You want to see the work before you believe a word of it. Here it is.

~$3,100/mo

A full-time receptionist in the US costs about that in base wages alone, at the $17.90/hour national median.

And that is before payroll taxes, benefits, holidays and sick cover, which typically push it past $3,900. A person also works one shift, not nights and weekends.

~$5 a minute

What a human answering service charges at entry level. Ruby's cheapest plan is $250 for 50 handled minutes a month.

Fifty minutes is under two minutes a day. Run out and every extra minute is billed. Those services take a message; they do not book into your calendar or answer at 2am.

from £30/mo

Where UK phone answering starts, for appointment scheduling, with per-minute charges above a small included allowance.

The entry price is low, but it is a floor, not the all-in cost. Real spend climbs with call volume, and cover is still limited to staffed hours.