How to Choose an AI Receptionist: 14-Point Checklist

Choose an AI receptionist by testing what decides whether it works for your business: how it sounds, whether it books into the tools you already use, what happens when a call needs a person, what it costs in your busiest month, and where your callers' data goes. This checklist gives fourteen questions for any provider, with Alony's own answers.

Before you compare

Know three numbers first: how many calls you miss, how long a typical call runs, and what a job is worth. Your phone provider's call log and your invoices give you all three. Then put the fourteen questions below to any provider. Under each is the answer from Alony, the platform that publishes this guide.

The checklist

1. Does it sound right for your callers?

Ask: Can I hear it before I commit, and is there a choice of voices?

Alony: Six voice personalities, each with an Australian and an American voice, some with a New Zealand voice. Listen on the home page. A custom voice is on Growth and up.

2. Who writes the greeting, and does it tell callers?

Ask: Can I write it, and can it say the caller is speaking to an AI and that the call is recorded?

Alony: You write it in the wizard, and there is no default. We recommend telling callers: see greeting examples.

3. What happens to your phone number?

Ask: New number or keep mine? Who moves it, and how long does it take?

Alony: An Australian local number by area code, or a mobile from Starter. To keep your existing number, forward it to your Alony number through your phone provider; porting isn't part of the plans. More in keeping your business number.

4. Does it book into the tools you already use?

Ask: Exactly which tools, and what does it do in each: check availability, book, change, look up the caller?

Alony: Cal.com (live availability, books during the call) and GoHighLevel (recognises the caller, books, logs notes and follow-ups), on Growth and up. Starter can send call data to a webhook.

5. What happens when a call needs a person?

Ask: Can it transfer, in which hours and for which reasons? What if nobody picks up? Test that last one yourself.

Alony: You set the transfer number, hours and reasons. With no number set, it takes an urgent message.

6. What do you get after each call?

Ask: Recording, transcript, summary? Where do they land, and can I choose what the summary includes?

Alony: All three in call history, plus an email summary after every call on every plan. There are also team roles, analytics, a booking calendar and support tickets raised against a specific call.

7. How is it priced, and what happens at the cap?

Ask: Per minute, per call, unlimited or a plan? What happens over the limit? Is GST included?

Alony: Monthly plans in Australian dollars, GST included: Lite A$49 (100 minutes), Starter A$239 (500 minutes), Growth A$549 (1,200 minutes), Scale A$999 (2,500 minutes). There are no overage charges. Every plan stops at its minutes. See pricing.

8. What does the trial prove?

Ask: How long is it, what does it limit, and does it need a card?

Alony: 5 minutes of talk time, free, no card. Enough to hear your agent and try some calls.

9. Where does your callers' data go?

Ask: Where are recordings and transcripts stored, how long are they kept, and can the provider train its AI on them? Get the answers in writing.

Alony: The privacy policy covers storage, retention, deletion and AI providers.

10. What does it do when it does not know?

Ask: What does it say to a question it cannot answer? Can I read what it said?

Alony: It answers from your website or files, or takes a message. Every call has a transcript and recording, so ring it with your callers' real questions.

11. What are the contract terms?

Ask: Minimum term, renewal, notice to cancel, price changes, setup fees, refunds.

Alony: Month to month, cancel any time, no setup fee except on Enterprise. The terms of use are the written contract.

12. Who helps, and have you tested it yourself?

Ask: How do I get help? Then ring it: with a strong accent, with noise, interrupting it. Read the first week of summaries.

Alony: Support tickets, raised against a specific call. The allowance is Starter 1 a month, Growth 4 and Scale 8; Lite has none.

13. Does it tell you about a call straight away?

Ask: A text or app alert the moment a call ends, or only an email?

Alony: Email only. Starter and up can send call data to a webhook.

14. Does it sync with your job or practice software?

Ask: Which systems does it write into, and what does it write?

Alony: Cal.com and GoHighLevel, self-serve from the Tools tab on Growth and up. On Enterprise, or as a custom build, we can connect almost any system that has an API: ask us.

What Alony does not do

Self-serve booking is Cal.com and GoHighLevel; anything else is a custom build.
Every plan has a hard stop at its minutes.
It sends summaries by email, not text.
Porting isn't part of the plans: forward your existing number instead.

See how Alony works or compare plans. Other guides: what an AI receptionist is and how to set one up.

How to choose an AI receptionist: a practical checklist