What should I look for in an AI receptionist for my trade business?

Check whether it only answers the phone or also follows up quotes and chases invoices, what it costs per month all-in, whether there’s a lock-in contract and who sets it up. Then ring it yourself with a real call from your trade before you pay.

How much does AI for a trade business cost per month in Australia?

Most AI receptionist apps cost about A$49 to A$399 a month and mainly answer and book. LeadAI’s Growth plan is 5 AI staff for $3,040 a year plus GST, about $253 a month paid yearly, or $950 a quarter. Starter, 1 AI staff member for reception, is about $200 a month paid yearly.

Are call minutes extra with an AI receptionist?

Often, so ask how many minutes or calls are included and the rate after that. On LeadAI Growth and up, inbound calls are unlimited (fair use) with set outbound hours each month, and calls past that are $0.35 a minute inbound and $0.55 a minute outbound.

Do AI receptionists lock you into a contract?

Some do, so ask before you sign and work out what leaving early would cost. LeadAI has no 12-month contract and no exit fee, and you can cancel any time.

Where is my customer data stored with AI?

It depends on the provider, so ask each one directly. With LeadAI, primary storage of customer data is in Australia.

Can AI follow up quotes and chase invoices, or only answer calls?

Many AI receptionists only answer and book. LeadAI’s Emily follows up enquiries and quotes you’ve sent, and Carol chases deposits, invoices and overdue amounts, while pricing, discounts, disputes and payment plans stay with you.

What happens if a customer wants to speak to a real person?

Ask every provider this. With LeadAI, anything urgent is texted to you straight away, and anything outside the rules you’ve approved comes back to you.

Does LeadAI integrate with Xero or MYOB?

Xero, QuickBooks and MYOB connections are rolling out. Calendar and email integration are included on Growth and up today.

How to Choose AI for a Trade Business: 10 Questions

The short answer

Before you buy AI for a trade business, ask ten things: does it only answer the phone or also follow up quotes and chase invoices, what does it cost per month all-in, is there a lock-in, who sets it up, where is your data stored, what happens when a customer wants a person, can you hear it first, what does it connect to, how does it stop when a customer says no or pays, and does it suit your trade’s calls. Most AI receptionist apps cost about A$49 to A$399 a month and only answer and book. LeadAI’s Growth plan is 5 AI staff that answer calls, follow up quotes and chase invoices for $3,040 a year plus GST, about $253 a month paid yearly, with no lock-in contract.

Why it pays to ask first

In OpenAI-commissioned research reported in September 2026, owners who weren’t using AI yet gave four main reasons: data privacy (39%), the quality of what it produces (35%), not knowing which tools to use (30%) and not knowing enough about AI (29%). Every one of those is a question you can put to a provider before you pay.

The same research found 45% of Australian construction businesses surveyed had lost work because of slow responses. So the right AI is worth having. The wrong one is a monthly bill that still leaves the follow-up to you.

The 10 questions

Ask every provider these, and listen for a straight answer
Question	Why it matters	A good answer sounds like
1. Does it only answer the phone, or also follow up quotes and chase invoices?	Most AI receptionists answer and book, then stop. The quote and the invoice are still your job.	A clear list of jobs it does end to end, and which plan each one is on.
2. What does it cost per month, all-in?	Call minutes, phone numbers, setup fees and add-ons can sit outside the headline price.	One monthly figure, plus exactly what’s included and the per-minute rate past that.
3. Is there a lock-in?	A 12-month contract means you pay for a year before you know it works.	No minimum term, no exit fee, cancel any time.
4. Who sets it up?	If it’s you, it’s another app to learn and keep up to date.	They set it up around your business, your rules and your trade.
5. Where is my customers’ data stored?	Your customers’ names, numbers and addresses are going into it.	A plain answer on where it’s stored and who can see it.
6. What happens when a customer wants a person?	Some callers will want you, and some calls are urgent.	Urgent jobs reach you straight away, and anything outside its rules comes back to you.
7. Can I hear it before I buy?	A demo video isn’t a phone call.	A number you can ring right now and talk to it like a customer.
8. What does it connect to?	If it doesn’t reach your calendar or accounts, you’re copying things across by hand.	A straight list of what connects today and what’s still coming.
9. How does it stop when a customer says no or pays?	Chasing someone who has paid or said no costs you the customer, and can break the rules.	Opt-outs taken off, no-thanks respected, and paid accounts checked before any reminder.
10. Does it suit my trade’s calls?	A burst pipe and a kitchen quote are very different calls.	It’s set up for the calls your trade gets, and you can test it with one.

