UK virtual receptionist answering business calls
Customer Service VA · Virtual Receptionist

Virtual Receptionist UK

One named receptionist who answers in your business name, takes messages and books your diary, not a call queue. Managed from the UK, working your hours. Here is what they handle and what it costs.

Call answeringMessage takingDiary bookingsOverflow cover
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✓ From £5/hour ✓ UK-managed ✓ Dedicated VA, not shared ✓ 3-month probation, no penalty to leave
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What They Handle

What a dedicated virtual receptionist does for a UK business

Inbound call handling

Answers every call under your brand during the hours you set, so callers reach a person rather than voicemail. Urgent calls are routed to you straight away; everything else is handled on the call or logged for you.

Microsoft TeamsZendeskHubSpot

Message taking and call-backs

Takes the caller's name, reason and best time to reach them, sends the message to the right person by email or chat, and schedules the call-back so nothing waits on a sticky note.

OutlookGmailSlack

Diary and appointment booking

Books, moves and confirms appointments in your own calendar or booking system, following the rules you set for lead times, buffers and who can be booked where.

Google CalendarOutlookCalendly

Live chat and email overflow

When the phone is quiet, the same person covers your live chat and shared inbox, replying within the response times you agree and escalating anything outside their scope.

TidioLiveChatOutlookGmail

Caller screening and escalation

Asks the three or four questions you agree, records the answers, and passes qualified enquiries to you the same day. Calls you do not want are handled politely and logged.

Microsoft TeamsSlackOutlook

After-call CRM updates

Logs every call in your CRM or shared inbox, sends any follow-up promised on the phone, and keeps the record clean so the next conversation starts with context.

HubSpotSalesforcePipedriveZendesk
Dedicated vs per-call

A dedicated receptionist VA vs a per-call answering service

Most UK answering services work the same way: a pool of agents shares your line, reads from your script and bills you per call or per minute. It is a sensible fit if you get a handful of calls a day.

A dedicated receptionist VA is one person who learns your business and diary rules. You pay for hours, not calls.

If calls, bookings and follow-ups fill part of every working day, a dedicated receptionist costs less per conversation; if not, a per-call service may be cheaper, and we will say so. Our guide explains what a virtual receptionist does.

Ant Assist

Dedicated receptionist VA

How it works
One person learns your business, regulars and diary rules
How you pay
For hours, not calls
Best for
Calls, bookings and follow-ups filling part of every day
Ant Assist fit
Also covers chat and inbox when the phone is quiet

Per-call answering service

How it works
A pool of agents shares your line and reads a script
How you pay
Per call or per minute
Best for
A handful of calls a day; overflow or out-of-hours cover
Ant Assist fit
May be cheaper if calls are few; we will say so
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Explore more VA types

Not the right fit? Compare other VA types

Who It's For

Who a virtual receptionist is for

  1. Trades that miss calls on site Your VA answers, books the survey and texts you the details.
  2. Clinics, salons and practices Appointments booked, confirmed and rescheduled; no-shows chased.
  3. Firms that need a human first answer Calls screened, proper messages taken, the right people reached.
  4. Online stores adding phone and chat One receptionist VA covers phone, live chat and order emails.
Virtual receptionist with a reception progress card: answered, messages taken, transferred
Cost Comparison

What a virtual receptionist costs

With Ant Assist the entry rate is £5 per hour for the first 6 months on the Entry tier. Market rates by model are set out in our guide to virtual receptionist pricing UK.

A dedicated Ant Assist VA compared with a UK in-house hire and a UK agency, full time.
What you get RecommendedAnt Assist UK in-house hire UK agency
Monthly cost Standard price £952 a month, introductory price £800 for the first 6 months ~£2,866 approx. £3,500 to £4,500
Who manages the work IncludedOur UK team supervises Not includedYou do PartlyThe agency
Recruitment and onboarding IncludedIncluded Not includedYou recruit and train IncludedThe agency matches
Employer NI and pension IncludedNone to pay Not includedYou pay both PartlyBuilt into the rate
Office and equipment IncludedIncluded Not includedYou provide PartlyVaries by agency
Holiday and sick cover IncludedCover provided Not includedYou find cover PartlyVaries by agency
Replacement if it is not right IncludedReplaced, no restart cost Not includedRe-hire from scratch PartlyVaries by agency
Contract Included12-month term, 3-month probation Not includedEmployment contract PartlyVaries by agency

Entry offer: standard rate £5.95, introductory offer £5/hour for your first 6 months.

UK agency figures are an approximate range around the £25 per hour agency benchmark our calculator uses.

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What the £5/hour entry rate includes

  • Dedicated VA, never shared
  • UK-hour aligned support
  • Management and supervision included
  • Recruitment and onboarding included
  • Office infrastructure included
  • VA replacement available
  • No NI, pension, or holiday costs
  • 3-month probation, no penalty to leave

These are typical estimates. Get your exact numbers in the full calculator. Or read how much a virtual assistant costs in the UK.

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Process

How to hire a virtual receptionist

1
First call
A short call about your tasks, your tools and the hours you need covered.
2
Matching
We pick a VA from our in-house team for your work and introduce them to you.
3
Onboarding
Together we write down your rules and set up your access before day one.
4
Live cover
Your VA starts on your hours from our managed office, supervised from the UK.
5
Ongoing management
A UK team reviews the work each week; hours scale up or down as you need.
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Guides for this service

Why Managed

Why a managed receptionist beats a call centre or a marketplace

Managed, not just placed.
Your VA is recruited, trained and supervised from our own in-house office. Not a freelancer platform, not a shared agent pool.
Replaceable without restart cost.
If the fit is wrong, we replace the VA and carry the handover. No re-recruitment, no starting from zero.
No NI, pension, or holiday overhead.
One hourly rate; the employment costs sit with us.
Language and cultural alignment with UK clients.
Trained on your tone of voice and your scenarios before they handle a single call.
Your data stays yours.
Every VA signs an NDA and a data-processing agreement, works through password managers, and you can revoke access at any time.
3-month probation, no penalty to leave.
The initial term is 12 months, including a 3-month probation in which you can end the engagement without penalty. After 12 months it continues monthly with 30 days' notice.
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FAQ

Common questions about hiring a virtual receptionist

Most clients have their receptionist active within 5 to 7 working days of signing up. The first call covers your call volume, diary and tools; onboarding documents the greeting, the screening questions and the booking rules before the first call is taken.

Yes. Your receptionist VA logs into your phone system, diary and CRM, so the number, the call records and the customer data stay yours. A forward or a user seat is usually a few minutes' work, and we walk through it in onboarding.

You choose at onboarding: a second ring to you or a colleague, a voicemail that promises a call-back inside a set time, or overflow to a second VA in busy periods. Breaks sit outside your peak hours.

Yes. Cover starts at 20 hours a week and runs up to a full 40-hour week, so you can cover mornings, your peak hours or the days you are on site. Part-time cover is £6.50 per hour after the promotion, £520 a month for 80 hours.

They notice that the same person answers every time and knows their name. Your receptionist answers in your business name and works from your greeting and your rules; what callers do not hear is a queue or a script read to them.

The entry rate is £5 per hour for the first 6 months on the Entry tier. After that the customer service rate card applies: £5.95 per hour full time, £952 a month for 160 hours, or £6.50 per hour part time, £520 a month for 80 hours; Mid £6.84 and Expert £7.44 per hour full time. No per-call charges. The initial term is 12 months, including a 3-month probation in which you can end the engagement without penalty. After 12 months it continues monthly with 30 days' notice.

Didn't find your answer? Browse more common questions in the Help Center.

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