How to choose the best AI answering service in 6 checks.
Published by Penny · Updated · Sources and corrections
Describe a job the way your customer would. The follow-up questions should show that the receptionist understands what your office needs. Then check the booking, the call notes, and the handoff to your team.
14 days of Pro included. No credit card.
Ask a question from your line of work.
Set up a trial with your service area, offered work, and quoting rules. For an HVAC company, describe an AC that runs without cooling the house. The receptionist should record what the caller reports, ask the intake questions your office needs, and offer only appointments you allow.
Next try a request that needs your approval before booking. Check that the receptionist records it for follow-up rather than inventing a price or an available visit. Include an urgent scenario and compare the result with your approved emergency procedure.
For a roofer, ask for a price before an inspection. For a property manager, request an appliance repair and give the unit number. Check the questions against your office’s procedure. Penny’s industry pages show the reference and rules she starts with.
Check the work left behind by the call.
A good conversation is only part of the result. Verify the saved details and completed actions as well as the answer you hear.
Ask what information is supplied with the service and what you must add. Test a common request against your own intake checklist. Penny combines a trade reference with your website and the business instructions you approve.
Ask for an allowed appointment and check the calendar, time zone, and details. Penny books on Google Calendar or Outlook from Starter. Pro adds caller confirmation texts.
Switch between English and Spanish while correcting a number or address. Compare the final record with what you said. Penny includes both languages on every phone plan.
Follow the request into the tool your team uses. Penny books in Google Calendar or Outlook and sends intake to Jobber, Housecall Pro, or ServiceTitan on Pro. Zapier and webhooks connect the call to HubSpot, Salesforce, and other workflows.
Penny’s annual phone plans work out to $29, $99, or $249/month, with included minutes and $0.24–$0.29/minute beyond them. Monthly billing costs more. Include usage and required add-ons when comparing any service.
Review the written rules and test the destination and fallback. Routine intake must not delay the emergency response your policy requires. Penny includes emergency rules in every phone plan, with an on-call rotation from Pro.
Compare Penny with your shortlist.
This Penny buying guide uses published plan details. The right-hand column gives you questions for other providers; we have not run a comparative trial of their call quality.
| What to check | Penny | What to verify with other services |
|---|---|---|
| Trade intake | Trade reference plus website information and business rules | Test the questions and quoting limits your office uses |
| Emergency handling | Trade rules; Pro adds on-call rotation | Inspect the written procedure and unanswered-transfer fallback |
| Calendar booking | Google Calendar or Outlook from Starter | Verify the booked slot and the first plan that supports your calendar |
| English and Spanish | Every phone plan | Check the tier and test language changes during intake |
| Transfers | Single destination from Starter; warm transfers on Pro+ | Try both an answered and an unanswered transfer |
| Integrations | Calendar booking; Pro field-service intake; Zapier/webhooks for other workflows | Inspect the record created in each connected system |
| Pricing | $29–$249/mo billed annually, included minutes plus $0.24–$0.29/min overage | Dialzara lists $29/mo · 60 min and $99/mo · 220 min, with extra-minute rates by plan; source and date below |
| Trial | 14 days of Pro without a card | Confirm trial length, cancellation terms, and the post-trial plan |
Dialzara figures come from its pricing page, checked 2026-09-07. Providers change pricing without notice. For the full human-and-AI breakdown with every figure sourced, see the answering service cost guide.
If your callers must reach a person from the start, use the small-business guide to compare live receptionist services.
Call Penny and try it
The live demo uses Summit Heating, a fictional HVAC business. Listen to her intake here; test your own trade’s rules in your Penny account. The industry transcripts are scripted examples.
(630) 297-4128- Give the shared HVAC demo a no-cool appointment request.
- Correct the address and check that Penny confirms it.
- Switch to Spanish. Run your business-specific tests in your own trial account.
Free website chat. Phone answering from $29 a month.
Every paid plan comes with trade knowledge, your intake questions, and calendar booking. Bigger plans add minutes, on-call dispatch, integrations, texting, and reporting.
