AI answering service, live answering, or a full system: which one fits a contractor?
Short verdict: if you only need the phone answered, a phone-only AI receptionist is cheaper. If your website and Google profile are leaking too, you need a system that fixes where calls come from and answers them.
Missed-call text back or an AI receptionist: which do I need?
Text back sends an instant text when you miss a call, so the caller doesn't move on. An AI receptionist picks up and takes the job details. Text back is the floor; answering is better when calls are worth hundreds. The Ghost answers your missed and after-hours calls, writes them up, and sends them to you. Calls you pick up stay with you.
Is an AI receptionist worth it?
It's worth it when the jobs it saves cost more than it does. The math: jobs saved per month × average job value, compared with the monthly price. If it saves one $400 job a month, a $497/mo plan is close to even; two jobs and it pays. Your site and Google profile decide how many calls there are to save.
Text back, AI receptionist, live answering, or a full system.
| Option | Answers | Writes the job up | Fixes website | Fixes Google profile | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Missed-call text back | Texts the caller back | Rarely | No | No | From about $29/mo |
| AI receptionist (phone only) | Yes | Often | No | No | $49–$449/mo (OnCrew $49/$149/$349; Lippy from $154; Wakeman $149; Afterly $49; Sameday $449) |
| Live answering service | Yes, a person | Sometimes | No | No | Varies by call volume |
| Ghost System + Ghost Care | Missed and after-hours calls | Writes up and sends to you | Yes | Yes | $4,997 (month 1 of Ghost Care included), then $497/mo or $4,970/yr, no contract |
Competitor prices from vendor sites as gathered Oct 8, 2026 (SEO stack, page-keyword-map). Verify each with its source and date before publishing.
Is an AI receptionist worth it for a contractor?
Is an AI receptionist worth it?
If your website and Google profile already bring steady calls and you only miss some, a $49–$449/mo receptionist can be enough. If calls are thin because the site and profile leak, answering the phone alone won't fix it.
Do callers hang up on AI?
Some do, when it's slow or scripted. Answer fast, say up front that it's an assistant, and get the details to a person. The Ghost sends the details of each call it takes to your lead manager as a CRM notification, text, Slack message or email.
Can AI really book jobs, or does it just take messages?
Some receptionists book into a calendar. The Ghost does not book jobs. It answers missed and after-hours calls, writes them up, and hands off by message to the assigned lead manager.
Virtual receptionist vs answering service: what's the difference?
A virtual receptionist is usually a person working remotely. An answering service can be people or software. Both answer. Neither fixes your website or Google profile.
Does the Ghost answer every call?
No. It answers missed and after-hours calls. Calls you pick up stay with you.
If I switch or stop, what do I keep?
Everything. You own the site, the accounts and the data, even if you stop Ghost Care. You keep your business number, your domains, your Google Business Profile and your social accounts. Everything is exportable or self-hostable.
Can I use Ghost Care without the install?
Yes. On its own, Ghost Care is ongoing support and maintenance of the tools you already use, by an expert who knows the trades. $497/mo, no contract, cancel any month.
When should I NOT buy Service Ghost?
When your site and Google profile already convert and you just need the phone answered. Then a phone-only service is cheaper.
Illustrative photo3x in one year: $50K to $150K.
Kendrick, Grow Moringa
Not a contractor. Kendrick was making $50K a year. We focused his offer and positioning, and he made $150K the next year.
Related: Ghost System · Pricing · Plumbing · Free scorecard
Stop losing jobs to voicemail.
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