Comparison, 2026
For a med spa, an AI front desk fits first contact and the calls your team can't take: it picks up, answers from your price list and captures the consult for your team to confirm. A human receptionist still wins in person. An answering service mostly takes messages, and a DIY chatbot rarely knows your treatments or takes calls.
| AI front desk (Relco) | Human receptionist | Answering service | DIY chatbot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Picks up after hours and on weekends | Any hour your line rings | Staffed hours only | Depends on the plan | Website only |
| Captures the consult | Yes, your team confirms it | Yes, books it directly | Takes a message | Basic form |
| Channels | Phone and SMS today; WhatsApp and Instagram on the roadmap | Phone and front desk | Phone | Website chat |
| Answers from your price list | Yes, from the list you give us | If trained | Generic script | Usually no |
| Clinical questions | Never answers them; routes to your team | Within their role | Takes a message | Varies |
| Typical monthly cost (USD) | From $197/mo USD | Varies by market | Varies by market | Varies |
| Time to go live | 1 to 2 days for Text-Back, 3 to 5 for the AI Front Desk | Weeks to hire and train | Days | Days |
Relco prices come from our pricing page. Staff, answering service and chatbot costs vary by market and vendor, so we don't quote a range we can't source.
You are rarely choosing between your best receptionist and an AI. At 8pm, on a Sunday, or while she is with a client, the choice is voicemail or an answer. 20-35% of calls to med spas go unanswered (Automeit), and a lead reached within 5 minutes is 21× more likely to qualify than one reached after 30 (Lead Response Management study).
Best for first contact and after hours
You lose inquiries to voicemail and missed calls and want each one answered and captured without hiring. Mia takes the calls your team can't, on phone and SMS, from $197/mo USD.
Best for the in-person experience
You want a warm face in the lobby and someone for nuanced, in-room situations. Pair them with an AI front desk so the calls they can't get to still get answered.
Best for simple overflow
You need someone to take a message after hours and don't need the treatment and time captured. It covers the phone, but your team still has to chase each message.
Best for a website-only budget
You are comfortable wiring up a website chatbot yourself. It can field basic questions, but it usually won't know your menu and won't take a phone call.
For first contact, often yes. An answering service usually takes a message for your team to chase. An AI front desk answers price questions from your list and captures the consult with the treatment and preferred time, ready for your team to confirm. Phone and SMS are live today.
It is not meant to. An AI front desk covers the calls a person can't take: after close, during lunch and when lines are busy. Anything clinical goes to your team, and your receptionist keeps the in-person work.
Relco's AI Front Desk is $497/mo USD, plus a one-time setup. Text-Back alone is $197/mo USD. Receptionist pay varies by market, so compare against your own payroll. The cost guide has the full breakdown.
Judge it yourself: talk to Mia before you decide. After hours, the usual alternative is voicemail, not a person. Mia answers from your price list and passes anyone who wants a person to your team.
Next: what an AI front desk costs, Relco pricing, or run the missed-call calculator.
Talk to Mia for two minutes, then book a 15-minute walkthrough with the team.