Billed annually, ~17% less than month to month.
100 phone minutes a month · $348 billed annually
- Everything in Free
- Live talk time on the phone, counted per second. Screened spam never counts, and the clock stops when a person picks up a transfer.100 phone minutes a monthLive talk time on the phone, counted per second. Screened spam never counts, and the clock stops when a person picks up a transfer.
- The flat per-minute rate for talk time past your plan. No per-call fee and no rounding up.$0.29/min after thatThe flat per-minute rate for talk time past your plan. No per-call fee and no rounding up.
- The chat widget on your site with no conversation cap and no “answered by Penny” mark.Unlimited website chat without the Penny markThe chat widget on your site with no conversation cap and no “answered by Penny” mark.
- Penny checks open slots and your booking rules before adding an appointment to Google Calendar or Outlook during a call or chat.Calendar booking in Google or Outlook, on phone and chatPenny checks open slots and your booking rules before adding an appointment to Google Calendar or Outlook during a call or chat.
- Edit your trade’s emergency rules in plain English. Penny attempts a transfer to the number you choose and follows your fallback if nobody answers.Your trade’s emergency rules and a transfer numberEdit your trade’s emergency rules in plain English. Penny attempts a transfer to the number you choose and follows your fallback if nobody answers.
- Review call details and available transcripts, then send supported call, lead, and appointment data through Zapier or signed webhooks.Call log with transcripts; Zapier and webhooksReview call details and available transcripts, then send supported call, lead, and appointment data through Zapier or signed webhooks.
375 phone minutes a month · $1,188 billed annually
- Everything in Starter
- Live talk time on the phone, counted per second. Screened spam never counts, and the clock stops when a person picks up a transfer.375 phone minutes a monthLive talk time on the phone, counted per second. Screened spam never counts, and the clock stops when a person picks up a transfer.
- The flat per-minute rate for talk time past your plan. No per-call fee and no rounding up.$0.27/min after thatThe flat per-minute rate for talk time past your plan. No per-call fee and no rounding up.
- Set who is on call by day and hour. Penny attempts the transfer and tells the receiving person who is calling after they answer. Your fallback rules apply if nobody picks up.On-call schedule and dispatch; warm transferSet who is on call by day and hour. Penny attempts the transfer and tells the receiving person who is calling after they answer. Your fallback rules apply if nobody picks up.
- Send intake records to Jobber, Housecall Pro, or ServiceTitan for your office to review and schedule. HubSpot and Salesforce connect through Zapier or signed webhooks.Jobber, Housecall Pro, ServiceTitan, HubSpot, SalesforceSend intake records to Jobber, Housecall Pro, or ServiceTitan for your office to review and schedule. HubSpot and Salesforce connect through Zapier or signed webhooks.
- Callers get a text confirming the booking, a missed call gets a text back, and a caller can text a photo of the problem for the ticket.Text confirmations, missed-call text-back, photo-by-textCallers get a text confirming the booking, a missed call gets a text back, and a caller can text a photo of the problem for the ticket.
- Several numbers or locations under one account, each with its own greeting, hours, and routing, plus call flows written for how your office works.Multiple numbers and locations; custom workflowsSeveral numbers or locations under one account, each with its own greeting, hours, and routing, plus call flows written for how your office works.
1050 phone minutes a month · $2,988 billed annually
- Everything in Pro
- Live talk time on the phone, counted per second. Screened spam never counts, and the clock stops when a person picks up a transfer.1050 phone minutes a monthLive talk time on the phone, counted per second. Screened spam never counts, and the clock stops when a person picks up a transfer.
- The flat per-minute rate for talk time past your plan. No per-call fee and no rounding up.$0.24/min after thatThe flat per-minute rate for talk time past your plan. No per-call fee and no rounding up.
- Call volume, outcomes, leads, and bookings over time, with a read API and export for your own reporting.Analytics and reporting; API and exportCall volume, outcomes, leads, and bookings over time, with a read API and export for your own reporting.
