Ansela / Switching from an answering service
Switching from an answering service
Same answers in your business name, any hour, for a flat price instead of a meter.
And it books the job.
£1.99 your first month, including VAT, then from £99 a month + VAT. 60 minutes in month one. No contract.
Set up in about 15 minutes.
Ansela is a Bookeasy.ai product. You sign up at ansela.bookeasy.ai, and you’ll see BOOKEASY.AI on your card statement.
What is the alternative to a per-call answering service?
Ansela is an AI phone receptionist on a flat monthly plan instead of a per-call meter. She answers in your business name at any hour, answers questions about your business, books the job into your Ansela diary and takes a message when you can’t pick up. Plans start at £99 a month + VAT.
01
How much does a telephone answering service cost?
Most small-business answering services charge per call, so the bill moves with the phone. Ansela is a plan price, with extra minutes if you go over. Here is the same month at three call volumes.
| Calls a month | Ansela, a month + VAT | A typical per-call answering service, a month + VAT |
|---|---|---|
| 100 calls | £99Starter, about 210 minutes | £180 to £220100 calls at £1.80 to £2.20 |
| 200 calls | £99Starter, about 420 minutes | £360 to £440200 calls at £1.80 to £2.20 |
| 400 calls | £279Team, about 840 minutes | £720 to £880400 calls at £1.80 to £2.20 |
Based on published UK per-call prices of £1.80–£2.20 + VAT, October 2026. A typical per-call answering service means one that charges per call at those prices; services that charge by the minute, or only quote on request, are not in this table. All figures are + VAT.
Ansela figures assume calls average 2.1 minutes, on the cheapest plan that covers them, with extra minutes at 20p each. A per-call service doesn’t charge by length, so if your calls run much longer than that, the gap narrows. If you only get a few calls a week, a per-call service can cost less.
The point of the table is the shape, not the last pound. On a per-call service, a busy month costs more. On Ansela the plan price holds until you pass the minutes it includes, and you set a limit on extra minutes so the bill can’t run away. See what each plan includes.
02
What does a virtual receptionist from Ansela do?
What your answering service does for you today, she can do, and she doesn’t stop at five o’clock.
- Try you first, then take a message. She can be set up to ring you first and, if you can’t pick up, take the message and put it in your call inbox.
- Answers questions from your website. Your services, prices and areas, in your business name, from what you’ve told her and what’s on your site.
- Books into your diary. Where a message-taker writes it down, she can book the job into your Ansela diary.
- Answers 24 hours a day. Evenings, weekends and bank holidays are the same plan price.
If you’re searching for a virtual receptionist in the UK, the difference to know about is who answers. A virtual receptionist service is usually a team of people shared between many businesses. Ansela is an AI that answers only for yours, from the script and FAQs you give her, so what she says is what you approved.
Every call lands in your call inbox with a summary, a transcript and a recording. You can read what was said and change the setup when you want her to say it differently.
03
When does a human answering service still fit?
Some calls are better with a human voice: a caller in distress, a sensitive conversation, or a complicated one with several people involved. A good human answering service is worth keeping for those, and nobody should tell you otherwise.
Most of what comes in to a small business is simpler: someone wants a price, a time or a job done. For those, she answers and books. For the call types you name, she can put the caller through to you or take a message instead.
Plenty of people use both for a while. Divert to Ansela, keep the old service as the backup, and see which calls you’d still rather a person took. If you rely on a human service for something specific, ask yourself what that is and whether a message from Ansela would do the same job.
04
How does switching from an answering service work?
You choose a plan before your number goes live.
- Get your Ansela number. Pick a plan and we give you a UK number. Your first month is £1.99.
- Send us your script and FAQs. We bring over what your current service already says for you, so she answers in your business name from the first call.
- Divert your number. One short code on your mobile, or a request to your landline or VoIP provider. Your number doesn’t change, and the divert comes off when you want it to.
- Run both for a while. Keep your old service going until you’ve seen how she handles your calls in your call inbox. Then cancel it, on its notice terms.
Your customers keep ringing the number they already have. The divert sends the call to Ansela, and the call is answered in your business name. If you’d rather test first, divert only after hours or on the days you’re away, and widen it once you’re happy.
05
Which small businesses is an AI receptionist right for?
It suits businesses where the person who answers the phone is also the person doing the work, and where most calls are a booking, a price or a question. That covers a lot of trades and local services, from plumbers and heating, electricians, garages and MOT to dental practices, salons and barbers, dog groomers. Each page shows what she does for that business, with an example call.
06
What does Ansela cost? Three plans, no contract
Starter covers most single-person businesses. The table above shows when a bigger plan is cheaper than extra minutes.
Ansela is a Bookeasy.ai product. You sign up at ansela.bookeasy.ai, and you’ll see BOOKEASY.AI on your card statement.
| Plan | A month + VAT | Minutes | Calls at once |
|---|---|---|---|
| StarterSole traders, one or two vans | £99 | 600 | 1 |
| TeamDiaries for up to 10 people | £279 | 1,800 | 3 |
| ScaleSet up with you, not self-serve | £499 | 3,500 | 3 |
Minutes are time she spends on the phone with callers. Extra minutes are 20p each, up to a limit you set.
First month £1.99 including VAT, with 60 minutes, on Starter. Card needed; nothing else to pay in month one. Cancel from your billing page and it stops at the end of the month you’ve paid for. Plan prices exclude VAT.
Not VAT-registered? With VAT that’s £118.80 a month on Starter, £334.80 a month on Team and £598.80 a month on Scale.
Scale is set up with you. Need her plugged into your own systems? Talk to us about Enterprise.
07
Questions about switching
What is a telephone answering service?
A telephone answering service answers your calls in your business name when you can’t, takes a message and passes it on. Some also put calls through to you or book appointments. Most charge per call or per minute, which is why the bill grows with the phone.
How is an AI receptionist different from a virtual receptionist service?
A virtual receptionist service is usually a team of people answering for many businesses. Ansela is an AI that answers for yours, from the script and FAQs you give her. She is priced as a plan with included minutes, not per call.
Do I have to change my number?
No. We give you a UK number and you divert your existing number to it. Your old service can keep running while you compare, and you turn the divert off whenever you like.
My calls are longer than two minutes. Does the table still hold?
Not exactly. Ansela is priced by the minute and a per-call service is not, so longer calls narrow the gap. Each plan includes a set number of minutes, and extra minutes are 20p each, up to a limit you set.
What about calls that need a person?
You can set her up to try you first, then take a message if you can’t pick up. For the call types you name, such as complaints or anything urgent, she can put the call through to you or take a message rather than deal with it herself.
What if she gets something wrong?
Every call goes in your call inbox with a summary, a transcript and a recording, so you can check what was said. If something is wrong, tell us and we’ll fix the setup.
Is there a contract?
Not with Ansela. Cancel any time and it stops at the end of the month you’ve paid for. Check your current service’s notice terms before you cancel it.
Stop paying by the call. Let her take the next one.
Ansela is a Bookeasy.ai product. You sign up at ansela.bookeasy.ai, and you’ll see BOOKEASY.AI on your card statement.