# AnsweringService.com SmartMessage (AI Call Answering with Live Receptionist Backup) — AI phone answering with live US receptionist takeover, from $10/month on call-count plans. > Source: Receptionist Index — https://receptionistindex.com/answerservice (structured, researched, re-verified) > Facts last verified: 2026-10-14 AnsweringService.com SmartMessage is an AI phone receptionist that answers calls 24/7 in English or Spanish, takes messages and transfers callers. A live receptionist takes over any call the AI cannot handle. | Fact | Value | | --- | --- | | Website | https://www.answeringservice.com/service/ai-call-answering-with-live-receptionist-backup/ | | Price | from $10/month | | Free trial | Partly | Seven-day AI call answering free trial, set up for you after submitting the sign-up form; the AI receptionists FAQ instead calls it a one-month trial. Card policy for the AI trial is not stated (the live answering trial requires no card). ## What it costs at your call volume **Cost at 100 calls a month** · Partly — $90 a month on SmartMessage 100 for 100 calls of 2.5 minutes. SmartMessage 100 is bought through sales. > SmartMessage 100 $90* per month Monthly subscription includes 100 calls^ No set-up fee > — https://www.answeringservice.com/service/ai-call-answering-with-live-receptionist-backup/ · AI answering service pricing, SmartMessage 100 card **Cost at 500 calls a month** · Partly — $450 a month on SmartMessage 150 for 500 calls of 2.5 minutes. SmartMessage 150 is bought through sales. > SmartMessage 150 150 $135 $0.90 per call > — https://www.answeringservice.com/terms-conditions/ · Section 6.2, SmartMessage table, SmartMessage 150 row **What it bills by** · Yes — Plans are counted in whole answered calls, not minutes: each SmartMessage tier is named for its monthly included call count and excess is priced per call. > SmartMessage 10 10 $10 $1.10 per call SmartMessage 25 25 $25 $1.10 per call SmartMessage 50 50 $45 $1.10 per call > — https://www.answeringservice.com/terms-conditions/ · Section 6.2 Subscription Charges, SmartMessage table **Past your allowance** · Yes — Calls past the plan allowance keep being answered and are billed as overage at $1.10 each, falling to $0.90 on the 150-call plan; unused allowance does not roll over. > Excess calls charged at $1.10 per call. > — https://www.answeringservice.com/pricing/ · AI call answering solutions, SmartMessage card footnote **Spam calls not billed** · Partly — Telemarketing and promotional calls are excluded from the allowance and from excess charges, as are calls under five seconds, but the vendor disclaims accuracy of that identification. > Calls identified by ANS as being from telemarketers or promotional companies will not be deducted from subscription allowances or incur the excess call rates stated above > — https://www.answeringservice.com/terms-conditions/ · Section 6.2, Telemarketing Calls paragraph ## What it does on the call **Books appointments** · Partly — The AI product is described as message-taking and transferring only; appointment setting appears as a MyAssistant live-receptionist feature, so booking needs that separate product line. > Additional MyAssistant features: ... Appointment setting > — https://www.answeringservice.com/pricing/ · Live call answering services, MyAssistant card, Additional MyAssistant features list **Transfers to a person** · Yes — The AI can transfer a caller through to you, and the vendor states its human receptionists always introduce the caller first, which is a warm transfer rather than a blind one. > Our receptionists always provide a warm call transfer, rather than a blind call transfer. > — https://www.answeringservice.com/faqs/ · Live call answering FAQs, 'On a call transfer, will the receptionist state who the caller is?' **After-hours rules** · Partly — The AI answers around the clock, so there is no out-of-hours gap, but the vendor publishes no separate out-of-hours script or routing rules for the AI product. > Never miss a call again, with our AI receptionist answering calls instantly for your business, around the clock. > — https://www.answeringservice.com/service/ai-call-answering-with-live-receptionist-backup/ · Benefits of our AI call answering service, '24/7 availability' card **Human receptionists as backup** · Yes — A live receptionist takes over whenever the AI is stuck or a caller asks for a person, which is the whole premise of this product. > If your AI assistant gets stuck or a caller asks to speak to a human, the call is transferred to a live receptionist. > — https://www.answeringservice.com/service/ai-call-answering-with-live-receptionist-backup/ · Benefits section, 'Human backup' card **Answers about your business** · Yes — The AI answers common caller questions using information drawn from your own website, so hours, services and similar details can be handled without a transfer. > Answers common questions - Use info from your website > — https://www.answeringservice.com/service/ai-call-answering-with-live-receptionist-backup/ · 'Some of our features' bullet list **Texts your callers** · No — Outbound SMS exists only to deliver messages to your own listed staff mobiles and is charged per message; nothing on the site offers texting the caller or a text conversation. > Message by SMS $0.05 per message ($0.10 multi segment) for each mobile listed to receive messages. > — https://www.answeringservice.com/terms-conditions/ · Section 6.2 Usage Charges, Messaging and Call Transfer table ## What you get after the call **Call summary by text** · Yes — A full call summary with caller name, contact details and reason for calling is sent by email, SMS or both, with SMS billed at five cents per message. > You receive a full call summary by email, SMS or both. > — https://www.answeringservice.com/service/ai-call-answering-with-live-receptionist-backup/ · 'How it works' section, 'We message' step ## What it connects to **Google Calendar** · No — Google Calendar and Outlook are not named anywhere. > Note: Our receptionists can learn to use most web-based tools, so please contact us if the software you use isn't listed above. Software use requires a MyAssistant plan. > — https://www.answeringservice.com/tools-we-use/ · Footnote below the 'Utilizing the software you already use' integration grid **Outlook** · No — Google Calendar and Outlook are not named anywhere. > Note: Our receptionists can learn to use most web-based tools, so please contact us if the software you use isn't listed above. Software use requires a MyAssistant plan. > — https://www.answeringservice.com/tools-we-use/ · Footnote below the 'Utilizing the software you already use' integration grid **Calendly** · Yes — Calendly, Acuity Scheduling, Setmore and Square Appointments are supported, but only on the MyAssistant live plans > Note: Our receptionists can learn to use most web-based tools, so please contact us if the software you use isn't listed above. Software use requires a MyAssistant plan. > — https://www.answeringservice.com/tools-we-use/ · Footnote below the 'Utilizing the software you already use' integration grid **CRM, Zapier and webhooks** · Partly — Keap, Clio, Zendesk and Freshdesk entry is offered, but lead entry into CRMs or forms is a MyAssistant live plan feature, and no Zapier or webhook route is published. > Additional MyAssistant features: ... Leads entered into CRMs or forms > — https://www.answeringservice.com/pricing/ · Live call answering services, MyAssistant card feature list **Your trade’s software** · Partly — Trade tools named are Clio for law firms and ResDiary for hospitality; ServiceTitan, Jobber, Housecall Pro, Dentrix and Mindbody are absent, and any software use needs MyAssistant. > Clio + live call answering ... Have your call-answering virtual assistants qualify inbound leads, capture important information and input it into Clio directly via intake forms. > — https://www.answeringservice.com/tools-we-use/ · Integration grid, Clio tile ## Trying it, starting and leaving **Free trial or free plan** · Partly — A seven-day AI call answering free trial runs on your real diverted line, though the vendor sets it up for you after you submit the sign-up form. > Submit the form below and we'll contact you to get you set up on your 7-day AI call answering free trial! > — https://www.answeringservice.com/service/ai-call-answering-with-live-receptionist-backup/ · 'Sign up today' section below the AI answering service pricing table **Sign up without a sales call** · No — Every SmartMessage plan button is an inquiry form and the trial sign-up ends with the vendor contacting you to set the service up; there is no online checkout. > Sign up now and we'll contact you to get you set up on your 7-day AI call answering free trial! > — https://www.answeringservice.com/service/ai-call-answering-with-live-receptionist-backup/ · 'Sign up today' panel, mobile variant **Setup fee** · No — Each published SmartMessage tier states no set-up fee, unlike the MyAssistant live plans where setup starts at $50 depending on complexity. > No set-up fee > — https://www.answeringservice.com/service/ai-call-answering-with-live-receptionist-backup/ · AI answering service pricing, SmartMessage 10 plan card **Contract and cancelling** · Yes — Billing is a rolling monthly subscription with no lock-in and no cancellation fee, but the vendor requires thirty days' notice to cancel. > At AnsweringService.com your subscription simply continues month-to-month until you cancel and you only need to provide 30 days' notice. There's no lock-in contracts. And no cancellation fees. > — https://www.answeringservice.com/faqs/ · Live call answering FAQs, 'Do I need to commit for a minimum number of months or pay cancellation fees?' ## Which languages it speaks, and how it sounds **Languages** · Partly — Two languages only: the AI receptionists answer in English and Spanish and can switch mid-call, with no other language published on any plan. > Our AI receptionists speak English and/or Spanish fluently to ensure nothing is lost in