Off-the-shelf AI receptionist or a custom front desk?
An AI receptionist subscription answers the phone. A custom front desk answers the phone and then does the work that follows the call inside your own software. Here is how to tell which one your business needs.
Two different products for two different jobs.
| Off-the-shelf AI receptionist | 12² custom front desk | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | About $25 to $450 a month for entry plans | $6,500 + $650/mo Standard; $12,500 + $1,250/mo Intake; $15,000 + $1,500/mo Regulated |
| Set-up | Self-serve, from the vendor's templates | Built and tested by 12² on your real cases |
| Where the call ends up | In the vendor's app, or an email or text to you | Booked from your calendar; Intake also writes into your CRM, case system or field-service software |
| Rules | The options the product offers | Your rules: emergency keywords, on-call rota, price list, what gets escalated |
| Ownership | You rent the service | Code, accounts, prompts and data sit in your name |
| Acceptance | Cancel the subscription if it doesn't suit | The second 50% isn't due until the agreed test cases pass |
When each one is the right answer.
- Choose a subscription whenyou mainly need calls answered and messages taken, booking is simple, and re-typing a few messages a day into your own system is fine.
- Choose a custom front desk whencalls have to land in your own software, your rules decide what is an emergency, you need bilingual calls or after-hours rules, or legal or healthcare scripting has to be reviewed.
- Not sure?Start with the free 20-minute call. If a subscription tool fits, 12² will say so.
Front desks already set up for these trades.
- PlumbersAfter-Hours Dispatch Desk: your emergency keywords page the on-call tech with the address and a summary; routine jobs are booked into open slots. $6,500 + $650/mo.
- Salons & spasAI front desk, Standard: books, moves and confirms appointments while everyone is with a client, and quotes only from your price list. $6,500 + $650/mo.
- Law firmsAI Intake Desk: answers every new-client call, records the matter and the conflict-check details, and gives no legal advice. $12,500 + $1,250/mo.
- Dental & health practicesAI front desk, Regulated: books patients after hours, routes insurance and clinical questions to your staff, and never gives medical advice. $15,000 + $1,500/mo.
What you can count on.
- Pay the second half when it passesEvery build is paid 50% at kickoff. The second 50% isn't due until the test cases agreed in writing pass.
- A free month if the metric missesWhere the Bottleneck Map recorded a starting number, one metric is agreed for the build. If it misses its target 30 days after launch, the next Run & Improve month is free.
- You own itCode, accounts, prompts and data sit in your name. You can take the system elsewhere at any time.
- No revenue promises12² does not promise revenue, because no one outside your business controls your sales.
Straight answers.
How much does an off-the-shelf AI receptionist cost?
Published comparison tables list entry plans from about $25 to about $450 a month (checked November 2026; prices change, so check the vendor). 12² does not sell or resell these products.
When is an off-the-shelf receptionist enough?
When you mainly need calls answered, messages taken and simple bookings made, and your team is happy to re-type what it captures into your own software.
What does a 12² front desk cost?
Standard is $6,500 + $650/mo, Intake $12,500 + $1,250/mo, Regulated $15,000 + $1,500/mo. Phone minutes and AI usage are billed at cost.
Can I try a 12² front desk first?
Yes. You can call the dental, salon and law-firm demos as a customer from the demos page.
What won't the front desk do?
It quotes only what you approve, gives no legal or medical advice, and hands anything sensitive or uncertain to your staff.
Find out which one your business needs.
A few lines on what the business does and which work takes too long is enough. You get a personal reply from 12² within one business day, then a free 20-minute call.