Questions

Real people. Every call Real Receptionist answers is picked up by a trained receptionist, in your business name, with your greeting. We don't use AI receptionists, voice bots or automated menus to answer your calls.

Real Receptionist never uses AI to answer calls. A person from our team in Cape Town answers every call we take, writes every message and makes every booking, and AI never speaks to your callers or makes decisions about anyone.

In Cape Town. Real Receptionist's receptionists are our own team, not a subcontractor, and they work in the same time zone as you, anywhere in South Africa.

Our own team in Cape Town, trained in telephone etiquette and trained on your business, your services and how you like callers treated before they take your calls.

Yes. Real Receptionist answers every call in your business name, with your greeting, by a receptionist who knows your business and how you like callers treated.

No. Real Receptionist answers in your business name and follows your scripts, tone and processes, so callers reach a professional receptionist who becomes part of your team.

English. Real Receptionist answers for English-speaking businesses in South Africa and abroad.

Real Receptionist is a division of Automation Resource Communication Technology cc, trading as Arc Technology, registration number 2000/029376/23, in Kenridge, Cape Town. It was started by Roan, Chenara and Gerhardt, the founders of ARC Technology, a Cape Town telecoms business since 2013, and runs its own cloud phone system.

Real Receptionist offers standard hours, 08:00 to 17:00, Monday to Friday; extended hours, 07:00 to 23:00, every day of the week; and 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by special arrangement.

No. You choose one of three options. All calls: we answer every incoming call. Overflow: we answer the calls you miss when you're busy or away. On demand: temporary cover for leave, lunch breaks, staff shortages or busy periods.

You can change your option whenever your business needs it.

You decide. Outside the hours you've chosen with Real Receptionist, we can take messages, put urgent calls through to whoever is on call, follow your emergency procedure, or send callers to your own voicemail.

Real Receptionist's receptionists answer in your business name, screen calls and put them through to you or your team, take detailed messages, book, confirm, move and cancel appointments, take new enquiries, and make reminder and friendly payment reminder calls. We can also help with outbound calls, ticket management and live chat.

By email or WhatsApp, as soon as the call ends. Each message from Real Receptionist has the caller's name, number, what they need and what happens next. Urgent calls are put through to you, the way you've asked.

Yes. Real Receptionist books, confirms, reschedules and cancels appointments for you, in a shared online calendar or your own system. We set this up with you during onboarding, so it fits the way you already work.

Ask us for a quote by WhatsApp, phone, email or the form on this page. We learn about your business and your callers, set up your greeting and instructions, and then you forward your calls to us.

Yes. The same Cape Town team also answers for businesses in the United Kingdom, with UK hours and pricing.

Yes. You can forward your existing number to Real Receptionist, or move (port) your landline or VoIP number onto our phone system. If you'd like a new number, we can give you a local geographic number or a national one.

No. Real Receptionist can simply route calls to your mobile, or set you up on our cloud phone system (a cloud PBX). If you already have a PBX, we can work with most systems.

Our cloud PBX gives you extensions, call routing, voicemail and reporting. Your team can use IP desk phones, our mobile app or a softphone on a computer, even all three on one extension, and calls between extensions are free.

Yes. With the free Cloud Softphone app you make and take calls on your business number from your mobile, and your personal number stays private. It works for remote and hybrid teams anywhere with an internet connection.

Yes. Real Receptionist can register WhatsApp for Business on your landline number, so customers can call or WhatsApp the one number. With our managed service, a receptionist answers your messages, books appointments into your calendar and passes on what needs you. Outside your hours, customers get an automatic reply you've approved.

We also keep your WhatsApp profile up to date, and messages can be archived so nothing gets lost.

Real Receptionist quotes every business on its own calls, as a monthly price. Your price depends on which option you choose (all calls, overflow or on demand), the hours you need, how many calls you expect, and any extras such as appointment booking, WhatsApp or a cloud phone system.

Ask us for a quote and we'll send you a monthly price.

Real Receptionist offers month-to-month agreements.

Real Receptionist either bills the extra use or suggests a package that fits better. Either way, we tell you about any extra cost upfront.

No. There's no extra charge for transferring calls within our phone system.

When Real Receptionist answers for you, we're your operator under POPIA. We handle your callers' information only on your instructions, keep it confidential, and sign a written operator agreement with you.

Every receptionist signs a confidentiality agreement, uses their own login and only sees what they need for your business.

Yes. Real Receptionist follows strict confidentiality and information-handling procedures to protect patient and client information, and we work to your practice's own procedures for bookings, messages and urgent calls. Our receptionists never give medical advice.

Yes. Real Receptionist's office runs on backup power and backup internet, so power cuts and outages don't take us off the phones.

Calls are typically answered within a few rings. The team handles several calls at once, so callers aren't left waiting.