Hire a receptionist
About $3,150 a month
For 40 hours a week. That’s Chattanooga’s median receptionist pay plus payroll tax, before benefits. Nobody covers lunch, sick days, nights, or weekends.
Too expensive for most small shops.
Answering service
Takes a message
Someone reads a script, writes down a name and number, and sends it to you. You still have to call back, and by then the caller may have hired someone else. Many charge by the minute.
Too little.
NoogaBytes AI Voice
Handles the call
Answers every call, any hour. It answers questions, qualifies the caller, routes them to the right person, transfers emergencies, texts next steps, and writes up the intake.
$250/mo for the first year, after a $1,500 setup.
Your whole first year costs about what a receptionist costs you in six weeks.
Receptionist cost: Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025 median wage for the Chattanooga metro ($16.86 an hour), plus the employer’s 7.65% payroll tax.