Hello Anytime / Guides / Answering services
Guide, checked 6 October 2026Answering services in the UK: your options in 2026
There are four main ways to deal with calls you can't take. Here is how each one works, how you pay, and who it suits.
In short
- Voicemail is free, but many callers won't leave a message.
- Diverting to a person works when someone is free to pick up.
- A human answering service gives you a real person. You usually pay per call or per minute.
- An AI receptionist answers every call, day and night. Many charge a flat monthly price.
1. Voicemail
Your phone rings out and the caller hears your greeting. They can leave a message, or hang up.
How you pay: voicemail is usually part of your phone plan.
- Good: free, and nothing to set up.
- Not so good: many callers don't leave a message. You may only get the number, not the job.
- Suits: businesses with very few calls, or callers who already know you.
of UK adults said they would leave a voicemail instead of waiting for a business to answer.
Source: YouGov survey for Answer4u, 2,046 UK adults, 5 to 8 June 2026. Answer4u sells call answering. Link checked 6 Oct 2026.
2. Diverting calls to a person
Your calls go to a partner, a family member or someone in your team.
How you pay: with their time. Some phone plans also charge for diverted calls, so check your tariff.
- Good: a real person who knows you and your work.
- Not so good: they have their own jobs to do. Evenings, weekends and holidays are hard to cover.
- Suits: small teams with someone at a desk in the day.
3. A human answering service
A team of receptionists answers in your business name, takes a message and sends it to you. Some call it a virtual receptionist.
How you pay: usually per call, per minute, or a bundle of calls each month. Evenings and weekends can cost more. See dated example prices on our compare page.
- Good: a real person on every call, who can calm an upset or confused caller. Many can put calls through to you.
- Not so good: the bill grows with your calls. Hours vary between services. The receptionist only knows what is in your notes.
- Suits: businesses with sensitive calls, or callers who expect a person.
4. An AI receptionist
An AI assistant answers in your business name, asks the right questions and texts you the details.
How you pay: usually a monthly plan. Some include unlimited calls. Others include a set number of minutes, then charge per minute. See the starting prices, with dates, on our compare page.
- Good: answers every call, at 3am the same as at 3pm. The job is in your texts a minute later.
- Not so good: it is not a person, and some callers prefer one. A strong accent or a bad line can still trip it up.
- Suits: trades and small firms who miss calls while they work.
Side by side
| What you get | Voicemail | Divert to a person | Human service | AI receptionist |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| How you pay | Part of your phone plan | Their time | Per call, per minute or a bundle | Monthly plan, some per minute |
| Answers at night | No | Rarely | Some, often for more | Yes |
| A real person | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Gets name, job and address | Only if they leave a message | If they write it down | Yes | Yes |
| Best for | Very few calls | Small teams | Sensitive calls | Lots of missed calls |
How to choose
- Count your missed calls. Look at your call log for a week. Then try our missed call calculator.
- Check when they come. If many come in the evening or at weekends, you need something that answers then.
- Think about your callers. If calls are sensitive or upsetting, a person may be better.
- Pick how you want to pay. Per call is fine for a few calls. A flat price is easier when calls go up and down.
- Ask what happens to urgent calls. Do you need callers put through to you, or is a quick text enough?
For more detail, read AI receptionist or answering service and what a missed call can cost.
Where Hello Anytime fits
Hello Anytime is an AI receptionist for UK small businesses. Your phone rings first. Calls you miss go to Any, our AI assistant, with one short divert code. Works on every UK mobile network.
- Any says it is an AI and that the call is recorded, on every call.
- You get a text with the name, number, job and address about a minute later.
- English calls are live. Other languages are being tested in the pilot.
- £29.99 a month including VAT, for unlimited calls. Free in the pilot, with no card.
To be fair: putting urgent callers through to you and instant booking are switching on during the pilot. They are not live yet.
Questions
What is the cheapest answering service?
Voicemail is free, but many callers won't leave a message. For a service that really answers, compare how you pay: per call, per minute or a flat monthly price. Our compare page has dated prices.
Can I keep my own phone number?
Usually, yes. Most answering services work by diverting calls from your number. With Hello Anytime your phone rings first, and only the calls you miss are diverted.
Will callers know they are talking to an AI?
They should. With Hello Anytime, every call starts by saying it is an AI assistant and that the call is recorded. This can't be switched off.