Guides
Straight answers about calls, costs, and receptionists
No fluff, no jargon. What the phone is costing your business and what actually fixes it.
How much does an answering service cost in Australia?
In Australia in 2026, a live (human) answering service typically costs $300–$900+ per month, usually charged per call or per minute. AI receptionists range from about $99/month for self-serve apps to $199–$699/month for done-for-you services that answer calls and book appointments. Kora is $449/month flat with unlimited calls, plus a $499 one-time setup.
What do missed calls really cost a trade business?
Industry figures widely reported for Australian trades suggest about 1 in 3 calls to a trade business go unanswered, roughly 60% of calls land outside 9–5, and around 85% of callers who hit voicemail never ring back. At a typical call-out value of $150–$400+, even a couple of missed jobs a week adds up to tens of thousands of dollars a year in work that went to whoever answered.
AI receptionist vs answering service: which should a tradie pick?
A human answering service offers human judgement but usually costs more ($300–$900+/month), takes messages rather than booking jobs, and adds hold time at busy moments. A good AI receptionist answers instantly and simultaneously on every call, books directly into your calendar 24/7, and costs a flat monthly fee. For high-volume, after-hours, booking-driven trades work, AI now generally wins; the main reason to choose humans is complex conversations that need discretion.
How to stop losing jobs to voicemail
Stop relying on people leaving messages — most won't. The fixes, in rising order of effectiveness: divert to a mobile you actually answer, add missed-call text-back so silent hang-ups get an instant SMS, use conditional call forwarding so unanswered calls go somewhere staffed, or put a 24/7 receptionist (human or AI) on the line so the call is answered and the job is booked the first time.
AI receptionists in Australia: a plain-English buyer's guide
Look for five things: it answers 24/7 in seconds and handles simultaneous calls; it books real appointments into your actual calendar, not a message pad; it's honest — refuses times that aren't available instead of agreeing to anything; it keeps your existing phone number via call forwarding; and the pricing is a flat fee without per-minute surprises. Australian businesses should also check how caller data is handled under the Privacy Act.