BT Business has launched AI Receptionist, a call-handling service for businesses, as the first product in its new AI from BT portfolio.
“AI has the potential to be a huge boost to small businesses and to drive the UK’s growth, but many businesses are struggling to know how to begin and how to adopt simply and securely. That’s why BT – the UK’s most trusted network for business – has created AI from BT: a portfolio of practical, secure AI solutions backed by BT’s expertise and support.”
Jon James, CEO of BT Business
BT’s AI Receptionist service answers customer calls around the clock, handles routine enquiries, and schedules appointments. The company is targeting businesses where incoming calls generate bookings or new work, including trades, estate agents, professional practices, retailers, and hospitality operators.
“AI Receptionist is the first step in the journey, helping businesses capture every opportunity, reduce admin, and deliver responsive, personalised service around the clock, while keeping their customer data protected,” explains James.
The launch accompanies BT research into missed calls and AI adoption. Among small businesses surveyed, 67 percent said they missed at least one call on an average day that they believed resulted in lost business. BT put the predicted annual revenue lost through unanswered calls at £3.7 billion.
The findings describe a workload for small and medium-sized businesses: 58 percent reported spending between 30 minutes and two hours a day answering customer calls, while 85 percent said calls interrupted other work. Those figures establish the reported demand on staff time, rather than measured results from using AI Receptionist.
How BT AI Receptionist handles business bookings and enquiries
According to BT, AI Receptionist uses information about a business to answer callers’ questions and offers customisable voice and accent options. Its appointment functions include scheduling, sending confirmations, and integration with Outlook and Google Calendar.
The service captures and transcribes conversations and generates insights from customer interactions. BT described sector-specific uses, such as qualifying estate agency enquiries and helping arrange viewings, answering retailers’ product and availability questions, and handling booking or opening-hours enquiries for pubs and restaurants.
For healthcare and professional practices, the stated functions cover routine appointment requests and directing callers to the appropriate team. In legal and financial services, BT described capturing initial information and connecting clients with the relevant specialist. These are intended uses set out in the announcement, not evidence of completed customer deployments.
BT’s broader adoption research found that 65 percent of small business owners believed AI could benefit their business, while 56 percent said they were not yet realising its full potential.
Alongside the call-handling product, BT has launched a free AI Adoption Hub. It provides guides, prompt packs, expert insights, and examples of businesses using AI.
BT says AI Receptionist works across any UK fixed or mobile network. Businesses can retain their existing number and phone system, with setup handled through a self-service portal. The company states that customer data remains private and is not used to train AI models.
AI Receptionist is available on flexible contracts. BT says businesses can configure the service through the portal with minimal technical expertise.
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