AI receptionists for small firms: UK release date and price

An AI receptionist answers the phone when you can’t. It picks up, deals with routine questions, takes the caller’s details, books a slot in your calendar and sends you a summary. For a sole trader up a ladder or under a sink, that is the entire pitch. The category is no longer a US novelty. Fasthosts launched a UK service on 28 May 2026 priced from £39 a month ex VAT for 30 calls, rising to £99 for unlimited calls, with a one-month free trial. Jobber, the job-management app, lists its Receptionist add-on as available in the UK; its published price is $29 a month in US dollars, including 30 conversations. On 1 October 2026 BT Business launched its own AI Receptionist, which works on any UK fixed or mobile network and lets firms keep their existing number. BT sells it in 100-minute bundles on monthly rolling terms, with a launch offer of 50% off the 100- and 300-minute packages for six months, but still publishes no list price; an optional setup session costs £150. BT’s research says 67% of small firms miss at least one call a day that they believe costs them business, which is BT’s figure rather than an independent one. Before signing up, a trade firm should check per-call overage charges, whether calls are recorded, how urgent jobs are passed to a human, and whether bookings land in the calendar or job software already in use.