Follow-Up · Virtual receptionist
Receptionist cover that sounds like a human, costs like a tool.
A hybrid human-plus-AI reception layer that answers every inbound call in your business name, qualifies the enquiry, books the slot into your diary, and hands a clean brief back to you. No shouty call centre. No keypad mazes. No leads slipping into the missed-call graveyard.
You don't need a full-time receptionist. You need the result.
A part-time receptionist on UK PAYE costs £14k to £18k a year plus pension, holiday and sick cover. Most trades businesses doing £15k to £75k a month in turnover never get past the maths. The virtual receptionist delivers the same outcome for a fraction of the cost.
Hire in-house
£14k to £18k per year
Plus pension, holiday, sick cover and recruitment time
Old-school call bureau
Per-call or per-minute charges
Often robotic, off-script, and unbranded to your business
Kelso virtual receptionist
Hybrid human + AI cover
Branded to you, blended into your AI SEO stack, one fixed monthly
01 / How it works
One number, three ring tiers, zero missed leads.
- 01
Caller dials your business line
Your existing business number stays the same. We route inbound through the reception layer first.
- 02
Receptionist picks up within 3 rings
During working hours, a human-feel receptionist (or trained AI agent on your highest-volume days) answers in your business name, captures the enquiry, and books straight into your calendar.
- 03
Brief lands in your inbox in seconds
You get a one-line summary, the full transcript, and the calendar invite without lifting a finger. No callback owed unless you choose to.
Kelso AI Assistant
● Online
02 / What it handles
The day-to-day reception work, off your plate.
New enquiries
Job type, postcode, urgency, contact details. Captured the first time, no chasing.
Quote follow-ups
Polite check-ins on quotes that have gone quiet. Books the next conversation when the prospect is ready.
Existing customers
Repeat work, warranty calls, scheduling questions. Triaged and routed to the right hand.
Polite filtering
Cold sales, SEO pitches, recruitment spam. Politely deflected so it never hits your phone.
Overflow and lunch cover
If two calls hit at once, the second one is still answered in your name, not by voicemail.
After-hours emergencies
AI agent picks up out of hours. Escalates emergency-trade calls (leak, no heat, lockout) straight to your mobile.
Cost of missed calls
How much are missed calls costing you?
Most UK trades miss 3-5 calls a week. The average job they lose is worth between £200 and £1,000. The maths gets ugly fast.
Your numbers
UK average for owner-operator trades is 3-5
Plumber callouts £150-£800, install jobs £500-£5,000
Industry studies: 30-50% if you respond within 5 minutes
48 is a typical UK trade year after holidays
What it's costing you
Revenue lost every year
£28,800
≈ £2,400 a month, in jobs you never even quoted on.
With Kelso AI Follow-Up (~70% recovery)
+£20,160
£1,680 a month, on average, recovered.
Get the follow-up stackIndustry benchmarks: AllDayPA put the UK average at £26,000/year lost. ConstructionX clocks £20,800. JPAutomations £24,000. Your number will be different. The pattern won't.
FAQ
Common questions before you switch over.
Is it a real person, or an AI?
Both, depending on the call. Daytime peaks are handled by a UK-based reception team trained on your business. Out-of-hours calls and overflow go to a trained AI agent. The caller never has to choose.
Will it actually sound like my business?
Yes. We script the greeting, the qualifying questions, the booking flow, and the brand voice with you before the line goes live. Callers hear your business name, not a generic "good afternoon, switchboard".
Do I have to change my phone number?
No. We route inbound traffic on your existing number into the reception layer first. The customer-facing number on your van, business cards and Google profile stays the same.
What gets booked into my calendar?
Whatever you tell us is bookable. Site visits, surveys, callbacks, even a discovery slot with the AI agent. Live two-way sync with Google Calendar or GoHighLevel.
How is this different from a generic call centre?
A traditional call centre answers in a generic switchboard tone, follows a thin script, and bills per call or per minute. The Kelso receptionist answers in your business name, is trained on your services, and is wired to the same lead hub as your SEO and ads.
How quickly can it go live?
Inside one working week. Discovery call, script approval, calendar sync, then a test run before the line goes live.
Give every caller the experience of a real receptionist.
Bolt the reception layer onto your AI SEO matrix and your ads. Every channel feeds one inbox, every caller hears your business name, every booking lands in your calendar.