Question 2 in detail: work out the real monthly cost

Prices get quoted per call, per minute, per month, per quarter and per year. Get every option into one monthly figure, then add what sits outside the headline price. Ask for these in writing:

The plan price per month, and whether it includes GST.
How many calls or minutes are included, and the rate per minute after that.
Whether outbound calls (follow-ups and reminders) cost extra or aren’t offered at all.
Phone number fees, SMS fees and any setup fee.
Add-ons you’d need for the job you actually want done, like quote follow-up or invoice reminders.

Typical monthly costs in Australia, 2026
Option	Typical cost	What you get
Human answering service, messages only	About $255 to $413 a month at 100 calls	A message or a transfer. You still ring everyone back
Human answering service, booking jobs	About $937 a month at 100 three-minute calls (estimate)	Jobs booked into your diary while on the call
AI receptionist app	Mostly A$49 to A$399 a month	Calls answered 24/7 and booked. Few follow anything up
LeadAI Starter (1 AI staff, reception)	$750 a quarter (about $250 a month) or $2,400 a year (about $200 a month) + GST	Every call and text answered, 24/7. 250 inbound conversations a month
LeadAI Growth (5 AI staff)	$950 a quarter (about $317 a month) or $3,040 a year (about $253 a month) + GST	Calls, enquiries, quote follow-up, invoices and payments, reviews and a personal assistant

Answering service figures are our estimates from published Australian per-call and per-minute prices, plus GST. AI receptionist range from published Australian pricing pages, checked 10 November 2026. The cost guide shows the maths.

On LeadAI Growth and up, inbound calls are unlimited (fair use) and 6 to 8 outbound hours a month are included on Growth. Past that, calls are $0.35 a minute inbound and $0.55 a minute outbound, billed per second. Phone numbers are $12.50 a month per agent, with the first month free.

Question 3 in detail: lock-in and contract terms

If there is a minimum term, work out what you’d pay if you wanted out in month two. Read the cancellation and price-change terms too. Since 9 November 2023, unfair terms in standard form contracts with small businesses have been illegal, not just unenforceable, but it’s far easier to pick a provider without the trap than to argue about it later.

Question 5 in detail: your customers’ data

Under the Privacy Act, most businesses with an annual turnover of $3 million or less are exempt, though some small businesses are covered regardless, such as health service providers and businesses that trade in personal information. Exempt or not, your customers expect their details to be looked after.

Ask any provider where customer data is stored, who can listen to call recordings, and how you get your data out if you leave.

Question 9 in detail: how it stops

AI that follows up has to follow the same rules you do. Ask the provider how it handles each of these:

Spam Act: commercial texts and emails need consent, must say who they’re from and need a working opt-out such as “reply STOP”. Opt-outs must be honoured within 5 business days.
Calling hours: the telemarketing standard allows calls from 9am to 8pm on weekdays and 9am to 5pm on Saturdays, with no calls on Sundays or national public holidays unless the customer agreed.
Chasing money: the ACCC and ASIC debt collection guideline applies to businesses collecting their own debts. It allows no more than 3 contacts a week, or 10 a month, per account.
A plain “no thanks” should end the follow-up, and a paid invoice should end the reminders.

How to test any AI before you pay

Ring it yourself with a real call from your trade: a leaking hot water system, a switchboard upgrade, a fence quote.
Ask it for a price. Unless you’ve given it your prices, it shouldn’t make one up.
Say you want to talk to the owner, and see what happens next.
Ask it to stop contacting you, and check that it does.
Read the call summary that comes through. Is it what you’d have written down?

How LeadAI answers these

Here are our own answers to the same ten questions, including where we’re not there yet.

