The question isn't "AI or human." The question is: what does each option actually cost — and what does each option leave on the table? Here's the full breakdown, including the costs most practice managers don't account for.
What a UK dental receptionist actually costs
The salary is only the beginning. When you add employer obligations, the true annual cost of a part-time dental receptionist working 20 hours per week is significantly higher than the number on the job advert.
| Cost item | Annual cost |
|---|---|
| Salary (part-time, 20hrs/wk) | £13,000–£16,000 |
| Employer NI contributions | £1,100–£1,500 |
| Pension contributions (3% min) | £390–£480 |
| Holiday pay (28 days statutory) | ~£1,500 |
| Sick leave (average 6 days/yr) | ~£600 |
| Training and onboarding | £500–£2,000 (first year) |
| Recruitment cost | £1,500–£3,000 (avg. every 18 months) |
| Total annual cost | £18,590–£24,980 |
This is for a part-time receptionist working 20 hours per week. A full-time equivalent adds another £12,000–£18,000. And this is before you account for the calls they miss while they're working.
What AI covers that a part-time receptionist cannot
A part-time receptionist working 20 hours per week is off for 148 hours. That's 148 hours of unmanned phones every single week.
| Coverage window | AI Receptionist | Part-time human |
|---|---|---|
| Monday–Friday 9am–5pm | ||
| Evenings (6pm–10pm) | ||
| Weekends | ||
| Bank holidays | ||
| During clinical sessions | Often ✗ | |
| Simultaneous calls | Unlimited | 1 |
| Sick days per year | 0 | ~6 |
The hidden cost comparison: missed revenue
A part-time receptionist working 20 hours per week misses 30–40% of all calls during the 148 hours per week they're not present. An AI receptionist misses less than 2% — only calls where the caller hangs up in under 3 seconds.
Calls missed by part-time human (per week): ~30
Calls missed by AI receptionist (per week): ~1
Difference in missed calls per week: 29 calls
× Booking conversion rate: 60%
× Average appointment value: £150
= £2,610/week in additional recovered revenue
= £135,720/year
The AI receptionist isn't replacing the human — it's covering the hours the human can't. At £197–£997/month (VocoClinic's range), it recovers orders of magnitude more than it costs.
When human receptionists are irreplaceable
This is not an argument against human receptionists. There are interactions where a trained human is not just better — they're essential:
- Complex treatment discussions requiring clinical context
- Anxious patients who need reassurance before booking
- Complaints and sensitive situations
- Paediatric enquiries where parental reassurance matters
- Patients with language barriers or accessibility needs
- End-of-treatment reviews and long-term care planning
The hybrid model is the right answer for most practices: AI handles volume (routine bookings, missed call recovery, out-of-hours enquiries), humans handle nuance (in-clinic experience, complex cases). This is not a zero-sum competition.
The real comparison: AI as supplementary, not replacement
The majority of VocoClinic practices use the AI alongside their existing reception team — not instead of it. The AI answers calls that come in after hours, during peak clinical hours, or when all receptionists are with patients.
The saving isn't the receptionist's salary. It's the revenue recovered from the calls that would have been missed anyway — whether or not you have a receptionist working that day.
For a 2-surgery practice missing 45 calls per week, recovering 40 of those at £150 average appointment value represents £312,000 in additional annual revenue. The question of whether AI costs less than a receptionist becomes irrelevant when the ROI is at this scale.
See our pricing for UK dental practices
Plans start at £197/month. No setup fees. No annual contracts.
View Pricing Plans