar and texts you a summary after every call. It's what we build with Kea Link: plans are $99, $199 or $399 a month depending on how many calls you get.
Compared with hiring a receptionist
A part-time receptionist on 20 hours a week costs more than $25,000 a year in wages alone, before ACC, KiwiSaver, leave and training. They also go home at 5pm, and many calls to trades come in early morning, evenings and weekends.
An AI receptionist isn't a replacement for great people. It covers the calls nobody is there for, which is where most small businesses lose work.
Is it worth it? Do the maths
Count the calls you miss in a normal week. Check your phone's call log; most owners are surprised. Multiply by how many of those would have become jobs, and by your average job value. If you miss five calls a week, one turns into a job, and a job is worth $300, that's over $15,000 a year walking to your competitors.
Five questions to ask before you sign up
- Does it sound like a New Zealander? Callers hang up on a voice that sounds like a call centre overseas.
- Can it book into my system? A message you have to act on later is only half the job.
- What happens with a question it can't answer? It should take the details and pass them to you, not make something up.
- Where is my data stored? Under the Privacy Act 2020 you're responsible for your customers' information.
- Is there a contract? Month-to-month means you can test it properly.
The bottom line
For most NZ trades and service businesses, one booked job pays for a month. Start with a plan that covers your after-hours and busy times, look at the call summaries for a few weeks, then decide.