# AI receptionist: hire-or-fire checklist
From Hourwiz: https://hourwiz.com/v/ai-receptionist-hire
Our opinion and a workflow, not legal or financial advice. List prices checked 2026-10-08: re-check before you buy.

Hire it ON PROBATION, as your after-hours and overflow answerer, not your front desk.
Keep it only if all three are true:

[ ] 1. IT CAN HAND YOU THE EMERGENCY.
       Your plan transfers a call to a human, or alerts you, when a caller says words like
       "emergency", "no heat" or "burst pipe". Check the exact plan tier, not just the product.

[ ] 2. THE GREETING SAYS IT'S AI AND THAT THE CALL IS RECORDED.
       Some US states require everyone's consent to record a call; EU AI Act transparency rules
       apply from August 2026. Not legal advice: check your state and your provider.

[ ] 3. YOU KNOW YOUR METER.
       Count your monthly calls and average call length, then price it on the meter the product uses:
       per call, per minute, or per unique caller.

FIRE IT if your plan can't put a burst-pipe call through to you.

My numbers:
- Calls per month: ______
- Average call length (minutes): ______
- Minutes per month (calls x length): ______
- Plan that covers it, and its price: ______
- Does that plan transfer to a human? Y / N