Short answer
For most Canadian trades and home-service businesses, an AI receptionist is the best value for covering missed and after-hours calls: it answers instantly at any hour, books jobs straight into your calendar, speaks English and French, and costs a flat monthly fee. A live answering service makes sense when calls need a human’s judgment. Voicemail is the cheapest option and usually the most expensive one, because many callers who need a tradesperson hang up and call the next company instead.
Side-by-side comparison
| AI receptionist | Answering service | Voicemail | Part-time receptionist | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hours covered | 24/7 | Depends on plan; after-hours often extra | 24/7 | Only shifts they work |
| Books the job | Yes, into your calendar | Usually takes a message | No | Yes |
| Knows your services and prices | Yes, from what you teach it | From a script | No | Yes, once trained |
| Pricing model | Flat monthly fee | Per minute or per call, plus a base fee | Included with your phone plan | Hourly wage plus payroll costs |
| Several calls at once | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| French | Yes, with Front&Center | Sometimes, often extra | Only your greeting | If you hire for it |
When an AI receptionist is the right choice
- You miss calls because you’re on a roof, under a sink, or driving between jobs.
- A good share of your calls are “can you come out?”, “what do you charge?” or “are you open?”
- You want jobs booked, not a pile of messages to return at 8pm.
- Emergency and after-hours calls are worth real money in your trade.
- You serve French-speaking customers.
When a live answering service still makes sense
- Callers often need a sensitive or complex conversation a script can’t cover.
- You’re required to have a human take certain calls.
- Your call volume is very low and you only ever need a message taken.
Many owners combine them: an AI receptionist handles the first answer and booking, and warm transfers anything urgent to the owner or on-call tech with a quick summary first.
What an AI receptionist costs in Canada
Front&Center plans are priced in Canadian dollars, from $79/month (150 caller minutes) for a one-truck operator, up to $750/month for multi-crew shops. Growth, at $300/month, adds Jobber booking, warm transfers and review requests. Every plan starts with a 14-day free trial. See full pricing.
How to try one without risk
- Have the AI call you and talk to it like a customer would.
- Start the free trial and keep your number; only unanswered calls forward to the AI.
- Turn on no-answer forwarding (see how to forward missed calls in Canada).
- Compare the booked calls against what voicemail used to catch. If it isn’t working for you, the money-back guarantee covers your first payment.