10 Best AI Phone Answering Services to Supercharge Your Business in 2025

Discover the 10 best AI phone answering services of 2025. Compare features, integrations, and ROI to find the right solution for restaurants, contact centers, and small businesses.

Missed calls are costing your business money. With 88% of consumers preferring phone calls for brand interactions, every unanswered ring represents lost revenue. AI phone answering services solve this by delivering 24/7 coverage, reducing staffing gaps, and ensuring consistent customer experiences.

The momentum is undeniable: 95% of customer interactions are predicted to be AI-powered by 2025. Smart operators are already implementing automated call handling, virtual receptionist services, and voice AI solutions to capture after-hours calls, manage peak-time overflow, and integrate seamlessly with POS systems.

This guide compares the 10 best AI phone answering services for 2025, revealing which solution fits your specific needs, how to evaluate ROI, and what to expect during implementation. Whether you need restaurant call automation, contact center AI, or simple call routing, you'll find your perfect match here.

The best AI phone answering services

Here are the strongest options by use case—what each does best, where it fits, and what to watch for.

1. Maple - best for restaurants and POS-integrated ordering

Maple delivers a 24/7 Voice AI agent purpose-built for restaurants that answers calls, takes orders, books reservations, and syncs to POS in real time. With restaurant-first design and seamless integration, Maple transforms missed calls into captured revenue.

Strengths:

  • Restaurant-first dialog flows for orders, modifications, and table booking
  • Seamless POS integration and menu sync to eliminate manual re-entry
  • After-hours coverage, peak-time load balancing, and multi-location routing
  • Fast setup within 48 hours, dedicated support, and no long-term contracts
  • Human-like conversations that maintain your brand's hospitality standards

Ideal for: Independent restaurants and multi-unit groups needing accurate ordering and reservations, with robust POS connectivity and natural human transfer options.

How it works:

  • Caller states need; Maple uses advanced NLP and ASR to understand and route
  • Orders post directly to POS via API with modifiers and details
  • Reservations booked and confirmed within system in real time
  • Seamless live transfer to staff when needed, with full context

Next-gen IVR systems can cut live-agent calls by 10%+. Since phone remains the dominant service channel, answering every call matters for revenue capture.

Choose Maple if: You need restaurant-specific ordering automation with seamless POS integration and hospitality-focused service.

2. Slang.ai - best for restaurants needing menu and reservation handling

Strengths:

  • Menu Q&A and ingredient information
  • Reservation booking flows
  • Hours, specials, and location updates
  • Quick setup for immediate call deflection

Ideal for: Small to mid-size restaurants prioritizing immediate deflection of common calls.

Considerations: Limited POS order posting capabilities.

Choose Slang.ai if: You need basic FAQ deflection and simple reservation handling.

3. Smith.ai - best AI plus human reception for small teams

Strengths:

  • Lead qualification and appointment scheduling
  • Human backup for complex requests
  • Outbound callbacks and follow-up
  • CRM integration for lead management

Ideal for: Small teams needing receptionist coverage with AI overflow support.

Considerations: Limited restaurant-specific ordering support.

Choose Smith.ai if: You want hybrid AI-human coverage for professional services.

4. PolyAI - best for enterprise-grade voice assistants

Strengths:

  • Complex dialog management
  • Multilingual support with accent recognition
  • Enterprise security and compliance
  • Custom integration capabilities

Ideal for: Enterprises with compliance and complex workflow needs.

Considerations: Higher complexity and longer setup timelines.

Choose PolyAI if: You need enterprise-scale voice AI with custom workflows.

5. Five9 - best IVA from a contact center provider

Strengths:

  • Omnichannel orchestration
  • ACD and workforce management
  • Advanced analytics
  • Existing contact center integration

Ideal for: Teams already using contact center platforms.

Considerations: Restaurant-specific integration requires customization.

Choose Five9 if: You need full contact center capabilities with AI assistance.

6. RingCentral - best virtual receptionist for existing users

Strengths:

  • Call routing with schedule-based rules
  • Directory assistance and extension dialing
  • Voice menu navigation and hold music
  • Integration with RingCentral system

Ideal for: Businesses already on RingCentral.

Considerations: Limited transactional ordering capabilities.

Choose RingCentral if: You're already on RingCentral and need better routing.

7. Nextiva - best auto attendant in a business phone suite

Strengths:

  • Easy setup with drag-and-drop flows
  • Time-based routing rules
  • Voicemail-to-email and SMS notifications
  • Reliable VoIP infrastructure

Ideal for: SMBs needing reliable routing without complex AI.

