You cannot answer the phone with your hands in a switchboard or under a sink. So calls go unanswered, and a caller who gets nothing usually rings the next tradie on the list. There are three common fixes: an AI receptionist, a human answering service, and missed-call text-back. They solve the same problem in very different ways and at very different prices. This guide lays out what each one does, what the Australian versions cost, and when each one is worth it. We sell one of the three, so we have tried to be fair to the other two.
The three options in one line each
- AI receptionist. A computer voice answers the call, talks to the caller, asks about the job and, on most products, books it into your calendar.
- Human answering service. A real person answers in your business name, takes a message or books the job, and passes it on to you.
- Missed-call text-back. Nobody answers. When you don't pick up, the caller gets a text from you within seconds, replies when it suits them, and you take it from there.
What they cost in Australia
These are the prices the makers published on their own sites when we checked in October 2026. Prices change, so check their site before you decide.
| Product | What it is | Price they publish |
|---|---|---|
| ServiceM8 Phone, Connect Plus | Business phone system with an AI Phone Agent that answers calls, for ServiceM8 users | A$49 per month including GST, 500 call minutes, then 8c a minute |
| Skedy | AI that answers your calls | A$250 per month plus GST, about 125 calls, free setup |
| TradePA | AI receptionist | A$249 per month plus a A$250 setup fee, up to 150 minutes per month |
| MissedCalls.com.au Reception | AI receptionist, 24/7, books into your calendar | A$399 per month |
| Sophiie | AI receptionist for trades: answers, books jobs, sends quotes and invoices | Not published on their site; they offer a demo |
| BizEdge | Missed-call text-back | From A$39 per month plus GST |
We have not listed human answering services because we could not find published prices we can vouch for. Ask two or three for a quote.
For the text-back tools side by side (BizEdge, Tradie Texts and ServiceM8 Phone, every fact linked to its source), see our missed-call text-back comparison.
When an AI receptionist is worth it
An AI receptionist earns its money when the call itself is the job and nobody is free to take it:
- You get a lot of calls, enough that ringing every caller back eats your evening.
- You want jobs booked straight into a calendar without touching them. Text-back won't do this; most of the receptionists above say they will.
- Callers need an answer on the spot, like a price range, your service area or your hours, and you are happy for a computer to give it.
- You already run ServiceM8. Its AI Phone Agent sits inside the phone plan you may already pay for, so it is worth a look before anything else.
The trade-offs: the caller is talking to a computer voice, and not every caller wants that. Many of these products run calls through their own number, so you divert or port yours to it. Several charge by the minute or cap the calls, so a busy month can cost more. And you are trusting it to talk about your business the way you would.
When a human answering service is worth it
A person on the phone is the right call when:
- You do emergency work and a caller with a burst pipe or no power needs a human straight away.
- Your customers expect a receptionist, like property managers, builders or commercial clients.
- Someone has to run the diary during office hours: booking, moving jobs, chasing confirmations.
The trade-off is cost: you are paying for a person's time. Get quotes and set them against the table above.
The case for missed-call text-back
Most tradies don't need the call answered. They need the caller to stay with them until they can ring back. That is what a text does:
- The caller replies at their own pace. No hold music and no menu. They tell you their name, suburb and the job when it suits them, often while you are still on the tools.
- No robot trying to hold a conversation. The caller hears a short message that you are on the tools, then gets a plain text in your name.
- You keep the conversation. You read what they said and you decide who to ring first. A good customer talks to you, not a script.
- You keep your number. Customers ring the number they always have. Only the calls you don't answer get sent across.
- It is the cheapest in the table above. BizEdge is from A$39 a month plus GST, month to month, and billing only starts the day your first missed call gets a text back.
What text-back won't do
So you can decide with the full picture:
- It doesn't answer the call or book the job. You still ring or text the caller back yourself. BizEdge has an inbox where you read every reply and can text back from your BizEdge number.
- It can't text a landline or a withheld number. You still get an alert when one rings.
- It needs your phone to divert missed calls. That works on Telstra, Optus and Vodafone plans and most brands on their networks, but some prepaid services can't divert at all.
- The text to your caller carries words only. No links in it (the alert you get has a link to the conversation), and if a caller sends a photo it isn't passed on, so ask them to describe the job.
If those are deal breakers, an AI receptionist or a person on the phone is the better fit, and that is fine.
A quick way to choose
- Missing a handful of calls a day, happy to ring back after the job: missed-call text-back.
- Missing more calls than you can ring back, and you want them booked in: an AI receptionist.
- Emergency work, or customers who expect a person: a human answering service.
- Not sure: start with text-back. It is the cheapest to try, you can see what your missed callers actually want, and that tells you whether you need more.
Try it before you decide
Setup is a few standard codes on your mobile, keyed in once, then a test call. Here is how to set up missed-call text-back on Telstra, Optus and Vodafone, including which prepaid brands can't divert. Want to hear it first? Ring our demo line from your own mobile: it answers straight away, plays the short message your callers would hear, and a few seconds later the sample text arrives on your mobile.