LeadAI’s answers to the 10 questions
Question	LeadAI’s answer
1. Only the phone?	No. Anna answers every call and text. On Growth, Emily follows up enquiries and quotes you’ve sent, Carol chases deposits and overdue invoices, Jenny checks customers are happy after the job, and SAM writes quotes and invoices while you talk them through. Zoe and Mia are on Scale and up.
2. All-in monthly cost	Growth: $950 a quarter or $3,040 a year + GST, about $253 a month paid yearly. Starter: $750 a quarter or $2,400 a year + GST. Calls past the included amounts are $0.35 a minute inbound and $0.55 outbound. Phone numbers are $12.50 a month per agent, first month free.
3. Lock-in	None. No 12-month contract, no exit fee, cancel any time. Paying yearly saves 20%.
4. Who sets it up	We do. We set your AI staff up around your business. There’s no dashboard for you to learn.
5. Data	Primary storage of customer data is in Australia. LeadAI Pty Ltd is an Australian company based in Melbourne, VIC.
6. A customer wants a person	Your AI staff work to your rules. Anything urgent is texted to you straight away, and anything outside what you’ve approved, like pricing, discounts, disputes or a technical call, comes back to you.
7. Hear it first	Ring Emily on 0468 199 598 any time and hear it yourself.
8. What it connects to	Calendar and email integration on Growth and up, plus a mobile app and a customer record that updates itself. Xero, QuickBooks and MYOB connections are rolling out.
9. How it stops	Emily keeps following up until it’s a yes or a no, and anyone who says no or opts out is taken off. Carol sends only the reminders you’ve approved and checks what’s been paid. You set the wording, the timing and how often they follow up.
10. Suits your trade	Your AI staff are set up with your information, your rules and the calls your trade gets. Ring Emily with a call from your trade and judge for yourself.

Where LeadAI stops, and what isn’t ready yet

Pricing, scope, discounts and commercial terms always stay with you. Emily follows quotes up; she never writes them or sets prices.
SAM writes quotes and invoices by voice for you. He never speaks to your customers.
Disputes, payment plans, refunds and write-offs go back to you.
Technical advice, safety calls and anything that needs your licence stay with you.
Xero, QuickBooks and MYOB connections are rolling out, not finished.
Rachel, a dedicated appointment confirmations staff member, is rolling out. Today, confirmation and reminder texts are part of the follow-up work.

Questions people ask

What should I look for in an AI receptionist for my trade business?: Check whether it only answers the phone or also follows up quotes and chases invoices, what it costs per month all-in, whether there’s a lock-in contract and who sets it up. Then ring it yourself with a real call from your trade before you pay.
How much does AI for a trade business cost per month in Australia?: Most AI receptionist apps cost about A$49 to A$399 a month and mainly answer and book. LeadAI’s Growth plan is 5 AI staff for $3,040 a year plus GST, about $253 a month paid yearly, or $950 a quarter. Starter, 1 AI staff member for reception, is about $200 a month paid yearly.
Are call minutes extra with an AI receptionist?: Often, so ask how many minutes or calls are included and the rate after that. On LeadAI Growth and up, inbound calls are unlimited (fair use) with set outbound hours each month, and calls past that are $0.35 a minute inbound and $0.55 a minute outbound.
Do AI receptionists lock you into a contract?: Some do, so ask before you sign and work out what leaving early would cost. LeadAI has no 12-month contract and no exit fee, and you can cancel any time.
Where is my customer data stored with AI?: It depends on the provider, so ask each one directly. With LeadAI, primary storage of customer data is in Australia.
Can AI follow up quotes and chase invoices, or only answer calls?: Many AI receptionists only answer and book. LeadAI’s Emily follows up enquiries and quotes you’ve sent, and Carol chases deposits, invoices and overdue amounts, while pricing, discounts, disputes and payment plans stay with you.
What happens if a customer wants to speak to a real person?: Ask every provider this. With LeadAI, anything urgent is texted to you straight away, and anything outside the rules you’ve approved comes back to you.
Does LeadAI integrate with Xero or MYOB?: Xero, QuickBooks and MYOB connections are rolling out. Calendar and email integration are included on Growth and up today.

Sources

More guides

What is AI staff? AI staff vs an AI receptionist vs an AI agent
Plain definitions of AI staff, AI receptionists, chatbots and AI agents, side by side, with what each does and what it costs.
How much does an AI receptionist cost in Australia? (2026 prices)
Monthly price ranges, how plans are capped, the fees that aren’t in the headline price, a worked example at 120 calls a month, and what to ask before you sign.
Receptionist, answering service, VA or AI: what each really costs in Australia in 2026
Award wages, answering service per-call fees, offshore VA rates and AI plans, side by side, with the maths shown.
Which office jobs can a tradie hand to AI in 2026, and which to keep
Job by job: what AI can take off your plate today, what should stay with you, and how to start without losing control.
How to follow up a quote without being pushy
When to follow up, what to say word for word, and the Spam Act and calling rules every follow-up text, email and call has to meet.
How to chase unpaid invoices as a tradie in Australia
Reminder timings that work, the contact rules you have to stay inside, letters of demand, Security of Payment and small claims limits by state.

How to choose AI for a trade business: 10 questions to ask before you buy