What Is an AI Receptionist?

How AI Is Changing the Way Trades and Small Businesses Handle Calls

AI isn’t just for big tech firms or chatbots on websites. It’s now helping tradespeople and small service businesses stay on top of incoming calls — without lifting the phone.

A new wave of AI receptionists and AI answering services is helping business owners stop losing money to missed calls, interruptions, and out-of-hours enquiries.

In this guide, we’ll break down:

• What AI receptionists actually do

• How they’re different from human or virtual receptionists

• Why UK garages and trades are using them

• What to look for in an AI phone answering service

What Is an AI Receptionist?

An AI receptionist is a digital assistant that answers your calls in real time, understands the caller’s request, responds naturally, and takes actions like booking jobs or sending info — without needing a human operator.

Unlike traditional voicemail or outsourced call centres, AI receptionists use natural language understanding and automation to carry out tasks:

• Greet callers in a professional tone

• Book appointments directly into your diary

• Answer FAQs (“How much is an MOT?”, “Are you open Saturdays?”)

• Send follow-up confirmation texts

AI Phone Answering for Trades and Garages

While AI receptionists are being used across all industries, they’re proving especially valuable in high-volume service businesses, like:

• Garages (MOTs, services, diagnostics)

• Electricians & plumbers

• Mobile valeters

• Handymen & builders

Why? Because calls come in while you’re working, and customers expect a fast reply.

An AI phone answering service gives you the power to:

• Respond instantly — even while on-site or under the bonnet

• Book the job without missing a beat

• Avoid losing business to the next search result

What Makes a Good AI Call Answering Service?

Not all AI is created equal. A solid AI call answering service should:

✅ Sound human and friendly
✅ Understand trade-specific language
✅ Handle real-world customer requests (not just yes/no)
✅ Be easy to set up — no apps or dashboards
✅ Work with your current phone and calendar

Why We Built Ours for UK Garages

At Electronic Receptionist, we didn’t want a generic AI bot. We built a service trained on real UK garage and service industry calls.

It’s designed to:

• Speak in a natural tone that puts customers at ease

• Know the lingo: MOTs, diagnostics, brakes, opening hours

• Sync with your diary and booking preferences

• Cut out spam and tyre-kickers

AI Virtual Receptionist Use Cases

Your AI virtual receptionist can:

• Book an MOT for Tuesday at 10 am

• Tell them how much an MOT is, what it includes, and how long it takes.

• Text the caller the garage address

• Confirm a service appointment

• Let a customer reschedule without speaking to you

That’s not the future — it’s already happening.

How to Try AI Phone Receptionist for Free

We offer a 30-day free trial of our AI receptionist service so you can hear it in action and see what it books for you — before you spend a penny.

📞 Forward your calls
📅 Let it book jobs
💬 Get notified by text or email