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Receptionist vs. AI
See a transparent side-by-side cost and capability comparison between a traditional front desk receptionist and an AI-powered phone agent.
Your Staffing
Enter your current receptionist costs to see how AI compares.
Cost Comparison
Total monthly cost of your current staffing vs. FrontDesk AI receptionist — including hidden costs.
Human Receptionist
$4,922
per month (all-in)
FrontDesk AI
$99
per month, 24/7 coverage
$4,823/mo saved
That's $57,874 per year — with 4.2x more coverage hours
| Capability | Human | AI Receptionist |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 40-50 hrs/week | 24/7/365Advantage |
| Cost per month | $3,000-5,000+ | $99/moAdvantage |
| Hold time | 1-4 min avg | 0 secondsAdvantage |
| Simultaneous calls | 1 at a time | UnlimitedAdvantage |
| Sick days / PTO | 15-20 days/yr | NeverAdvantage |
| Training time | 2-4 weeks | InstantAdvantage |
| Multilingual support | If bilingual hire | Multiple languagesAdvantage |
| HIPAA compliance | Depends on training | Built-inAdvantage |
| Empathy & nuance | Natural empathyAdvantage | Improving rapidly |
| Complex problem solving | Handles edge casesAdvantage | Escalates when needed |
| Appointment booking | Manual entry | Auto-synced to EHRAdvantage |
| Call analytics | Manual tracking | Real-time dashboardsAdvantage |
The best of both worlds
Use AI for phones + overflow, let your team shine with in-office care.
See FrontDesk in actionFrequently Asked Questions
Not necessarily. Many practices use FrontDesk AI to handle overflow, after-hours, and routine calls while letting their best staff focus on in-office patient experiences. It's about augmentation, not always replacement.
FrontDesk AI is trained on healthcare conversations and can handle most routine inquiries (scheduling, hours, insurance questions, directions). For complex clinical questions, it smoothly escalates to a human team member or takes a detailed message.
The human receptionist cost includes salary, benefits (health insurance, PTO, payroll taxes), training, and turnover costs. The AI cost is based on FrontDesk's starter plan. Actual costs vary by region and practice size.
For phone answering, appointment scheduling, and FAQ handling, AI often outperforms — zero hold times, 24/7 availability, perfect consistency. For in-person patient interactions and complex problem-solving, human staff still excel. The ideal setup combines both.
Don't choose between cost and quality
FrontDesk AI gives you 24/7 phone coverage at a fraction of the cost of a single receptionist.
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