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Your Hybrid Front Desk
Not every call needs full human support. Hybrid uses AI to handle routine calls and brings in a live agent when the moment needs more care. Here’s how hybrid sits between AI-first and Human-first.
AI-first
Starting at
$1.60/call
Best forTeams that want to cover routine calls at the lowest cost.
Most calls never need a person. Hybrid lets AI handle the routine, while live agents step in for the calls that matter most. A tailored mix of AI and live agents, perfectly matched to your call needs. Choose a preset below—you can update it anytime.
1Best for growth
New Client PriorityFrom $2.50/call
Best for growth
Prioritize live support for new client calls, lead intake, and high-intent opportunities.
Best when you want humans for
New client intake
Lead qualification
Calls with buying intent
2Best for service quality
Highest TouchFrom $3.10/call
Best for service quality
Add more live agent coverage for calls where care, complexity, or personal attention matters most.
Best when you want humans for
High-value conversations
Complex requests
A more personal front desk experience
3Best for 24/7 coverage
After Hours OnlyFrom $3.70/call
Best for 24/7 coverage
Let AI handle calls outside business hours, while your daytime front desk stays covered by live agents.
Before Smith.ai, we were unable to answer the phone and complete our daily tasks, plus we were missing 100% of our after-hours calls. Now we are capturing every single call, 24/7 — and they represent us in such a positive way.
[AI Receptionist] turned out to be a great fit for handling calls during busy periods, after hours, and weekends, helping us provide a more responsive experience for customers.
Smith.ai is going to save you so much time, really screen clients, and get to the chase — and also provide a great experience for those calling your business.
Carol O’Connor CadizO’Connor Cadiz Accident & Injury Law
I have noticed a faster response in getting back to potential clients, screening them, and having them come into the office to get started. Smith.ai helps us use time wisely.
A hybrid receptionist service uses AI to answer routine calls and brings in a live receptionist for more nuanced caller needs. With Smith.ai Hybrid, our AI Receptionist answers every call 24/7, captures the caller’s details, and handles common requests. High-touch calls, like new client inquiries or complex questions, go to a professionally trained, North American human receptionist. You get the speed and low cost of AI, plus the warmth of a real person when it counts.
Smith.ai Hybrid starts at about $2.50 per call. Your price depends on how many of your calls go to live agents. We offer three presets: New Client Priority (from $2.50/call), Highest Touch (from $3.10/call), and After Hours Only (from $3.70/call). For example, a business with 300 calls a month would pay about $771 to $1,131 a month on Hybrid.
The difference is in who answers your calls. AI-first plans (from $1.60/call) have AI handle calls 24/7 and escalate only when needed, which is the lowest cost. Human-first plans (from $7/call) have a live receptionist answer every call, which is the highest-touch option. Hybrid (from about $2.50/call) is in between: AI handles routine calls and live agents step in on the calls you care about most. Many businesses find Hybrid offers the best balance of cost and care.
We let you choose the balance that best fits your business by selecting a preset. We then route your calls based on your chosen preset’s rules.
New Client Priority sends new client calls to live agents and keeps existing clients and other calls with AI. We’ve found that about 25% of AI-led calls usually require a live agent, so this option ensures your highest-value calls are handled with care.
Highest Touch sends both new and existing clients to live agents and keeps other calls with AI (about 50%).
After Hours Only sends daytime calls to live agents and has AI answer nights and weekends. AI can still be configured to escalate any after hours call to a live agent if the caller needs more help than it can give.
Choose based on which calls you can least afford to lose. If winning new business is your priority, start with New Client Priority so a live person handles every lead. If your clients expect a personal touch every time, choose Highest Touch. If your team already answers calls during the day and you need coverage only at night and on weekends, choose After Hours Only. Not sure? Book a free consultation and we’ll recommend a mix based on your call volume.
Yes. Every call is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including nights, weekends, and holidays. Our AI Receptionist never takes a break, and our live agent team is available around the clock.
Hybrid is billed per call, not per minute. You won’t pay more because a caller talks longer. Your rate depends on your call volume and on how many calls go to live agents. A call that starts with AI and is handed to a live agent counts as one call. Use the savings calculator above to estimate your monthly cost.
Yes, at any time. You can move between presets as your business needs change. For example, you can use Highest Touch during a busy season and switch back to New Client Priority later.
No. Hybrid is a month-to-month service with no long-term contract. To cancel, give us 30 days’ notice. For high call volumes, we offer volume discounts and custom plans. Book a free consultation to learn more.
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Not sure which plan fits?
Talk to our team. We’ll help you find the right volume and commitment for your goals.
Not every call needs full human support. Hybrid uses AI to handle routine calls and brings in a live agent when the moment needs more care. Here’s how hybrid sits between AI-first and Human-first.
AI-first — starting at $1.60/call
Best for: Teams that want to cover routine calls at the lowest cost.
Most calls never need a person. Hybrid lets AI handle the routine, while live agents step in for the calls that matter most. A tailored mix of AI and live agents, perfectly matched to your call needs. Choose a preset below—you can update it anytime.
New Client Priority — best for growth
Prioritize live support for new client calls, lead intake, and high-intent opportunities.
Best when you want humans for:
New client intake
Lead qualification
Calls with buying intent
New Client Priority: AI answers every call. New clients go to a live agent (about $4.80 per call); existing clients and all other calls stay with AI (about $1.80 per call).
Highest Touch — best for service quality
Add more live agent coverage for calls where care, complexity, or personal attention matters most.
