Voicemail, answering service or AI receptionist: which suits your venue?
If your hotel or restaurant misses calls, there are a few ways to cover them. Each makes sense in a different situation. Here is a simple comparison so you can choose calmly.
Voicemail
It's the cheapest, but the guest doesn't get an answer: they leave a message and wait. Many don't leave one and call somewhere else. It's a minimum, not a fix.
A human answering service
Someone at another company answers in your venue's name. They pick up, but they don't know your venue the way your team does, they usually charge per call or per minute, and they normally only cover the phone, not WhatsApp or your website chat.
Hiring more staff
The best option when there's a full shift of work for another person. To cover nights, peaks or days off, it gets expensive and hard to roster.
An AI receptionist
It answers phone, WhatsApp, email and web chat at any hour, with your information and in each guest's language, and passes anything that needs a person to your team. It has a fixed monthly cost and doesn't replace your team: it frees them from the repeated questions.
How to decide
- If you miss few calls and only in business hours, better rostering may be enough.
- If you get lots of repeated questions or messages at night, an AI receptionist takes that work off your team.
- If your guests message on WhatsApp, look for an option that covers messages too, not just the phone.
To compare with numbers, see Ruvi's pricing or read how to choose a virtual receptionist.
Frequently asked questions
Can I combine options?
Yes. Usually your team answers during their shift and Ruvi covers nights, peaks and messages.
Is there a lock-in contract with Ruvi?
No. Cancel any time.