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Virtual receptionist services
An affordable virtual receptionist that answers calls, takes messages, and books appointments for your business. Day and night.
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With Upfirst, someone who would’ve been on hold now gets help right away. Whether they just want to know the exam fee or refill a prescription, the AI can handle it. Clients love that.
Your AI, she’s amazing. She sounds great and is very responsive. Residents love it because they feel heard, and prospects get the information they need right away.
Upfirst fit our non-profit's budget and ended up giving us more flexibility and control over calls than we got with our previous answering service.
How it works
How our affordable virtual receptionist works
See how easy it is to use Upfirst for your business.
We answer every call or just missed ones
We pick up every single call or just the ones you can't pick up yourself, even if it's after-hours, weekends, or holidays. Your callers will always reach a helpful voice, not a voicemail.
You get the updates via SMS and email
At the end of each call, we'll send you a summary directly to you and your team via SMS, email, or both. Get peace of mind as we answer your calls, collect info, set appointments, and more.
The affordable virtual receptionist for small business
What is a virtual receptionist?
A virtual receptionist answers your business calls so you don't have to or when you can't. Upfirst's virtual receptionist service naturally handles calls around the clock.
It greets callers, answers their questions, books appointments to your calendar , captures lead information, and sends you a summary after every call. You customize the greetings, call handling rules, and responses to match how your business works. Whether you're a small cake shop or a busy law firm, Upfirst provides a professional, affordable way to make sure no important call is ever missed.
Benefits
Why choose Upfirst's virtual receptionist service?
Discover how our virtual reception service makes it easier to answer every call.
Make a strong first impression
Voicemail costs you customers. Half of callers won't leave a message, and most will try the next business on the list. With Upfirst, every caller gets a warm, professional greeting tailored to your brand. They get help right away, and you capture the opportunity.
Answer calls after hours, weekends, and holidays
Your virtual receptionist never clocks out. Callers reach a real conversation at 2 AM or on a Sunday, not a phone tree or voicemail box. Upfirst handles scheduling, FAQs, lead capture, and urgent requests. You get a summary and follow up on your terms.
More coverage for less money
Hiring an in-house receptionist costs thousands per month for 9-to-5 coverage. Upfirst gives you 24/7 call answering, appointment scheduling, and lead qualification at a fraction of the cost. See our pricing to compare.
Fully customizable to your business needs
You control the greeting, the questions your receptionist asks, and how calls get handled. Need it to take messages? Transfer calls to the right person? Book appointments? Set it up the way you want and change it anytime.
Get your time back
One customer said Upfirst took 50% of the phone calls off their plate. When your receptionist handles the routine calls, answering FAQs and booking appointments, you stay focused on the work in front of you.
Scales with your business
Start with 30 calls a month. Scale to 600 or more when business picks up. Upfirst handles high call volume and grows with you without changing your workflows.
key features
Top features of our 24/7 virtual receptionist for small business
Our virtual assistant isn’t just a friendly voice; it seamlessly connects the dots for your callers, no matter the call volume or urgency of their request. Upfirst handles it all.
Set up in under 30 minutes
How to set up our virtual receptionist service in four steps
Most customers are up and running in under 30 minutes.
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Step 01
Sign up
Create your account in minutes. The 14-day free trial requires no credit card, so you can test everything risk-free. Choose your AI's voice, set your greeting, and pick a phone number.
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Step 02
Set the rules
Tell your receptionist about your services, hours, and common questions callers ask. Add it to the Knowledge Base and give instructions for how to handle different types of calls.
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Step 03
Test it
Make a few test calls to hear how your receptionist handles real conversations. Adjust the greeting, questions, or routing until it sounds right.
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Step 04
Never miss a call again
Forward calls from your existing business line or use your new number directly. You choose: forward all calls, just the ones you miss, or only after-hours calls. Your virtual receptionist answers around the clock.
Integrations
Connect to the apps your business already uses
Connect your AI receptionist to the tools your company already uses.
Who we serve
What industries use a virtual receptionist service?
Our virtual receptionists have the power to make an impact for a full spectrum of industries. From legal teams to plumbing experts, Upfirst can be the answer for all types of businesses.
FAQs about our virtual answering service
Have a question about our virtual receptionist service that isn't answered here? Get in touch with our team.
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You receive a call summary by email or SMS after each call. Summaries include caller details, conversation notes, and any actions your receptionist completed.
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Yes. Your virtual receptionist connects to Google Calendar, Outlook, Acuity Scheduling, Clio, and more to check availability and book appointments directly. You can also have it text callers a link to your booking page.
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Our virtual receptionist pricing is simple and flexible, with no setup fees and no long term contracts. You can start with a 14 day free trial to test the service. Plans begin at $24.95 per month for 30 calls, $59.95 per month for 90 calls, $159.95 per month for 300 calls, and $299 per month for 600 calls. This gives small businesses and growing teams an affordable way to manage customer calls without hiring in-house support.
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Yes. Upfirst performs live call transfers to your preferred number or team members. You set the transfer rules. If the first number doesn't answer, Upfirst tries the next one on your list. If no one picks up, the call returns to the receptionist to take a message, or it goes to your voicemail. You set the rules.
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You customize call flows, scripts, questions, routing rules, availability windows, and CRM connections. Your receptionist adapts to how your business works.
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Yes. Move to a larger call plan at any time. Upfirst handles high call volume and grows with your business.
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Upfirst speaks 30+ languages and switches automatically based on the caller's language. Transcripts can be translated into your preferred language.
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Yes. You set the greeting, required questions, caller routing, and business-specific processes. The receptionist follows your instructions on every call.
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No. Spam calls, robocalls, quick hangups, and calls under 15 seconds are never billed. Your virtual receptionist filters them out automatically.
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Yes. Set it to handle calls after hours, during lunch, or whenever your team is unavailable. Many businesses use Upfirst as an after hours answering service to catch calls when staff is busy or during peak times. You control when the receptionist answers.
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Yes. Choose from multiple natural-sounding voices to match your brand. Preview each option and pick the one that fits.
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An IVR is a phone tree: "Press 1 for sales, press 2 for support." A virtual receptionist holds a natural conversation. Callers speak normally, ask questions, and get real answers without navigating menus.