- Transcripts that keep protected health information to a minimum, retention controls you set, and a BAA on request.Compliance mode (PHI-minimized, retention, BAA)Transcripts that keep protected health information to a minimum, retention controls you set, and a BAA on request.
- Front-of-the-line support and a guided setup session that tunes Penny to how your office runs.Priority support and guided setupFront-of-the-line support and a guided setup session that tunes Penny to how your office runs.
14 days of Pro included. No credit card.
Chat on your website. 100 conversations a month.
- One visitor session counts as one conversation, however long it runs. The count resets every month.100 chat conversations a monthOne visitor session counts as one conversation, however long it runs. The count resets every month.
- The free widget carries a small “answered by Penny” mark. Starter removes it.A small “answered by Penny” mark on the widgetThe free widget carries a small “answered by Penny” mark. Starter removes it.
- A visitor asks for a time, Penny takes the request, and you confirm it from the email. Live booking onto your calendar begins on Starter.Appointment requests you confirmA visitor asks for a time, Penny takes the request, and you confirm it from the email. Live booking onto your calendar begins on Starter.
- Penny notices the caller’s or visitor’s language and switches, mid-conversation if needed, at no extra charge.English and SpanishPenny notices the caller’s or visitor’s language and switches, mid-conversation if needed, at no extra charge.
- Penny reads your site for services, hours, and service area, and starts with a working reference on your line of work.Answers from your website and your trade’s knowledgePenny reads your site for services, hours, and service area, and starts with a working reference on your line of work.
- The details each visitor shares, their question, and the outcome, in your inbox as the conversation ends.Lead capture, with an email after every conversationThe details each visitor shares, their question, and the outcome, in your inbox as the conversation ends.
Phone answering, live booking, and call transfers begin on Starter.
Try Penny freeFrom $3,000 a year, with custom volume and a named account team.
- Everything in Business
- Minutes sized to your call volume, on a contract you negotiate with the account team.Custom phone volumeMinutes sized to your call volume, on a contract you negotiate with the account team.
- The flat per-minute rate for talk time past your plan. No per-call fee and no rounding up.$0.21/min after that, the lowest rateThe flat per-minute rate for talk time past your plan. No per-call fee and no rounding up.
- Chat on your site with no conversation cap and no mark.Unlimited website chatChat on your site with no conversation cap and no mark.
- A named team that knows your setup, with contractual response times.A dedicated account team and SLAsA named team that knows your setup, with contractual response times.
- Connectors built for your systems and a hands-on onboarding for your team.Custom integrations and onboardingConnectors built for your systems and a hands-on onboarding for your team.
Billed annually on a custom contract.
Talk to usNo setup fee. Keep your number and cancel from billing. Enterprise uses a custom annual contract.
More reading before you choose.
See how Penny works as an AI answering service, compare what she costs against human services in the answering service cost guide, weigh her against other options on the compare hub, or read what she knows about your trade on the industries pages. The free plan is website chat, 100 conversations a month; phone plans are $29–$249/mo billed annually, with included minutes and $0.24–$0.29/minute overage. The 14-day Pro trial needs no card.
Penny asks whether the furnace starts and quits or never starts at all, then puts the caller’s answer on the service ticket.
Penny records the property, unit, and access instructions together, so the maintenance coordinator can act on the request.
A slow-drain request includes which fixture is affected and whether other drains are backing up, so your plumber can prepare for the visit.
Choosing an AI answering service.
Start with the shared HVAC demo. Use your own trial account for the trade tests above.
The best fit handles your calls accurately, completes the allowed actions, and leaves a record your team can use. Test your own intake, calendar, languages, and transfers before choosing. This is a buying guide from Penny, not an independent ranking or a claim that we tested every service.
Give Penny a call before you forward yours.
Try the HVAC demo, then set up Penny for your business. Your account includes 14 days of Pro; Free keeps your website chat after the trial.
14 days of Pro included. No credit card.