What does an AI phone assistant cost in practice?

What does the pilot for an AI phone assistant cost?

We start with a clearly defined pilot project. We charge a guide price from €1,900 net for the launch. This price covers the smallest sensible scope to test a specific process in your daily work.

The pilot price includes all necessary steps to turn a call into an actionable request. We develop the flow for your callers and your internal processes. The following services are included in the pilot:

• Call flow with example dialogues
• Test environment with a test number or forwarding
• Handover to your team as an agreed protocol
• Evaluation of recorded requests and handovers
• Call note directly in the Propstack CRM, if you use it

Custom connections to other CRM, ticket or calendar systems are not included. We implement these from €900 per system after a technical review. You will receive the exact fixed price for your AI phone assistant in writing after the process review. Simple flows can often be built in-house using tools like n8n or Make. It becomes complex with changing formats, real-time phone interactions or systems without an interface. In these cases, we handle the build, testing on your cases and operation. We can build the solution in n8n upon request so you can maintain the flow yourself later.

What does an AI answering machine cost in ongoing operation?

The system moves into regular operation after a successful pilot project. The costs for the AI answering machine then depend on the minute volume used and the number of active call flows. We offer tiered pricing based on your actual call volume.

The monthly costs cover the processing by the AI language model and the handover of structured data to your team.

Practical examples: What tasks does the AI handle on the phone?

The handover determines the value. An AI phone assistant goes beyond a simple answering machine that only records a voice message. It conducts an active conversation, asks for missing information and prepares the work for your employees.

An example from the real estate sector: For the Berlin estate agent Everpeak Properties, calls to the office numbers land directly as a note with a transcript and summary in the Propstack CRM. This system is in operation at Everpeak Properties. The client explicitly requested the recording in this case. Callers are therefore informed about this at the start of the conversation.

Another example is our prototype for the healthcare sector. Callers select the location via keypad for a clinic network. The assistant asks for the request and works via the interface of the clinic's appointment system. Existing patients are recognised by their phone number. The AI then matches available appointments with the required medical department.

We offer a pilot concept for construction machinery rental companies or service providers where a call becomes an order. The assistant asks for the location, equipment and fault description. It then hands over a structured draft to the dispatch team. Your employees still make binding commitments regarding prices or availability.

Data protection and security: What happens to the call data?

The voice AI identifies itself as an AI at the start of the call. We process personal data on your behalf. We sign a Data Processing Agreement (DPA) under Art. 28 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR / DSGVO) before starting. We process personal data of customers in the EU in data centres located within the EU. We prefer to use European providers for language models, such as Mistral AI from France.

Calls are not recorded by default. Speech recognition continuously converts the spoken words into text during the call. The AI works with this text. We do not save an audio file in this process. Only a structured note about the request is created at the end. We only implement recording and a full transcript at your explicit request. In this case, we inform callers at the beginning of the conversation.

For law firms, medical practices and other professionals bound by confidentiality, the following also applies: we commit to non-disclosure. The speech recognition can run on your server or a server in Germany. The spoken words then never leave this server. Only the recognised text goes to the language model. We also offer consulting on data protection and AI compliance if you need general support with these topics.

How do you prepare the launch in your company?

We focus on recurring processes. We jointly determine which tasks the AI handles and when the team is involved.

We need a responsible person from your side for the inbound number and examples of typical requests to start. We jointly define the mandatory fields, a goal for the requests and a fixed route for handover to humans. We handle unknown, sensitive or unapproved topics with a defined callback process. These boundaries are part of the conversational design.

During the pilot we check specific criteria: we measure the time from the end of the call to the receipt of a complete draft. We compare the mandatory fields with the provided information and track how often employees have to ask for details again.

The next step: Free initial check

We look at your flow before you spend any money. You show us your current process in a 30 to 60-minute video call. You will receive an honest assessment of the approach, feasibility and limitations within two weeks.

We also provide a fixed price for the next step and check whether a funding programme is suitable for your project. You then decide without obligation whether you want to start the pilot. Deciding not to implement the project for now is also a possible outcome. Request your initial check now.

Sources

• General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR / DSGVO) (EU) 2016/679, EUR-Lex

Written with AI assistance, checked against the information on our pages and approved by DDC’s editorial review. Not legal advice for individual cases.