Owner one-page
AI Receptionist ROI — Owner One-Page
If your phones ring when staff are busy, you’re losing revenue every day. AI reception fixes that at a fraction of the cost of hiring.
Capacity
2–2.5×
Staff handle 2–2.5× more call volume; no holds, no voicemail bottlenecks.
Cost
~25% of 1 FTE
AI costs ~25% of one receptionist; ~4× coverage at ~25% of the cost.
Revenue leak
~$96k/yr
Example: 20 missed calls/day → 2 lost patients/day at $200 each.
1️⃣ Cost & capacity (the headline math)
- •Human receptionist: handles one call at a time; AI handles every call simultaneously.
- •Staff handle 2–2.5× more call volume; fewer callbacks, fewer interruptions; no queues.
- •Cost: AI ≈ 25% of one receptionist; ~4× coverage at ~25% of the cost.
AI doesn’t replace staff — it amplifies them without adding headcount.
2️⃣ Missed calls = lost patients (not hypothetical)
- •5–15% of missed calls never return; new-patient calls most likely to abandon.
- •PCP value: ~$150–$300/patient/year; specialists: ~$750–$3,000+ per episode.
- •Example: 20 missed calls/day, 2 lost patients/day at $200 → ~$96k/year lost revenue.
Lost revenue from abandonment alone often exceeds AI coverage cost.
3️⃣ Hidden costs owners underestimate
- •Overtime creep to “keep up.”
- •Agency or temp markups often 25–40% hourly; answering service fees per-minute + transfers.
- •Front-desk burnout & turnover: $5k–$10k per replacement plus lost productivity during ramp.
4️⃣ Why ROI compounds over time
- •AI absorbs peak volume without hiring.
- •Protects staff focus and morale; fewer callbacks and queues.
- •Answers after-hours so calls don’t leak to competitors.
- •Growth no longer requires linear staffing increases.
Bottom line
Most practices recover multiple times the cost of AI reception through recovered missed calls, avoided hires, reduced overtime, and lower turnover. You’re not buying software — you’re stopping revenue loss.