translation. > — https://www.answeringservice.com/service/ai-call-answering-with-live-receptionist-backup/ · Benefits section, 'Bilingual answering' card **Choose or clone the voice** · Partly — You pick one of three published AI personas (Ginger, Piper, Eric) and name it for callers; there is no voice cloning or upload of your own voice. > Consistent Voice Choose a name for your receptionist to deliver a consistent caller experience. > — https://www.answeringservice.com/service/ai-call-answering-with-live-receptionist-backup/ · 'Start with a 7-day free trial' feature block, Consistent Voice item **Hear it before you buy** · Yes — A dedicated live demo number lets you talk to the Ginger AI agent about the service, and recorded voice samples sit beside each persona on the page. > Call our dedicated number to speak with Ginger! > — https://www.answeringservice.com/service/ai-call-answering-with-live-receptionist-backup/ · 'Talk to Ginger' pop-out block with phone number 672-6555 ## Your phone number and where it works **Keep your number** · Yes — You keep your advertised business number and divert it to the receptionist number issued with the account; forwarding is the documented way calls reach the AI. > Your incoming calls are forwarded to your AI receptionist. > — https://www.answeringservice.com/service/ai-call-answering-with-live-receptionist-backup/ · 'How it works' section, 'You divert' step **Move your number in** · Yes — Local and toll-free numbers can be ported in from your existing provider and ported back out at any time if you leave the service. > Yes! Local phone numbers and toll-free numbers can also be ported out at any time, should you ever choose to discontinue using AnsweringService.com's services. > — https://www.answeringservice.com/faqs/ · Other services FAQs, 'Can I still use my phone number if I cancel my services?' **United States** · Yes — Sold in the United States and Canada only, with local or toll-free US numbers and multiple area codes > AnsweringService.com currently provides answering services within the United States and Canada. > — https://www.answeringservice.com/faqs/ · Live call answering FAQs, 'Do you provide answering services globally?' **Canada** · Yes — Sold in the United States and Canada only, with local or toll-free US numbers and multiple area codes > AnsweringService.com currently provides answering services within the United States and Canada. > — https://www.answeringservice.com/faqs/ · Live call answering FAQs, 'Do you provide answering services globally?' **Australia** · Yes — the vendor states no UK, EU or Australian service. > AnsweringService.com currently provides answering services within the United States and Canada. > — https://www.answeringservice.com/faqs/ · Live call answering FAQs, 'Do you provide answering services globally?' ## Who it is built for **Industries it is set up for** · Partly — Each AI persona is pitched at named verticals (healthcare, legal, finance, real estate, HVAC, trades, retail, hospitality), but no scripts or templates are published per trade. > Best fit industries. - Real estate - HVAC - Building & trades > — https://www.answeringservice.com/service/ai-call-answering-with-live-receptionist-backup/ · 'How we sound' section, Meet Eric card **Several locations or numbers** · Partly — Extra local or toll-free numbers can be added at $10 a month each, and extra message recipients are priced in bands, but no per-location account structure is described. > Choose a virtual inbound number with a local area code or a toll-free number to bundle with live call answering or Call Divert. Only $10/month > — https://www.answeringservice.com/pricing/ · Other business communication solutions, Phone Numbers card ## Getting set up and getting help **Setup help** · Yes — The vendor contacts you to set the AI trial up, and for its answering services activation is instant with calls answered within minutes of diverting your number. > A few minutes, in most cases! Our answering service free trial includes instant activation. > — https://www.answeringservice.com/faqs/ · Live call answering FAQs, 'How soon can I start to have receptionists answer my calls?' **Support** · Partly — A sales phone line plus separate sales and support email addresses are published, and portal changes are immediate, but no support hours or chat channel are stated. > Inquiries about our services: sales@answeringservice.com Customer support: support@answeringservice.com > — https://www.answeringservice.com/contact/ · 'Email us' block beside 'Speak with our team' phone number ## What changed - 2026-10-14 — Capabilities · Free tier · Plan limits · Price · Terms ## Corrections If you represent AnsweringService.com SmartMessage (AI Call Answering with Live Receptionist Backup), or anything here is wrong or out of date, send a correction with a source. The operations this site accepts from an agent are listed at https://receptionistindex.com/.well-known/agents.json — that catalogue needs no key to read, and each entry states its own auth.