Join Intake
Built for small business · From $49/month

AI Receptionist for Small Business

Answer every inbound call 24/7 without hiring a receptionist. Join Intake captures each caller's details, routes them to the right department, and transfers to you live when needed — from $49/month. No contracts, cancel anytime.

No credit card required · No hardware · Live in days

24/7

Always answering — even at 2am

< 1 s

Average pickup time

21

Industry templates ready to go

Days

To go live, not months

Every missed call costs a small business more than it costs a large one.

A missed call at a large company is one lead in a pipeline of thousands. For a small business, it might be the only service call that came in this week. According to BIA Advisory Group, 62% of calls to small businesses go unanswered. And 79% of those callers will not leave a voicemail — they dial the next business on Google instead.

Join Intake makes sure that never happens to you. Every call gets answered on the first ring, every caller gets a professional experience, and every lead gets captured — whether you are on a job, in a meeting, or asleep.

What does answering the phone actually cost?

OptionMonthly costWhat you get
Full-time receptionist$3,000–$4,500/moSalary + benefits + training + turnover
Part-time receptionist$1,200–$2,000/moOnly covers business hours, days off
Human answering service$200–$800/moPer-minute billing, overage risk
Join Intake (AI)Best valueFrom $49/mo24/7, flat rate, unlimited departments

Full-time receptionist costs based on US national average salary ($36,000–$54,000/year) plus benefits.

Everything a receptionist does — without the overhead

For a fraction of what a part-time receptionist costs, Join Intake handles your entire phone front line — around the clock.

Answers every call, first ring

Nights, weekends, lunch breaks, and back-to-back calls. No voicemail. No missed revenue. Every caller gets a professional greeting immediately.

Captures structured intake

Name, phone, company, reason for calling — all structured data, confirmed with the caller before the call ends. No sticky notes, no incomplete voicemails.

Routes by department

Service, sales, billing, or general enquiries — the AI reads caller intent and sends each person where they need to go. No more wrong transfers.

Transfers to you live

When a caller needs a real person, the AI transfers the live call to your mobile or office phone instantly — with full context so you walk in prepared.

Full call dashboard

Every call, transcript, and recording in one place. Email alerts for every urgent call or appointment request. Accessible from any browser, any device.

Industry template ready

Pre-built for your industry — dental, law, HVAC, real estate, and 17 more. The intake questions, departments, and routing are pre-configured. Live in days.

Pre-built for 21 small business industries

Start from an industry template with the right departments, intake questions, and routing pre-configured. Go live in days, not months.

Common questions from small business owners

Is this overkill for my size?

No. The Starter plan at $49/month is designed specifically for businesses that receive 30–100 calls per month. If a single answered call pays for the month (and it will), it is worth it.

What if the AI gets it wrong?

The AI confirms every intake field with the caller before the call ends. If it cannot help, it takes a full message and flags the call for your follow-up. Nothing falls through — it errs on the side of capturing more information.

Will my callers know it is AI?

Join Intake uses a natural AI voice (Clara) that speaks in short, clear sentences. Most callers cannot tell the difference. You can test it yourself before going live.

What if I already have a receptionist?

Join Intake works alongside your team — it handles overflow, after-hours, and weekends so your receptionist can focus on in-person tasks without juggling the phone.

Start at $49/month — grow as you need

The Starter plan includes 100 calls/month, 1 department, structured intake on every call, and a full call dashboard. No contracts. No setup fees. Cancel anytime.

Starter — most popular for small business

$49/mo

  • 100 calls/month included
  • 24/7 AI answering
  • Structured intake on every call
  • Call recordings + transcripts
  • Email notifications
  • 7-day free trial
Start 7-day free trialSee all plans →

Frequently asked questions

Is a 24/7 AI receptionist overkill for a small business?+

Not at all. It is the opposite: a small business typically has one or two people who cannot answer every call, especially during jobs, lunch, or after hours. A single missed call can be a $500 job or a new client. The Starter plan at $49/month answers 100 calls — a cost of less than $0.50 per answered call.

How is this different from voicemail?+

Voicemail is passive — the caller has to leave a message and wait for a callback. Join Intake is active: it greets the caller, captures their name, phone, and reason for calling, routes them to the right person, and can transfer them live to your phone if they need to speak with someone immediately. 79% of callers say they will not leave a voicemail. Voicemail loses the lead.

Can I keep my existing phone number?+

Yes. You forward your existing business number to Join Intake. Your customers keep dialing the same number they always have — nothing changes from their end. Setup takes under an hour.

What if I only get 10–20 calls per month right now?+

The Starter plan at $49/month covers 100 calls. Even if you only receive 20 calls/month today, those 20 calls are answered professionally 24/7 instead of going to voicemail. As your business grows, the plan grows with you.

Do I need any special equipment?+

No hardware required. Join Intake works via call forwarding from your existing number. You access your call dashboard, recordings, and transcripts from any browser. Nothing to install.

What industries do you support for small businesses?+

We have pre-built templates for 21 industries: dental and medical offices, law firms, HVAC and home services, real estate agencies, auto dealerships, copier and equipment dealers, roofing, general contractors, restaurants, property management, insurance, veterinary practices, chiropractic, moving companies, landscaping, cleaning services, accounting, mortgage, salon and spa, senior care, and general business.

Answer every call. Lose zero leads.

Start your 7-day free trial — no credit card required. Pick your industry template and be live in days.