AI receptionist for UK businesses
An AI receptionist that answers every call, 24/7
Narvin picks up on the first ring, sounds natural, answers from your own information and books appointments straight into your calendar. Priced in pounds, set up in a day, with UK GDPR controls built in.
Last reviewed
AI receptionist: Hi, this is River Medical. I’m the practice’s AI assistant. How can I help today?
Caller: I’d like to book an appointment with Dr Chen, please.
AI receptionist: Of course. May I have your full name and date of birth?
Caller: Sarah Mitchell, 15 March 1988.
AI receptionist: Thanks, Sarah. Is this a routine check-up, or something specific?
Caller: Just a check-up. I’m due for my annual.
Illustrative example · fictional business
Never miss a call
Lunchtimes, evenings, weekends and busy periods — several calls at once.
Answers from your content
Prices, hours, services and policies come from documents you upload.
Books and captures
Appointments into your calendar, messages and callback requests to your team.
The problem
Why UK businesses move to an AI receptionist
- 01
Calls to small businesses often go unanswered at peak times and after hours, and many callers do not leave a voicemail.
- 02
A full-time receptionist costs a salary plus employer costs, and still only covers office hours.
- 03
Answering services charge per call or per minute but cannot book into your calendar or answer detailed questions.
By the numbers
See all industry statistics- of UK adults would phone to book an appointment, against 28% who would use an online form
- 49%
- Source: Whistl, 2026 update
- UK businesses employ staff. The other three in four are run by their owners alone
- 1.4m
- Source: Department for Business and Trade, 2 October 2025
- of customers would prefer companies did not use AI for service. Their top worry is not reaching a person
- 64%
- Source: Gartner, 9 July 2024
How it works
From set-up to live calls
No code and no new phone system. Most teams are live within a day.
- 01
Choose the receptionist template
Add your business name, greeting and the questions it should ask.
- 02
Upload your information
Price lists, FAQs, services and opening hours become the agent’s knowledge.
- 03
Connect your number
Use a Twilio number, or forward your existing line to it.
- 04
Review every call
Transcripts and AI summaries arrive in your dashboard and inbox.
What it does
What the agent handles for you
- 01
Appointment booking
Offers real slots from Google Calendar and confirms them.
- 02
Message taking
Captures name, number and reason for calling and sends it to the right person.
- 03
FAQ answers
Grounded in your documents, with the option to say “I’ll get someone to call you”.
- 04
After-hours and overflow
Answer only when you are closed or busy, or every call — you choose.
- 05
Several lines at once
Up to 3 concurrent calls on Pro and 10 on Growing.
- 06
Call summaries
Optional AI analysis with topics, sentiment and action items after each call.
Plans from £0 a month plus usage, typically £0.42 per minute. Every feature on every plan.
See pricingHow much does an AI receptionist cost in the UK?
Narvin’s price has two parts: a monthly plan (Free £0, Pro £99 or Growing £199) and usage from prepaid credits, typically £0.42 per minute. A practice that takes 250 two-minute calls a month on Pro would pay about £99 + £210 = £309 before VAT — less than a part-time receptionist, and it answers around the clock.
Every plan includes the same features. Plans differ only by how many calls can run at once and how much storage is included.
AI receptionist or virtual answering service?
A human answering service is good for warm, unscripted conversations but usually takes a message and little else. An AI receptionist can check your calendar, book the slot, answer detailed questions from your documents and send structured data to your CRM — at any hour, for every caller at once.
Many businesses use both: Narvin for every call, with anything sensitive passed to a person through a callback or ticket.
FAQ
Common questions
Straight answers. If yours is not here, email us and a person will reply.
Will callers know it is an AI?
Narvin uses natural synthetic voices and handles interruptions, so conversations feel fluid. We recommend the agent says it is an AI assistant in its greeting — callers appreciate the honesty and it is good practice under transparency rules.
Can I keep my existing business number?
Yes. You can connect a number through Twilio or forward your existing line to a Twilio number assigned to Narvin, so callers keep dialling the number they already know.
What happens when a caller needs a person?
The agent takes a message, books a callback or creates a task, and passes the caller’s details to your team by email, Slack or webhook, with the full transcript in Logs, so nobody has to ask the caller to repeat themselves. Live call transfer is on the roadmap.
Where to next
- For managersBuild the business caseA cost model, the KPIs to track and a 90-day rollout plan you can take to your board.Continue
- CostsWork out your monthly costPlans from £0 plus usage from prepaid credits, with worked examples and a calculator.Continue
- Set upGo live in a dayThe step-by-step help article for your first agent, number and knowledge base.Continue
Put an AI agent on your phones this week
Start on the Free plan, hear a sample call first, or let our team set it up with you.