Your phone rings first
Run it only when you miss a call or after hours. During the day your phone rings as usual, and Operator picks up only if you do not.
The AI phone assistant that answers, books and gets you paid
An AI phone assistant should do what a good secretary does: pick up every call, answer the question and put the appointment in the diary. Operator answers your business line in a natural voice, books a time on your calendar and texts the caller a link to pay the deposit.
Free for 14 days · no card to start · keep your number
On the phone
A new customer on a Saturday, booked without you
The questions come from the question set for your trade. You decide which ones matter for your prices.
- CallerHi, are you open today? I wanted to ask about getting something booked in.
- OperatorWe’re closed today, but I can book you in for next week. What do you need done?
- CallerA regular clean for a two-bedroom apartment.
- OperatorGot it. How soon would you like it, and is there a day that works best?
- CallerEarly next week if possible.
- OperatorI have a few openings early next week. I'm texting you a link with the price and the times. Pick one and it's booked.
Built for small businesses
What an AI phone assistant should do for a small business
An AI answering machine takes a message. An AI secretary answers the question and books the appointment, so the call ends as work on your calendar.
Answers like you would
Your hours, your services, where you work, what is included. Operator answers from what you tell it, in a natural voice, and never makes up an answer it was not given.
Keeps your diary
It offers times from your hours and your calendar, including events already on it, so a caller can only choose a time you actually have.
Never guesses a price
It does not quote on the phone. The caller gets a text with your price, built from your own rates, and picks a time from your real calendar.
A deposit locks the job
The customer pays a deposit you set, straight to your own Stripe account. Tire-kickers drop off, and a no-show costs them, not you.
Hand it off with one tap
Watch a call come in live and take it on your own phone during your hours. After hours the recording and summary wait in your inbox.
Answering service vs Operator
AI phone assistant, AI secretary or answering machine?
More than automated phone answering
Automated phone answering used to mean a menu: press 1 for sales, press 2 to leave a message. An AI answering machine goes one step further and writes the message down for you. An AI phone assistant holds the conversation. Operator listens to what the caller needs, asks the questions that matter for your prices and books the appointment, so you come back to bookings rather than a list of voicemails to return.
Every call answered, at every hour
Operator answers every call, including several at the same time, during a job, over lunch or at 11 p.m. on a Sunday. Nobody waits on hold and nobody reaches voicemail. During your business hours, one tap on a live call puts the caller through to your own phone. Outside your hours, the recording and a short summary are waiting in your inbox, along with the booking if they made one.
It never guesses on money
Operator does not name a price on the phone. When the caller is ready, it texts them a link with a price built from your own rates and the times you have open. They pick a time and pay the deposit you set, straight to your own Stripe account. If a call ever cannot reach the AI, the caller is texted your booking link instead of hearing silence.
You pay for what it answers
There is no per-message fee and no booking fee. Each plan includes monthly credits, and a minute of answered call is 25 credits, where one credit is one cent. If the credits ever run out, calls ring your own phone the way they did before. The line never goes dead.
A message is not a booking
Compare the steps an enquiry needs. Answering-service and bot capabilities vary by provider and plan; check the specific workflow before choosing.
| Operator | Live answering service | Voicemail | Message-taking bots | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Answers the call | ||||
| Sounds like a person | ||||
| Answers questions | From a script | |||
| Captures the lead | Takes a message | |||
| Quotes a real price | Depends on provider | Depends on provider | ||
| Holds a time | Sometimes | |||
| Takes a deposit | Depends on provider | Depends on provider |
Pricing
Start free. Pick a plan when it answers.
Three plans, no contract. Try Operator free for 14 days; the card is asked for only when you claim your number, and nothing is charged until the trial ends.
Starter
For a solo business or a small shop.
$49
per month · no booking fee
About 200 minutesof answered calls per month, or 500 conversations5,000 credits per month
Start your free trialPro
For a shop whose phone rings all day.
$129
per month · no booking fee
About 600 minutesof answered calls per month, or 1,500 conversations15,000 credits per month
Start your free trialScale
For a busy team, open to close.
$299
per month · no booking fee
About 1,600 minutesof answered calls per month, or 4,000 conversations40,000 credits per month
Start your free trial14-day free trial, card only when you claim your number · switch or cancel anytime
Calls you get a day6
130+
Starter
$49
5,000 credits
Pro
$129
15,000 credits
Scale
$299
40,000 credits
6 calls a day fits Pro. Answering them uses about 9,900 of its 15,000 monthly credits.
6 calls × 3 minutes × 22 working days × 25 credits a minute. Voice only: chats and texts use the same balance.
Questions from small businesses
What is an AI phone assistant?
An AI phone assistant answers your business calls with a voice AI instead of a person or a voicemail box. The simple ones take messages. Operator holds the conversation, answers the caller’s questions, books the appointment and takes a deposit.
Is an AI secretary the same as an AI receptionist?
Yes, people use AI secretary, AI phone assistant and AI receptionist for the same thing: software that answers your calls, handles common questions and books appointments for you.
What if a caller wants a person?
During your business hours, Operator can put the caller straight through to your own phone. Outside your hours it takes down what they need in their own words, and the call waits in your inbox with the recording and a summary.
Will it quote prices over the phone?
No. Operator never says a price on a call. The caller gets a text link where the price is built from your own rates, so every quote matches what you charge and nothing is invented.
Can I keep my business number?
Yes. Forward your existing number to Operator all day or only when you do not pick up. Or use the business line Operator gives you.
What does a call look like in my inbox?
Each call arrives as a conversation with the recording, a short summary, the caller’s number and the answers they gave. If they booked, the time is on your calendar and the deposit is in your Stripe account.
Does it work in Canada?
Yes. Operator works for small businesses in Canada and the United States, in your own currency.
How much does it cost?
Operator is free for 14 days with no card to start. Plans start at $49 a month on Starter, which covers up to about 200 answered minutes. There is no booking fee on any plan.
Let Operator answer your next call
Set up takes 5 minutes. Keep your current number.