What’s a virtual receptionist and why use one?

Published 9 hours ago

A virtual receptionist is a trained professional who answers your business calls from a remote location. They greet callers in your business name, take messages, transfer calls and handle enquiries – giving your customers the same experience they’d get from an in-house receptionist, without the cost of a full-time hire. Explore what a virtual receptionist does, how such a service works and what it costs.

A virtual receptionist is a trained professional who answers your business calls from a remote location. Explore what they can do, how it works and what a virtual reception service costs.

For Australian businesses – whether you’re a sole trader, a growing practice or a multi-site organisation – a virtual receptionist can be the difference between missing important calls and ensuring there’s always a friendly, professional voice available to answer.

While there are more than 2.7 million small businesses operating in Australia, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the fact is that most simply can’t justify the cost of a full-time receptionist. A virtual receptionist is a flexible, affordable alternative.

How does a virtual receptionist work?

The setup is simple. You divert your phone line to the number that your virtual reception service provider gives you. This can be all the time, only when you’re busy, or just after hours – you choose.

When a call comes through, a receptionist answers using your business name and your preferred greeting. From there, they follow the instructions you’ve set up. That might mean taking a message and sending it to you by email or SMS, transferring certain types of calls to the right person on your team, escalating urgent matters to designated contacts, answering common questions about your services, hours or location, or booking an appointment into your calendar software.

With leading providers you can manage everything through an online portal – updating your availability, adding team members, adjusting your greeting or checking your call history. OfficeHQ’s customer portal, redesigned in late 2025, gives you clear visibility across calls, usage and billing from a single dashboard.

As OfficeHQ CEO and founder David Atkinson puts it: “Our people and technology are the core of our business. We’re always on the lookout for better ways to do things and innovate.”

It’s a combination that means the experience keeps improving for both the business owner and their callers.

Our client portal

What can a virtual receptionist handle?

This depends on the service level you choose. At the most basic level, a virtual receptionist takes messages and passes them on. But many businesses need more than that.

A more comprehensive virtual receptionist service can transfer calls to specific team members based on who the caller needs, answer frequently asked questions so routine enquiries don’t interrupt your day, provide information about your services, fees or business hours, and follow custom call scripts for specific scenarios like new client intake.

Some services go further again. At OfficeHQ, for example, on our call-answering virtual assistant plans we can input leads into your CRM, process payments, submit online forms, manage call escalation protocols, and handle more complex call flows. Our diary management service books, reschedules and cancels appointments using your preferred online calendar or practice management software.

The key point is that a virtual receptionist isn’t one-size-fits-all. The right service matches how your business actually operates.

Will callers know they’re not speaking to someone in my office?

This is one of the first things most business owners ask, and it’s a fair question. The short answer is no – a good virtual receptionist service is designed to be seamless.

Your receptionist answers with your business name and a greeting you’ve chosen. They have access to the information you’ve provided about your business, your team and how you want calls handled. From the caller’s perspective, it’s like they’re speaking to someone at your front desk.

The experience does depend on the provider, though. This is where the quality of the reception team matters. Providers with well-trained, professional receptionists deliver a very different experience to a call centre that’s offshore and/or rotating through a large pool of agents.

Why do Australian businesses use virtual receptionists?

There are practical and financial reasons, but the most common motivation is surprisingly simple: business owners are tired of missing calls they can’t afford to miss.

You stop losing business to voicemail

Research consistently shows that most callers won’t leave a voicemail – they’ll call the next business on their list instead. Using a virtual reception service means a real person is always available to answer, which means fewer lost leads and better first impressions.

It costs a fraction of hiring

Under the Clerks Private Sector Award (the modern award covering most receptionists in Australia), a Level 2 full-time receptionist earns a minimum base salary of around $49,000 per year. Once you add superannuation (12% from July 2025), annual leave loading, sick leave and training costs, the true cost is typically between $55,000 and $70,000 per year.

Virtual receptionist services start from as little as $25 per month. Even a comprehensive plan with call transfers, diary management and custom scripting is a fraction of the cost of an in-house hire.

Since David Atkinson founded OfficeHQ in 2003, he has seen first-hand how this model helps small businesses manage their budgets.

“By embracing pay-per-call receptionists and other PAYG services, small business owners can achieve greater cost certainty, enhance flexibility and focus on what they do best,” he says.

You get flexibility that employment can’t match

Need cover for 10 calls a week? Done. Seasonal spike coming? Scale up, then scale back down. Going on leave? Switch to full-time answering for a fortnight. With no lock-in contracts, you adjust as your business changes without being locked into a fixed cost.

Your team gets time back (or you do)

Every interruption costs more than the time it takes to answer the phone. It breaks focus, disrupts meetings and pulls people away from billable work. A virtual receptionist absorbs those interruptions so your team stays productive. If you’re a sole trader, this is even more vital!

You’re covered outside business hours

Emergencies don’t wait until 9am. Whether it’s a tenant with a burst pipe, a critical IT issue or a client in a different time zone, after-hours answering means your business is always reachable when it matters most.

Our call escalation management ensures that when urgent calls come through outside business hours, your on-call contacts are immediately notified via SMS or phone following predefined protocols, so critical issues never go unanswered.

What’s the difference between a virtual reception and message answering service?

These terms “virtual receptionist”, “virtual reception service”, “call answering service” and “message answering service” can sometimes mean the same thing. But not always!