Considerations: Limited AI dialogs.

Choose Nextiva if: You need straightforward auto attendant features.

8. Retell AI - best developer platform for custom voice agents

Strengths:

  • Full customization
  • Choice of ASR/TTS providers
  • Webhook integrations
  • Developer tools and documentation

Ideal for: Engineering teams building custom flows.

Considerations: DIY approach requires significant development.

Choose Retell AI if: You have developer resources for custom agents.

9. Simple Phones - best for basic call answering and routing

Strengths:

  • Quick setup
  • Affordable pricing
  • Simple menu handling
  • No long-term contracts

Ideal for: Very small businesses with basic needs.

Considerations: Limited integration capabilities.

Choose Simple Phones if: You need budget-friendly call answering.

10. Goodcall - best for local business phone AI

Strengths:

  • Easy FAQ updates
  • Location-based info and directions
  • Basic reservation flows
  • Local business optimization

Ideal for: Local businesses seeking call deflection.

Considerations: Limited POS order posting and multilingual coverage.

Choose Goodcall if: You're a local business needing basic AI.

Comparison Table

Product

Best For

Live Transfer

Integrations

Pricing Model

Standout Capability

Maple

Restaurant ordering & POS

Yes

POS, reservations

Usage-based

Real-time POS sync

Slang.ai

Restaurant FAQ & reservations

Yes

Basic restaurant

Subscription

Menu intelligence

Smith.ai

Small team reception

Yes (hybrid)

CRM, scheduling

Per-seat + usage

Human backup

PolyAI

Enterprise voice AI

Yes

Custom APIs

Enterprise

Complex conversations

Five9

Contact center IVA

Yes

Omnichannel

Contact center

Full CCaaS suite

RingCentral

UCaaS auto attendant

Yes

RingCentral suite

UCaaS add-on

Phone system integration

Nextiva

Business phone routing

Yes

VoIP features

VoIP add-on

Simple setup

Retell AI

Custom development

Configurable

Developer APIs

Usage + platform

Full customization

Simple Phones

Basic call handling

Yes

Limited

Affordable flat

Budget-friendly

Goodcall

Local business AI

Yes

Basic local

Subscription

Local optimization

How to choose an AI phone answering service

Prioritize fit with your workflows, not just features. Call center AI is growing from $3.23B in 2024 to $3.98B in 2025, signaling ongoing investment.

Evaluation checklist:

  • Integration compatibility
  • Latency and call quality
  • Uptime SLAs
  • Human handoff options
  • Analytics capabilities
  • Security compliance
  • Total cost of ownership
  • Deployment support

Key Considerations

Integration and POS compatibility
Integrations determine ROI. Without POS sync, staff re-enter data, reducing efficiency.

Call quality, latency, and language support
Target sub-second response times, test in noisy environments, and verify multilingual robustness.

Human handoff, uptime, and support
Ensure seamless human transfer, uptime SLAs, and 24/7 support.

Pricing, ROI, and deployment timelines
Compare usage-based, subscription, and enterprise pricing. Calculate ROI by recovered revenue vs. AI costs.

Restaurant buyer checklist
Confirm menu comprehension, order accuracy, reservation logic, delivery integration, and POS security compliance.

Ultimately, restaurants lose thousands each year from unanswered phones—but it doesn’t have to be that way. With Maple, every call becomes an opportunity, whether it’s a takeout order, a reservation, or a loyal repeat guest.

👉 Get started with Maple today and turn missed calls into revenue.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will an AI phone agent work with my POS?
Yes. Most AI phone agents connect via APIs, but Maple goes further with deep POS integration, offering real-time menu sync and reservation booking.

How does the agent handle accents, noise, and multilingual callers?
Modern ASR/NLP systems support diverse accents and languages. Maple is specifically tuned for noisy restaurant environments, ensuring accuracy even during peak hours.

What happens when a caller asks for a human?
High-quality AI services allow for seamless handoff. Maple enables instant live transfers with full call context, so staff can pick up without repeating information.

Can AI take payment info securely?
Yes—when PCI-DSS compliant. Maple integrates directly with your POS for secure, end-to-end payment processing.

How fast can we update menus, hours, and specials?
With Maple, updates are reflected in near real-time, while other providers may take hours to sync.

How do multi-location restaurants manage routing?
Maple provides a centralized dashboard with location-aware routing, giving operators control and visibility across all stores.

References

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