AI phone answering for UK small businesses
Every call answered, and the job booked
Voco answers your business phone calls with an AI receptionist that takes the caller's details, answers questions from your own information and books the job into your calendar. You keep your existing number and choose when Voco picks up: every call, only when you are busy, or outside your hours.
Pay as you go at 29p a minute, billed by the second. No contract.
- CallerYes please.
Voco phone answering at a glance
- Hours
- Answers 24 hours a day, every day of the year
- Your number
- Keep it and forward calls to Voco
- Price
- 29p a minute pay as you go, billed by the second
- Bookings
- Cal.com during the call; Google, Outlook and Apple Calendar sync shortly after
- Hand-over
- Urgent calls put straight through to your mobile
Answering modes
When does Voco answer your calls?
Voco answers your calls in one of four modes that you choose and can switch at any time from your dashboard: all calls, only when you are busy, only outside business hours, or when you are busy and outside hours.
From ring to outcome
What happens when a customer rings?
A call to Voco goes through four steps: the phone rings, Voco checks your rules, Voco answers and books, and you get the outcome on WhatsApp and in your dashboard.
Transfer rules
When does a call reach you directly?
Voco follows one transfer rule on every call until you change it: always try to transfer, urgent calls only, during scheduled hours only, or never transfer. You decide what counts as urgent.
- 14:05Burst pipe, water coming through the ceilingPut through to you
- 11:20How much is a boiler service?Voco answers
- 20:30Existing customer asking for you by nameMessage taken
After every call
What do you get after every call?
After every call Voco answers, you get a log entry with the transcript, the recording, a label for what the call was about and the outcome, all searchable in one dashboard.
Call log
Who called, when, for how long and the outcome, at a glance.Transcript
Read any call like a text thread, without listening to all of it.Call playback
Listen to the exact words for a quote, a complaint or a booking.Call types
Each call is labelled as an enquiry, booking, callback request or emergency.Call analysis
Patterns across your calls, not just single conversations.Callback list
Mark a call for follow-up, assign it and clear it when done.Notes
Notes stay attached to the call record for you and your team.
- Booked a boiler service for Tue 27 May, 10:00. Customer confirmed their callback number.
"Before Voco, I had no idea what was said when I missed a call. Now I can read exactly what the customer asked for before I ring back."
Compare
Is AI phone answering better than voicemail or an answering service?
For most UK small businesses, Voco answers and books more calls than voicemail and costs less than 24/7 cover from a human answering service, while urgent calls still reach you directly.
| Voco | Voicemail | Answering service | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Answers every call | 24 hours, every day | Records a message | Depends on the plan |
| Books the job during the call | Yes, into your diary | No | On some plans |
| Answers questions about your business | From your own information | No | From a script |
| Puts urgent calls through | Yes, by your rule | No | Yes |
| Cost | 29p a minute, billed by the second | Free | £25 - £50 a month for entry plans, £200 or more for 24/7 cover 1 |
| Contract | Month to month | None | Moneypenny: 3-month minimum on smaller schemes 1 |
1. Moneypenny, Telephone answering service guide for UK businesses (2026): prices and contract terms as published by Moneypenny.
Setup
How do you set up AI phone answering?
You set up Voco phone answering in three steps: choose a mode, forward your existing number, then ring it to hear Voco answer.
- 01
Choose a mode and your hours
Pick when Voco answers and set your business hours and transfer rule in the dashboard.
- 02
Forward your number
Divert calls from your existing number to your Voco number: every call, or only the ones you miss.
- 03
Ring it and listen
Call your own number from another phone and hear Voco answer as your business.
Questions about AI phone answering
Something else? Ring 0333 043 6661 and ask Voco directly.
Answers at 2am. Doesn't ask for overtime.
Hear Voco answer a call
Ring 0333 043 6661 and talk to Voco now, or set up your own AI front office today.