HeyDiane vs the other ways to answer your phone
Four honest options for the calls you can’t take yourself. Here is what each one actually does, and what it costs.
| HeyDiane | National answering service | Voicemail | Part-time receptionist | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Answers every call, 24/7 | Yes, day and night | Live agents, often a surcharge after hours | No — it records, it doesn't answer | Business hours only |
| Knows your service area and pricing | Configured to your business | Generic script, no local knowledge | Not applicable | Yes, once trained |
| Books into your calendar | Yes, with text + email confirmation | Usually takes a message for you to call back | No | Yes |
| Quotes your after-hours fee | Yes, the rate you set | No | No | Yes |
| Escalates real emergencies | Texts your cell with the details | Sometimes, by your rules | No | During business hours only |
| Monthly cost | From $199, flat monthly | Per-minute — rises with call volume | Effectively free | $2,400–$3,600 |
| Up-front cost | $0 — no setup fee, 7-day free trial, no credit card | Low | None | Hiring, onboarding, training |
| Always there | No sick days, no turnover | 24/7, but a different agent each time | Always on, never helpful | Sick days, vacations, turns over every 18 months or so |
| A real human | AI, disclosed on request | Yes | No | Yes |
None of these is wrong. A national answering service puts a live person on the line. A part-time receptionist who knows your regulars is worth a lot during the day. Voicemail costs nothing.
The gap is the calls those options miss — after hours, mid-job, the lunch rush, the second line. That is the gap Diane fills. She answers every call you can’t, books the routine work, quotes your after-hours fee, and texts you the emergencies, for a flat $199 a month.
$0 founder setup + $199/month. Live in 48 hours.
And the AI options?
There are cheaper and more convenient AI receptionists. Here is where each one fits, and where HeyDiane is different.
DIY AI receptionist apps
The ~$50/mo USD self-serve tools
Cheap on paper, but you configure the AI yourself from a US dashboard and bill in US dollars. They don't know your trade's emergencies or your after-hours rates until you teach them. Good for a quick FAQ bot, weak for booking real jobs.
The AI built into your job software
Jobber, Housecall Pro, and similar
Convenient and often cheap or included. It books into the software you already use, but it's a generic add-on, not tuned to your trade's triage or your local pricing. Diane works alongside it; many shops run both.
US answering & receptionist services
Live agents or US AI tools
Real humans or polished AI, but billed in US dollars, with US data handling and no Alberta team. They read a generic script and don't know a −30 °C no-heat call from a quote-shopper.
HeyDiane is the done-for-you option: a local Alberta team builds Diane to your trade and tunes her on real calls, billed in Canadian dollars. That is the gap the self-serve apps and US tools leave open.
Common questions
Is HeyDiane better than a live answering service?
For most service businesses, for the calls you can't take, yes — Diane knows your service area, your pricing, and which calls are real emergencies, and she books straight into your calendar, from $199 a month. A national answering service gives you live humans, which matters to some owners, but they read a generic script and bill by the minute.
Should I just hire a part-time receptionist instead?
A great receptionist who knows your customers is hard to beat during the day. But they cost $2,400 to $3,600 a month, take sick days, and the role turns over often. Diane catches the calls your team can't — after hours, the lunch rush, the overflow — and many shops run both.
What about the cheap DIY AI receptionist apps?
The $50-a-month self-serve apps make you configure the AI yourself, from a US dashboard, billed in US dollars. They don't know a heat exchanger from a hot water tank or which calls are real emergencies until you teach them. HeyDiane is done for you: a real person in Alberta builds Diane to your trade, your service area, your after-hours rates, and tunes her on real calls. That setup is the difference between an AI that books jobs and one that frustrates callers.
We already use Jobber or Housecall Pro — do we still need this?
Your job-management software may include a basic AI receptionist, and Diane works alongside whatever you use, booking into your calendar. The difference is depth and support: Diane is configured to your trade's emergencies and after-hours pricing by a local team, not a generic add-on. Plenty of shops run both.
Is there a Canadian AI receptionist option?
Yes. HeyDiane is built and run in Sherwood Park, Alberta, billed in Canadian dollars, with call-recording disclosure that meets Alberta and CRTC rules and data handled with PIPEDA in mind. Most AI receptionists and answering services are US tools with no local team.
What does HeyDiane cost?
$0 setup and a 7-day free trial (no credit card), then from $199/month CAD — Shop $199, with Crew ($399) and Fleet ($599) adding FSM integration, multi-tech routing, and multi-location support. Month-to-month, live in 48 hours.