Traditional Answering Services vs AI Voice Agents in 2025

Jul 31, 2025

Phone calls are the core of restaurant operations. A single missed call during the dinner rush could mean a lost takeout order. An unanswered voicemail after closing could be a missed catering opportunity. For busy operators juggling front-of-house service and online orders, staying on top of the phone is one of the hardest tasks to manage.

That’s why most restaurants look for help. Some choose traditional answering services—third-party live agents who handle overflow. Others are adopting AI voice agents, software that answers, understands, and routes calls instantly. In 2025, the gap between these two approaches is wider than ever.

Let’s explore how each option works — and which one delivers better outcomes for your team and your bottom line.

What Is a Traditional Answering Service?

A traditional answering service is a third-party call center that picks up your restaurant’s phone line when your staff can’t. These services are typically staffed by human operators working from pre-written scripts.

Restaurants often use them to catch missed calls during peak periods or provide basic information after hours. Agents may take messages, answer frequently asked questions, or forward orders to your team.

These services are priced per minute or per call, and operators are trained to handle a range of businesses, not just restaurants. That generalist approach leads to inconsistencies. Agents may not know your menu, get overwhelmed during busy times, or introduce errors during message relay. Most traditional answering services also lack direct integration with your POS system, which means extra work for your team to re-enter orders or follow up manually.

What Is an AI Voice Agent?

An AI voice agent is an automated phone assistant powered by natural language processing (NLP). Instead of relying on human operators, it uses advanced speech recognition and conversation logic to respond to callers just like a staff member would.

For restaurants, this technology has become remarkably powerful. AI voice agents like Maple are now capable of handling 100% of inbound phone calls — instantly and accurately. They can take takeout or delivery orders, answer common questions about your hours or location, and send orders straight to your kitchen via your POS system. No retyping. No hold times. No missed revenue.

Unlike traditional services, AI voice agents are designed for scale. They can handle multiple calls at once, work 24/7, and never forget an upsell prompt or forget to ask for a name and phone number.

Key Differences Between Traditional Answering Services and AI Voice Agents

When evaluating the two options, it helps to look at core operational categories: availability, speed, accuracy, consistency, and cost.

Availability: Traditional services generally operate during business hours, with limited after-hours coverage. AI voice agents are available 24/7 — including holidays and late nights.

Response speed: Human agents may take 20 to 45 seconds to answer during peak hours. AI picks up in under a second, every time.

Order handling: Traditional services take orders and forward them manually. AI sends orders directly into your POS, reducing errors and delays.

Consistency: Humans can forget, skip steps, or get flustered. AI agents follow the same flow every time — 100% upsell compliance, zero drop-offs.

Scalability: Answering services are limited by how many agents are staffed at the time. AI can handle as many simultaneous calls as needed — no wait times, even when five people call at once.

Where AI Voice Agents Outperform

They Help You Capture More Revenue

One of the biggest advantages of AI voice agents is that they answer every single call, instantly. Most restaurants miss 20% to 40% of calls during rush hours. With an AI agent, even if your front-of-house is fully occupied, the phone gets answered. No voicemail. No hang-ups. Every customer gets what they need in real time.

This kind of instant response doesn’t just improve guest satisfaction — it directly recovers revenue that would otherwise be lost. AI voice agents also work after hours, giving guests the ability to place orders for the next day or get directions late at night.

They Speed Up Operations

Compared to a staff member or live agent, AI can take orders 30–40% faster. That’s because it’s optimized for flow: it pulls your live menu, verifies item availability, and asks for exactly what’s needed without extra chatter or hold times. Once an order is confirmed, it’s sent straight to your POS and kitchen printer. No sticky notes. No double entry. No miscommunication.

This frees your staff to focus on hospitality and in-store service while the AI keeps the phone line running smoothly in the background.

They Give You Real-Time Data

With traditional services, you might receive a log of calls — or just a list of messages. With AI voice agents like Maple, every call is transcribed, tagged, and stored. You can view call volume over time, track order values, see which upsells are converting, and identify missed-call recovery trends.

This data doesn’t just help you run a smoother phone operation — it also gives insights into your menu, marketing, and staffing strategy. For example, if most late-night callers ask for dessert, maybe it’s time to promote those items more prominently.

They Offer Predictable, Lower Costs

While traditional answering services charge $1.50–$2.25 per minute, AI voice agents typically operate on flat-rate pricing — often $0.10–$0.30 per minute. The more calls you handle, the better the economics. In a typical scenario, restaurants report 34% more completed calls and 70–80% lower phone-handling costs after switching to AI.

Where Live Agents Still Have an Edge

Despite the clear benefits of AI, there are still moments when a human touch matters. If a guest has an allergy concern or wants to negotiate a catering order, they may want to speak directly to a person. Complaints and emotionally sensitive situations are also better handled by trained staff who can offer empathy and solutions in real time.

Additionally, some restaurants prioritize a personalized, branded experience on the phone. While AI agents can be configured with tone and phrasing, a live voice may still feel more “on brand” for certain operators.

The Hybrid Approach: Best of Both Worlds

Many restaurants now use a hybrid approach, where the AI voice agent handles 80–90% of calls orders, FAQs, directions and escalates the rest.

Maple, for example, offers customizable escalation paths. If a caller sounds frustrated, asks for a person, or triggers a keyword like “allergy” or “complaint,” the call is automatically routed to your staff or voicemail fallback.

This model keeps your team focused on service while ensuring no critical calls fall through the cracks.

Should You Use a Traditional Answering Service or an AI Voice Agent?

The right choice depends on your operation’s size, volume, and goals.

You might prefer a traditional service if:

You have low call volume and don’t need 24/7 coverage
You want every call handled by a human
Your operations are too complex to automate easily

You’ll benefit more from an AI voice agent if:

You regularly miss calls during peak hours
You want to offer 24/7 phone service without hiring more staff
You use a POS system and want seamless order integration
You’re looking to reduce costs while scaling operations
You want access to rich call analytics and performance data

Implementation Considerations

Getting started with AI voice agents is faster than most operators expect. With Maple, setup takes about a week from menu ingestion to full go-live. You don’t need to write scripts or hire engineers — your hours, menu, and rules are all configured through a no-code dashboard.

In contrast, traditional answering services may require custom scripting, staff training, and ongoing management. They also don’t integrate with your POS or kitchen systems, which can lead to extra manual work.

The Bottom Line

Both answering services and AI voice agents aim to solve the same problem: keeping your phone lines open and customers happy. But only one of them scales with your business, integrates into your operations, and delivers measurable ROI.

With faster responses, lower costs, and real-time analytics, AI voice agents like Maple are helping modern restaurants turn their phones from a labor drain into a revenue engine.