A Canadian AI alternative to TigerTel
TigerTel is a long-running Canadian telephone answering service built on live human agents, typically billed by the minute or by the call, like most companies in the category. If TigerTel is on your shortlist, here's the honest difference: HeyDiane is an AI receptionist named Diane rather than a live-agent service. She's built and supported in Sherwood Park, Alberta by The Human Frequency Inc., on one flat monthly price with no per-minute meter.
| HeyDiane | TigerTel | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price (as published) | From $199/mo CAD — 500 calls included | Not published — quote-based |
| Billing model | Flat monthly — no per-minute meter | Live-agent service, typically per-minute or per-call |
| Billing currency | CAD | CAD |
| Built for trades | Yes — HVAC, plumbing, electrical, restoration and more | No — general answering service |
| Direct FSM integration | Assisted FSM workflow setup (Crew and Fleet plans) | None named publicly |
| Canadian company / PIPEDA framing | Yes — built in Sherwood Park, Alberta; PIPEDA-compliant handling | Yes — Dartmouth, Nova Scotia |
TigerTel figures from TigerTel virtual receptionist page, accessed July 2026. Prices and plans change — verify with the vendor. HeyDiane figures from /pricing.
TigerTel
A live human answering service
- Live human agents take your calls.
- Typically billed per minute or per call.
- People can handle the unusual or sensitive call.
- Some businesses prefer a real voice on every call.
HeyDiane
A Canadian AI receptionist
- Diane is AI, disclosed on request.
- Flat $199 a month CAD, no per-minute billing.
- Built and supported in Alberta, configured to your trade.
- Books jobs into your calendar; texts you real emergencies.
How HeyDiane is different
Diane is configured to your business, not handed a generic script. A real person in Alberta sets her up with your service area, your pricing, your after-hours rates, and your emergency rules, then tunes her on real calls. She answers every call you can't, day and night, books routine jobs into your calendar with text and email confirmation, quotes the after-hours fee you set, and texts your cell when something is a true emergency. Pricing is flat: $0 founder setup and $199 a month in Canadian dollars, month-to-month, one-click cancel. A flat price means no surprise spike when your call volume jumps.
The fair tradeoff: TigerTel gives you live people on the phone, and that matters to some owners. A human agent can read tone, handle an awkward or complicated call, and improvise in ways an AI doesn't. Diane is AI, disclosed on request, built to reliably handle the routine and after-hours calls you'd otherwise miss. Whether a human service or an AI receptionist fits better comes down to the kinds of calls you need covered and how predictable you want the bill to be.
Live-agent services built around on-call dispatching — the kind that serve professional and healthcare clients — are engineered for message accuracy and escalation chains. That same discipline matters for a trades business with a real after-hours emergency line. The difference is cost structure: a live dispatch line bills every call that comes in. Diane carries your escalation rules on every call at a flat rate, so a busy storm season doesn't multiply your answering-service invoice.
$0 founder setup + $199/month. Live in 48 hours.
Common questions
How is HeyDiane different from TigerTel?
TigerTel is a Canadian answering service staffed by live human agents, usually billed per minute or per call. HeyDiane is an AI receptionist on a flat $199 a month CAD, built and supported in Alberta, configured to your trade and after-hours pricing, and she books jobs into your calendar.
Should I choose live agents or an AI receptionist?
Both are valid. A live-agent service like TigerTel puts real people on your line, which some businesses prefer for unusual or sensitive calls. HeyDiane is built to answer the routine and after-hours calls you can't take, book the standard work, quote your after-hours fee, and escalate real emergencies to your cell. Many owners use Diane specifically for that overflow and after-hours gap.
Is HeyDiane billed per minute like an answering service?
No. HeyDiane is a flat $0 founder setup plus $199 a month CAD, with no per-minute or per-call charges. Per-minute billing is common for live-agent services, where costs rise with volume. Live in 48 hours.