Smith.ai vs. Conversational: Live Answering Service Comparison

You know it's time to enlist the help of a live answering service when phone calls are blocking your ability to get work done each day. There are many services offering live, remote receptionists, and it can be hard to know which service is right for you. Today, we compare Smith.ai to Conversational receptionists.

Setup Fees, Trials, & Contracts

Smith.ai

• No setup or cancellation fees
• No contracts
• Free consultation
• 14-day money-back guarantee

Conversational

• No setup fee
• No contracts
• 30-day money-back guarantee

Monthly Plans

Here are the various monthly plans that Smith.ai and Conversational offer:

Smith.ai

• $285 for 30 live receptionist calls and 1 live transfer number
• $765 for 90 live receptionist calls and 2 live transfer numbers
• $1,950 for 300 live receptionist calls and 10 live transfer numbers
• Custom plans available
• 10% annual discount when paid up front
  

Conversational

• $209 for 100 minutes
• $399 for 200 minutes
• $799 for 500 minutes
  

Discussion: Consider that an average business call is five minutes, according to Invoca call intelligence research. When you do the math, the cheapest call on a Conversational's plan will cost you $9.54 while the same call on a Smith.ai's plan is $6.50. That extra two dollars per call can certainly add up over the course of a month.

Smith.ai plans are per-call, not per-minute like Conversational, which means more predictable billing each month. Are you running a marketing campaign? Per-call pricing also allows for easier math when calculating the new client acquisition costs: You know how many calls you paid for in total and how many were lead calls that converted into new business. 

Overage Costs

Smith.ai

• $10.50/call on the $285/month plan
• $9.50/call on the $765/month plan
• $7.50/call on the $1,950/month plan
  

Conversational

• $2.10 per additional minute
  

Features

Smith.ai and Conversational both offer the following features:

• Live call transfers
• Appointment scheduling
• Custom call handling procedures
• Outbound calls
• North American-based receptionists
• Payment collection
• Online Dashboard
  

Smith.ai offers the following additional features:

• Integration with all major calendaring and scheduling software programs
• Integration with all major CRMs, like Clio, Clio Grow, Hubspot, Lexicata, Capsule CRM, and more
• One free CRM integration
• Integration with helpdesk ticketing software programs
• Ability to map client history to the incoming number so clients receive personalized attention
• Messages texted to you
• Recommended business referral
• After-hours and overflow answering
• Facebook, webchat, and SMS answering
• Custom greetings
• Lead qualification and lead intake form completion
• Daily call summary reports
• No charge for spam calls or wrong numbers
• Instant SMS status updates
• Bilingual answering
• Call recording and transcription

Conversational offers the following additional features:

• Calls handled Monday through Friday, 7AM to 8PM EST
• Mobile app

‍Discussion: Smith.ai offers many more features than Conversational, but one stands out from the rest: lead intake and qualification. Our receptionists can ask questions on your behalf to qualify potential leads (for example: Are they in the right service area? Are they willing to pay your fees? Do their needs align with the services you offer?). And the receptionists can also take down that information in your lead intake forms, so information is passed directly into your CRM (no copy-and-paste grunt work or typing errors). If we schedule an appointment with a new client, you'll have all their information handy for your call or meeting. (Note that some Smith.ai add-on services incur extra fees, which are listed on our pricing page.)

Smith.ai also makes it incredibly easy to update your status in real-time to change your call handling procedures. Heading into a meeting for two hours? Just text us (no need to fiddle with an app) and we won't attempt any live transfers during that time.

Summary

Smith.ai offers many more services than Conversational, at much more affordable rates for small businesses. At Smith.ai, we not only book appointments and take messages from your clients, but we also work to generate and collect qualified leads for you. In addition, we send you daily call summaries, so you can track your calls and review your leads at your leisure after a busy day.

Our virtual receptionists at Smith.ai are trained to be knowledgeable about your business, so they don’t have to rely on scripts. Every receptionist comes to Smith.ai with customer service and/or hospitality experience, well-versed in proper American business phone etiquette and customs. Your callers receive the personalized attention that an in-house receptionist would bring but at a fraction of the cost.

Smith.ai Client Testimonial

Don't just take our word for it! Here’s what a satisfied customer had to say about Smith.ai virtual receptionists:

“All of my clients were super impressed at the professional way they answered the phone. Always kind and polite. Highly recommended.”

- Kaylen Echols, Legacy Roofing

Learn More About Smith.ai

To learn more about our virtual receptionist services, sign up for a free consultation with our team or get started risk-free with our 14-day money-back guarantee!