AI Receptionist vs Hiring a Receptionist: Which is Right for Your Business?

Every Missed Call Costs Your Business

For small businesses, the phone is often your lifeline. A new booking, a repeat customer, a big job enquiry; it all starts with a call. But 80% of callers won’t leave a voicemail if you don’t pick up. They’ll just ring your competitor.

That’s why more owners are asking: should I hire a receptionist, or is Gerbo, the wonderful AI receptionist built for small businesses, a smarter choice?

1. Cost Comparison: Hiring a Receptionist vs Gerbo

💼 Hiring a receptionist
A full-time receptionist in the SA costs upwards of £22,000 per year when you include salary, holiday pay, pensions, NI contributions, and training.

🤖 Gerbo, your AI receptionist
Gerbo starts from just R1 385/month for 75 calls — less than a weekly coffee run for the team.

👉 Verdict: For small businesses, Gerbo wins on cost every time.

2. Availability: Office Hours vs Gerbo’s 24/7 Call Answering

💼 Human receptionist
Great during office hours, but only when they’re not away, sick, or on holiday. After 5pm, most calls end up in voicemail. But, the problem is the fact that modern consumers aren't leaving voicemails, and are simply giving up and moving onto the next competitor who will answer.

🤖 Gerbo
Whereas, Gerbo answers 100% of calls, 24/7 — evenings, weekends, even when you’re busy with clients or out with family. Every caller is greeted instantly, their details are captured in seconds, and automatically sent to you.

👉 Verdict: Gerbo never clocks off.

3. Professional Image: Human Personality vs Gerbo’s Consistency

💼 Human receptionist
Can bring warmth and personality, but consistency depends on training, mood, and availability. If they don’t pick up, your “professional image” vanishes.

🤖 Gerbo
Every call with Gerbo is answered by a natural African voice model, calm, polite, and professional. During setup, you provide Gerbo with the knowledge she needs to handle FAQs and enquiries for your business. No bad days, no stress - just a consistent experience for every caller.

👉 Verdict: Gerbo brings reliability, a smooth African accent and can handle most FAQs.

4. Call Handling: Admin Support vs Gerbo’s Lead Capture

💼 Human receptionist
Can transfer calls, manage diaries, and handle complex admin — but is limited to one caller at a time.

🤖 Gerbo
Gerbo specialises in capturing enquiries: caller name, reason for call, and contact details, delivered instantly by email or SMS. For many small businesses, the priority isn’t diary management — it’s not losing the lead in the first place.

👉 Verdict: If you need admin-heavy support, a human helps. If you want to capture every lead, Gerbo is more efficient.

5. Scalability: One Line vs Gerbo’s Unlimited Call Handling

💼 Human receptionist
Can only handle one call at a time. If two people ring, one is left waiting — or lost.

🤖 Gerbo
Only Gerbo gives your business the power to handle unlimited calls simultaneously. No engaged tones, no queues, no bottlenecks.

👉 Verdict: Gerbo wins.

What Gerbo Really Means for Your Business

Gerbo isn’t here to replace people. She’s here to replace wasted time.

Right now, you or your staff might be stuck answering:

• Repeated questions about opening hours or location.

• Time-wasters who were never going to book.

• Spam or cold sales calls.

These calls eat into your day, and while you’re handling them, genuine clients may be ringing and not getting through.

Gerbo handles all of that automatically:

• Filters out spam and nuisance calls.

• Answers FAQs instantly.

• Captures real client details and sends you an instant summary.

That way, you and your team can focus on productive work, then follow up with qualified enquiries when it suits you. For callers, the experience is seamless — they feel heard and supported straight away.

👉 Gerbo doesn’t replace people. Gerbo replaces wasted time.

So, Which Should You Choose?

For large organisations with front desks and heavy admin needs, hiring a human receptionist still makes sense.

But for most small businesses: salons, dentists, estate agents, solicitors, trades — the maths is simple: the cost of a missed call is far greater than the cost of Gerbo.

With Gerbo you get:
✅ 24/7 call answering
✅ A professional, human-like voice
✅ Instant call summaries by email or SMS
✅ Plans from R1 860/month

In fact, just one saved client can pay for months of Gerbo.

Final Thought: Gerbo is the Smartest Receptionist You’ll Ever Hire

Hiring a receptionist is a big commitment. Gerbo is low-cost, quick to set up, and never misses a call. Which works best for you?