Human receptionist or AI receptionist: which to choose in Quebec?

Published October 14, 2026

How was this comparison made?

On October 14, 2026, we read the public pages of Soluvox, Communication LGP and Smith.ai (home, services, plans, privacy policy) and noted what they state. The cost of an employee comes from the Government of Canada’s Job Bank: it is a published hourly wage, which we convert to a monthly cost at 40 hours a week. That calculation is ours, not an amount published by the source, and it leaves out employer costs. Each table cell links to the page consulted and its date; what is not published is written “not published”. Prices change: check the provider’s page before deciding.

What is the difference between a human receptionist and an AI receptionist?

A human receptionist answers one call at a time, during the hours she works, and judges on the spot what to say to an angry or worried caller. An AI receptionist such as ATOM Assistant answers every call according to the rules you configure, at any hour, and takes up to 5 calls at once depending on the plan. In between, call centres such as Soluvox and Communication LGP staff people day and night, which a single employee cannot do.

How much does each option cost per month?

In Quebec, Job Bank publishes an hourly wage of $16.60 to $27.00 for a receptionist, with a median of $20.00. At 40 hours a week, that comes to about $2,900 to $4,700 a month, before employer costs, vacation and replacements. Quebec’s bilingual human services publish no amount. Smith.ai shows its prices in US dollars. ATOM Assistant shows $179 to $499 a month, with a 14-day trial.

Who books the appointments, and what happens to Law 25?

The three human services and ATOM Assistant all book appointments. The table shows with which tool, and what each one publishes about where personal information is processed.

Law 25 does not depend on the model chosen: whether the voice is human or artificial, a caller’s information is personal information. In both cases, section 17 of the act respecting the protection of personal information in the private sector requires an assessment before information is disclosed outside Quebec. See the Law 25 guide and the definition of a privacy impact assessment.

When is a person better than an AI?

A person is safer when the call calls for judgment, empathy or an exception to your rules. These situations are hard to program:

• A customer who is angry, distressed or grieving and needs to be heard before being informed
• A price negotiation or a complex sale, where every answer commits your business
• Work beyond the phone, such as counter reception, mail or filing
• An unusual request that your rules did not foresee

When is an AI receptionist enough?

• Calls outside opening hours, evenings and weekends
• Peaks when several calls arrive at once, up to 5 depending on the plan
• Repetitive questions: hours, address, rates, availability
• Appointment booking against open slots, with a confirmation text message
• A budget that does not allow one more position: see the pricing

Can you combine a person and an AI?

Yes, and it is often the best starting point. With conditional call forwarding, unanswered calls go to the AI agent without changing your number; the agent takes a message, books an appointment or transfers to a person on your team according to your rules. The guide on keeping your number explains the steps with Bell, Vidéotron, Telus and Rogers. Smith.ai sells both models: its AI reception can transfer the call to a human agent in its network. smith.ai/pricing/ai-receptionist, Oct. 14, 2026 To compare Quebec’s AI voice agents with one another, see the main comparison.