In some instances, a “virtual receptionist”, “virtual reception service” or “call answering service” can involve just the basics: answering calls and taking messages. This is also known as a “message answering service” or “message-taking service”. An example is OfficeHQ’s MessageExpress solution.

However, a “virtual receptionist”, “virtual reception service” or “call answering service” can also include far more than just message-taking. For example, transferring calls, answering questions, following scripts, escalation management and managing appointments. Think OfficeHQ’s broader services: MyReceptionist, MyAssistant and MyDiary.

How does a virtual receptionist compare to hiring in-house?

It’s not always an either/or decision. Many businesses use a virtual receptionist alongside an in-house team – for overflow during busy periods, after-hours cover or holiday relief. But if you’re weighing up the two, here’s how they compare.

The in-house cost figures above are based on the minimum award rates published by the Fair Work Ombudsman, plus mandatory employer contributions. Actual salaries may be higher depending on location and experience.

Are virtual receptionists real people or AI?

Both exist and it’s worth understanding the difference.

Most established virtual receptionist providers – including OfficeHQ – use real, professionally trained receptionists. These are people who learn your business, build rapport with repeat callers and handle nuanced conversations that technology still struggles with.

AI-powered phone answering is a newer option. It can work well for straightforward tasks like taking messages and it’s available around the clock at a lower cost. However, it has limitations – complex enquiries, emotional callers or anything that requires judgement is better handled by a real person.

OfficeHQ is leading the way in Australia with a hybrid option. This means you can use AI to instantly answer calls, take messages, answer questions and even transfer calls, safe in the knowledge that live receptionists can seamlessly take over if the AI agent gets stuck or a caller prefers to speak with a real person.

What matters is choosing the approach that matches your callers’ expectations and the complexity of your enquiries.

What types of businesses use virtual receptionists?

Virtual receptionists are used across a wide range of industries in Australia. The Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman reports that 97.2% of Australian businesses are small businesses, many of which rely on phone calls as a primary channel for new business.

They’re particularly common in sectors where missed calls carry a real cost:

• Legal practices (where every call could be a new matter)
• Medical clinics (appointment bookings and patient enquiries)
• Allied health providers (physiotherapy, psychology, chiropractic)
• Real estate and property management (tenant maintenance, after hours escalations, buyer enquiries)
• Trades and construction (job enquiries while on site, urgent escalations)
• Financial services and accounting (client calls during tax season peaks)

But they’re used by small businesses across virtually every sector.

The common thread is straightforward: if your business relies on phone calls and you can’t always answer them, a virtual receptionist fills that gap.

What should you look for in a virtual receptionist provider?

Not all providers are the same, and the cheapest option isn’t always the best value. Here are some things worth considering before you sign up.

Where are the receptionists based?

This matters for call quality, accent familiarity and cultural understanding. Many Australian businesses prefer a provider with local receptionists who understand the market. At OfficeHQ, the vast majority of calls are answered by our reception teams based in Queensland.

Is pricing transparent?

Hidden fees are one of the biggest complaints in this industry. The ACCC encourages consumers and businesses to understand exactly what you’re paying for. Look for a provider that’s upfront about what’s included in each plan, what counts towards your call allowance and what happens if you exceed it.

Are there lock-in contracts?

Some providers require minimum terms of 6 or 12 months. Others, like OfficeHQ, operate on month-to-month plans with no cancellation fees. This gives you flexibility to adjust or cancel if your needs change.

Can you try before you commit?

A free trial is the best way to test whether a service actually works for your business. It lets you hear how receptionists handle your calls, check the speed of answer and evaluate the quality of messages you receive before making a decision. OfficeHQ offers a 7-day trial, without you needing to enter a credit card.

How consistent is the quality?

Quality can vary between providers, particularly during peak periods or after hours. Ask whether the provider has overflow capacity, how they maintain quality standards and how many years of experience their receptionists have on average.

What’s their track record?

Look for a provider with a proven history and real customer reviews.

OfficeHQ has been providing virtual receptionist services for over 22 years and holds a 4.8-star rating from 135+ Google reviews, as well as receiving many more glowing customer testimonials.

CEO David Atkinson says the company’s success comes down to a simple philosophy, “happy people, happy customers”, which shapes how the service is built – around real people who care about getting calls right.

“We firmly believe that nurturing a positive work culture, fostering employee growth and well-being, and prioritising customer satisfaction, are the keys to achieving sustainable business growth,” he says.

How much does a virtual receptionist cost in Australia?

Pricing depends on the type of service and how many calls you receive. Most providers offer tiered plans based on call volume, with a monthly base fee and a per-call or per-minute rate for additional calls.

To give you a sense of the range, here’s an overview of OfficeHQ’s call answering services:

All OfficeHQ plans come with no lock-in contracts and Australian-based customer support.

How do you get started?

Setting up a virtual receptionist is faster than most people expect. With OfficeHQ, the process looks like this:

1. Choose a plan based on your call volume and the level of service you need – or simply sign up for a free trial.
2. Set up your greeting and call handling preferences through our online portal.
3. Add your team’s contact details and availability for call transfers (if applicable).
4. Divert your phone line to the number we provide – all the time, after hours only or when your line is busy.
5. Start receiving calls.

Within a matter of minutes of activating a free trial, you can have our receptionists answering your calls!

Frequently asked questions