How We Compare
The same job — done without the gaps.
Most businesses already have some way of handling calls. Here's how a fully managed AI front desk stacks up against the alternatives — fairly.
Answers every call — 24/7, after-hours & holidays
Books appointments into your calendar — not just messages
Speaks in your business's voice, with your scripts & rules
New-customer intake & qualification
Handles call spikes without hold times or busy signals
Call minutes included up front — not metered from the first second
Nothing to install, staff, train, or learn
No sick days, turnover, or hiring
Escalates to your team when a call needs a human
| Luna Front | Answering service | In-house front desk | Voicemail | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Answers every call — 24/7, after-hours & holidays | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Books appointments into your calendar — not just messages | Yes | Limited | Yes | No |
| Speaks in your business's voice, with your scripts & rules | Yes | Limited | Yes | No |
| New-customer intake & qualification | Yes | Limited | Yes | No |
| Handles call spikes without hold times or busy signals | Yes | Limited | No | No |
| Call minutes included up front — not metered from the first second | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Nothing to install, staff, train, or learn | Yes | Limited | No | Yes |
| No sick days, turnover, or hiring | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Escalates to your team when a call needs a human | Yes | Limited | Yes | No |
The Cost of the Alternative
median U.S. receptionist salary, per year
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024
— and that's one person, one shift.
Nights, weekends, lunch coverage, sick days, and turnover are all extra. Luna Front starts at $449/month — about $5,400 a year — answers every hour of every day, and never calls out.
vs. an answering service
They pick up — but they take a message and read from a shared script. Luna Front books the appointment, in your own voice, following the exact rules you set. The booking lands in your calendar; it doesn't sit in a message queue waiting for someone to call back.
The full comparison →vs. an in-house front desk
A great receptionist is invaluable, and Luna Front isn't here to replace the relationships your team builds in person. But one person can't answer mid-appointment, at midnight, or take three calls at once. Luna Front covers exactly those gaps — answering and booking when your team can't, day or night, without adding salary, benefits, or turnover.
The full comparison →vs. DIY AI receptionist tools
Self-serve AI apps are cheap — until you count your own hours. You write the prompts, test the edge cases, monitor the calls, and fix it when it misbehaves. Luna Front is fully managed: we configure, test, and tune it for you, so running Luna Front never becomes your second job.
The full comparison →vs. voicemail / doing nothing
Voicemail is where bookings go to die. Most callers won't leave a message — they simply call the next name on the list and book there instead. Every missed call is revenue walking out the door.
See what missed calls are costing you → ROI calculator
And what the alternatives cost you personally → benefits beyond ROI
If it doesn't cover its plan fee in 30 days, you aren't charged it.
Your first plan fee isn't charged until 30 days after go-live — and only if Luna Front booked enough in those 30 days to cover it. If it didn't, that month is never billed. The one-time $299 setup fee is charged at signup and is not refundable, so the most you can be out is that $299.
No lock-in
Every plan is month-to-month. Cancel any time, no cancellation fee.