The 48-Hour Seat · before you hire
Before you post the job ad, read this.
You’re about to hire a receptionist, an admin or a bookkeeper. The ad, the interviews, the training and the $56,000 a year come next. Spend twenty minutes first finding out which half of that job an AI seat does for $497 a month, and hire a human for the half it can’t.
Book the free 20-minute audit Or call (704) 741-3141 nowThat number is answered by our AI Front Desk. Interview it. If it can’t handle you, don’t hire it.
Why the job ad is the most expensive line in your budget
A median receptionist costs $38,010 in salary and about $56,000 fully loaded (BLS May 2025). The ad says $18 an hour. The ad is lying to you.
Half of most front-desk and admin jobs is describable in writing: answer, book, confirm, remind, invoice, chase the first two notices. That half is $497 a month now.
The other half, judgment and relationships, is a better job. Better people apply for it, and they stay.
What to do before you write the ad
Twenty minutes of homework that changes what you hire for.
- TodayList every task the seat will do. Not the job description; the actual daily list.
- TodayMark each task: can you describe how it’s done in writing? Those are AI tasks. The rest are human tasks.
- TomorrowPrice both columns. AI column: $497/mo. Human column: does it still need full-time, or part-time at a third of the cost?
- Day 2If the AI column is big, stand up the seat now and post a smaller, better job for the rest, or none.
- Month 2Look at what the human actually does. Most owners find the AI column grew.
What the AI Front Desk does from day two
- Answers every call 24/7 and books appointments.
- Sends confirmations and reminders.
- Takes intake and texts you the summary.
- Generates invoices and sends the first two past-due notices.
- Triages the shared inbox and drafts routine replies.
- Writes down every process it runs, so whoever you hire starts with a manual.
What you’re actually choosing between
| Option | Live in | Does the work? | Cost | Afterwards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hire full-time for the whole job | 4–8 weeks | Yes, after training | $56,039/yr loaded + hiring cost | Turnover risk on a repetitive job |
| Hire part-time for the judgment half | 4–8 weeks | The half that needs a person | $20K–$30K/yr | A better job that people keep |
| AI seat for the describable half | 48 hours | Phones, booking, reminders, invoices | $497/mo flat | Grows as you trust it |
| Both (most common) | 48 hours + 4 weeks | All of it | About half the full-time cost | A human who isn’t answering phones all day |
The 48-Hour Seat
AI Front Desk, trained on your business, live in two days.
Month-to-month. No per-call fees. Replace-or-Retrain Guarantee on the seat itself.
Book the callThe honest part: if on the setup call we think your seat isn’t a fit for AI, we’ll say so and point you to a faster human option instead.
Questions owners ask before they post
Are you just telling me not to hire?
No. We are telling you to hire for the right half. Sometimes on the audit call we say the whole seat needs a human. We’d rather say that than sell you a seat that fails.
What does the audit cost?
Nothing. Twenty minutes, your task list, an honest split. You leave with a better job description whether or not you buy anything.
How fast is the AI half live?
48 hours from the setup call, or setup is free.
What happens if you miss 48 hours?
Setup is free. You pay the monthly fee only from the day it is live. We put that in writing because speed is the whole point.
What does it cost after?
$497 a month, flat, no per-call or per-task fees. Year one including setup is $7,464. For comparison, the median receptionist salary is $38,010 (BLS May 2025), about $56,039 fully loaded.
What does the AI Front Desk NOT do?
Pricing exceptions, angry customers who asked for a human, collections past the second notice, your top accounts, and anything you can’t describe in writing. Hire a human for those; it’s a better job.
Twenty minutes before the ad goes up.
Book the free audit. You’ll leave with a smaller job to post, or none.
Start the 48-hour clock Call (704) 741-3141See what a receptionist really costs in your metro: AI Headcount Index · Employee Cost Calculator · All staffing scenarios