Best when you want humans for:
High-value conversations
Complex requests
A more personal front desk experience
Highest Touch: AI answers every call. New and existing clients go to a live agent (about $4.80 per call); all other calls stay with AI (about $1.80 per call).
After Hours Only — best for 24/7 coverage
Let AI handle calls outside business hours, while your daytime front desk stays covered by live agents.
Best when you want coverage for:
Nights and weekends
Calls outside business hours
Extra coverage without live shifts
After Hours Only: AI answers every call. Calls during business hours go to a live agent (about $4.80 per call); after-hours calls stay with AI (about $1.80 per call).
Adjust your call volume and live agent coverage to see how Hybrid compares to full human support.
Estimated monthly cost by calls per month
Calls/month
New Client Priority
Highest Touch
After Hours Only
Full human support
30
$117
$135
$153
$300
75
$218
$263
$308
$750
90
$252
$306
$360
$810
150
$405
$495
$585
$1,350
300
$771
$951
$1,131
$2,100
500
$1,250
$1,550
$1,850
$3,500
New Client Priority (best for growth) — new clients go to live agents. Existing clients and all other calls stay with AI. Estimated escalation: ±30% to live agents.
Highest Touch (best for service quality) — new and existing clients go to live agents. All other calls stay with AI. Estimated escalation: ±50% to live agents.
After Hours Only (best for 24/7 coverage) — daytime calls go to live agents. After-hours calls stay with AI. Estimated escalation: custom after-hours setup.
“Before Smith.ai, we were unable to answer the phone and complete our daily tasks, plus we were missing 100% of our after-hours calls. Now we are capturing every single call, 24/7 — and they represent us in such a positive way.” — Katlin Swadosh, Tuckner, Sipser, Weinstock & Sipser, LLP
“[AI Receptionist] turned out to be a great fit for handling calls during busy periods, after hours, and weekends, helping us provide a more responsive experience for customers.” — Greg Holland, Ministry Ideaz. Read case study.
“Smith.ai is going to save you so much time, really screen clients, and get to the chase — and also provide a great experience for those calling your business.” — Carol O’Connor Cadiz, O’Connor Cadiz Accident & Injury Law. Read case study.
“I have noticed a faster response in getting back to potential clients, screening them, and having them come into the office to get started. Smith.ai helps us use time wisely.” — Paulina Quiñones, Maria Jones Law Firm. Read case study.
A hybrid receptionist service uses AI to answer routine calls and brings in a live receptionist for more nuanced caller needs. With Smith.ai Hybrid, our AI Receptionist answers every call 24/7, captures the caller’s details, and handles common requests. High-touch calls, like new client inquiries or complex questions, go to a professionally trained, North American human receptionist. You get the speed and low cost of AI, plus the warmth of a real person when it counts.
How much does a hybrid AI and human receptionist cost?
Smith.ai Hybrid starts at about $2.50 per call. Your price depends on how many of your calls go to live agents. We offer three presets: New Client Priority (from $2.50/call), Highest Touch (from $3.10/call), and After Hours Only (from $3.70/call). For example, a business with 300 calls a month would pay about $771 to $1,131 a month on Hybrid.
How is Hybrid different from AI-first and Human-first?
The difference is in who answers your calls. AI-first plans (from $1.60/call) have AI handle calls 24/7 and escalate only when needed, which is the lowest cost. Human-first plans (from $7/call) have a live receptionist answer every call, which is the highest-touch option. Hybrid (from about $2.50/call) is in between: AI handles routine calls and live agents step in on the calls you care about most. Many businesses find Hybrid offers the best balance of cost and care.
How does Smith.ai decide which calls go to AI and which go to a live receptionist?
We let you choose the balance that best fits your business by selecting a preset. We then route your calls based on your chosen preset’s rules.
New Client Priority sends new client calls to live agents and keeps existing clients and other calls with AI. We’ve found that about 25% of AI-led calls usually require a live agent, so this option ensures your highest-value calls are handled with care.
Highest Touch sends both new and existing clients to live agents and keeps other calls with AI (about 50%).
After Hours Only sends daytime calls to live agents and has AI answer nights and weekends. AI can still be configured to escalate any after hours call to a live agent if the caller needs more help than it can give.
Which hybrid plan is right for my business?
Choose based on which calls you can least afford to lose. If winning new business is your priority, start with New Client Priority so a live person handles every lead. If your clients expect a personal touch every time, choose Highest Touch. If your team already answers calls during the day and you need coverage only at night and on weekends, choose After Hours Only. Not sure? Book a free consultation and we’ll recommend a mix based on your call volume.
Does Hybrid answer calls 24/7?
Yes. Every call is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including nights, weekends, and holidays. Our AI Receptionist never takes a break, and our live agent team is available around the clock.
How are hybrid calls billed?
Hybrid is billed per call, not per minute. You won’t pay more because a caller talks longer. Your rate depends on your call volume and on how many calls go to live agents. A call that starts with AI and is handed to a live agent counts as one call. Use the savings calculator above to estimate your monthly cost.
Can I change my hybrid preset or switch plans later?
Yes, at any time. You can move between presets as your business needs change. For example, you can use Highest Touch during a busy season and switch back to New Client Priority later.
Do I have to sign a contract?
No. Hybrid is a month-to-month service with no long-term contract. To cancel, give us 30 days’ notice. For high call volumes, we offer volume discounts and custom plans. Book a free consultation to learn more.
Not sure which plan fits?
Talk to our team. We’ll help you find the right volume and commitment for your goals.
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