What is Virtual Receptionist?
A receptionist service that operates remotely, traditionally a human in a call center; today increasingly AI-powered.
A virtual receptionist is a remote service that answers a business's incoming calls. The original model used human agents in a call center who answered for many small businesses simultaneously. The newer model is AI-powered software that does the same job at a fraction of the cost.
Both versions are 'virtual' in the sense that the receptionist is not physically in your office. They greet callers using your business name, follow your scripts, take messages, qualify leads, and forward urgent calls.
The trade-off is cost vs. consistency. Human virtual receptionists charge per minute and quality varies by who picks up. AI virtual receptionists charge a flat monthly fee, never have an off day, and scale instantly to thousands of calls.
HOW CALLARA USES THIS
Callara is an AI virtual receptionist — flat monthly pricing, instant scale, and a Canadian voice that callers genuinely cannot tell from a person.
Related terms
AI Receptionist
Software that answers business calls in a human-like voice, qualifies callers, and books appointments.
Call Screening
Identifying who is calling and why before deciding to forward, answer, or block the call.
After Hours Answering
Coverage for incoming calls received outside your normal business hours, including evenings, weekends, and holidays.