[← Find a receptionist bot](https://tradey.com/find-receptionist) · [Public facts](https://tradey.com/receptionists) # What to look for in an AI receptionist for your salon A salon receptionist should book the right stylist and service length into the booking software you already use (GlossGenius, Fresha, Vagaro, Boulevard, Square), while you're with a client. It should quote only your menu prices. Here's how to check before you pay. **Short answer:** choose an AI receptionist that can book the client into your booking software during the call, with the right stylist and service, and prove it with a test call before you pay. **Price range** (list prices shown on vendor sites, checked 2026-10-13, assuming 3-minute calls): about $75–$200 a month at 50 calls and about $129–$899 at 500 calls, for published plans that book appointments. See the [cost table](https://tradey.com#cost) for sources and the formula; not a quote. ## The one test that matters Ask for a long service (e.g. colour) with a named stylist who has a conflict. Check that it offers a real alternative and doesn't double-book. One vendor's own test describes the pass as: "The configured duration is used and no appointments overlap" ([Chleb](https://chleb.ai/salon)). ## How much does an AI receptionist cost for a salon? (list prices, checked 2026-10-13) Assumption: 3 minutes per call (50 = 150 min, 150 = 450, 500 = 1,500). List prices monthly, excluding tax and booking-software subscriptions. Built-in options are **add-ons on top of** that subscription. Each figure uses the cheapest plan that **includes booking**, where the vendor limits booking to certain plans. **Tradey has not run booking tests. No vendor paid to appear.** ### Built-in options from booking platforms | Vendor | Plan / price | 50 calls | 150 calls | 500 calls | Books into | Checked | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | [GlossGenius Reception](https://www.glossgenius.com/reception) | Free until 11/30/26; then $50/mo (100 min + 200 texts); +$0.50/min | $75* | $225* | $750* | GlossGenius (shown on vendor site, checked Oct 13, 2026) | checked 2026-10-13 | | [Fresha AI Concierge](https://www.fresha.com/pricing) | $99.95/location/mo; 200 min; +$0.60/min | $99.95 | $249.95 | $879.95 | Calls/messages (shown on vendor site, checked Oct 13, 2026); calendar booking not confirmed | checked 2026-10-13 | | [Boulevard "Beau"](https://www.joinblvd.com/pricing) | Price not on vendor pricing page | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Vendor claim (shown on vendor site, checked Oct 13, 2026) | checked 2026-10-13 | | Vagaro Vera / Connect AI | Third party says chat/SMS only, not phone — not confirmed | n/a | n/a | n/a | Not confirmed | checked 2026-10-13 | | [Booksy AI Receptionist](https://biz.booksy.com/features/ai-receptionist-beta) | Beta for current Booksy providers; free for at least 12 months for the first 500 providers who sign up ([feature page](https://biz.booksy.com/features/ai-receptionist-beta)); price after that not published. Requires a Booksy subscription: $29.99/mo + tax for the first user, plus $20/mo per additional team member ([Booksy pricing](https://biz.booksy.com/pricing), checked 2026-10-13) | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Booksy (shown on vendor site, checked Oct 13, 2026) | checked 2026-10-13 | ## Email me when a bot gets a published Tradey test result, pass or fail Optional. Every price on this page stays open; no email needed to read it. * GlossGenius dollar figures use the post–11/30/26 $50 plan (free period ends then). ### Third-party AI receptionists | Vendor | Plan / price | 50 calls | 150 calls | 500 calls | Says it books into | Checked | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | [Zolie](https://getzolie.com) | Starter $49 / 10 calls; Essential $149 flat | $149 | $149 | $149 | Square, GlossGenius, Boulevard, Vagaro, Fresha (shown on vendor site, checked Oct 13, 2026) | checked 2026-10-13 | | [Voksha](https://voksha.com/pricing) | Premium $99 / 150 calls (+$1); booking on Premium+ | $99 | $99 | $449 | Vagaro / Fresha / GlossGenius pages exist — not confirmed | checked 2026-10-13 | | [AgentZap](https://agentzap.ai/pricing) | Starter $109 / 150 min; Pro $295 / 450; Business $899 / 1,500; **+$499 setup** | $109 | $295 | $899 | Vagaro listed (shown on vendor site, checked Oct 13, 2026); Fresha page not confirmed | checked 2026-10-13 | | [Rosie](https://heyrosie.com/pricing) | Scale $149 / 1,000 min (first booking plan); Growth $299 / 2,000 | $149 | $149 | $299 | Salon software — not confirmed | checked 2026-10-13 | | [Goodcall](https://www.goodcall.com/pricing) | Starter $79 / 100 unique; Growth $129 / 500; Scale $299 / 2,000 (shown on vendor site, checked 2026-10-13) | $79 | ~$118.50† | $129 | Not checked — not confirmed | checked 2026-10-13 | | [Salon Agent](https://www.salonagent.ai/pricing) | Call Agent $200/mo; Call+Chat $250 (minute caps not stated) | $200 | $200 | $200 | Phorest, Meevo, Square & more (shown on vendor site, checked Oct 13, 2026) | checked 2026-10-13 | † Goodcall assumes every caller is unique. BookingBee omitted (conflicting published units). Cell labels from vendor-page checks on 2026-10-13. ## Checklist Print-friendly: use your browser's print view on this list. - **Start with your booking software's own AI**, if it has one. GlossGenius Reception and Fresha AI Concierge publish prices and claim native booking. Compare them at your call volume — per-minute overage adds up fast at 500 calls. - **It books the specific stylist and the right service length** (for example, colour plus cut), not just "an appointment." - **It quotes only your menu prices**, and asks for a consultation for corrective colour, extensions and similar services. - **It books, reschedules and cancels, or you know which it can't do.** For example, SchedulingKit says its AI "does not reschedule or cancel, run a waitlist, or call clients back" ([SchedulingKit](https://schedulingkit.com/ai-receptionist/salons)). - **Deposits and no-show rules:** does it collect or explain your deposit policy? - **It escalates the right calls to a person** — complex colour, bridal parties and complaints ([Smith.ai](https://smith.ai/industries/hair-salons-answering-service); [RingBooker](https://ringbooker.com/compare/ai-receptionist-vs-salon-answering-service-what-owners-actually-need)). - **Price your busy month** with the 500-call column. Watch per-minute overage (GlossGenius $0.50, Fresha $0.60) and setup fees (AgentZap $499). - **Recording and disclosure:** check your state's recording-consent rules. ## Questions to ask in a demo Book a test appointment with a named stylist on my calendar, live. Which plan includes booking? What's my bill at 150 and 500 calls? Does it write directly to GlossGenius / Fresha / Vagaro / Boulevard, or send a booking link? What happens after the free period ends? (GlossGenius: $50/month after 11/30/26.) ## FAQ **How much does an AI receptionist cost for a salon?** At list prices checked on 2026-10-13, assuming 3-minute calls, for plans with published prices that book appointments: about $75–$200 for 50 calls/mo, and about $129–$899 for 500 calls/mo. Built-in add-ons sit on top of your booking-software subscription. **Does my salon software have its own AI receptionist?** GlossGenius (Reception: free until Nov 30, 2026, then $50/month with 100 minutes). Fresha (AI Concierge: $99.95 per location per month with 200 minutes). Boulevard (Beau) and Booksy (beta) also announce AI receptionists. Boulevard's price wasn't published on the pages we checked; Booksy says its beta is free for at least 12 months for the first 500 providers, with no price published for after that. **Which third-party tools say they book into GlossGenius, Fresha or Vagaro?** Zolie lists Square, GlossGenius, Boulevard, Vagaro and Fresha. These are vendor claims Tradey hasn't tested. **Has Tradey tested these?** Not yet. This page uses vendors' public pricing and documentation only. **How can I test whether a bot actually books jobs?** Call it yourself from a phone it has never seen, ask for a real job (for example a repair next Tuesday morning), and then check your own calendar or dispatch app. A booked job means a new appointment appears there with the right name, number, address and time. If you only get an email or text summary, the bot took a message; it did not book. Repeat with an after-hours call and with a caller who changes their mind, and ask the vendor to show the booking in your system during the demo. **How do I work out the cost per call?** Take the monthly price and any per-minute, per-call or per-caller charges from the vendor's own pricing page, then estimate your monthly calls and average call length from your phone bill. Cost per call is the total monthly bill divided by the number of calls. Ask about overage rates, setup fees, minimum terms and whether spam or wrong-number calls count. Compare that number with what a missed job is worth to you, not just with other bots. **Does the bot have to say it is an AI?** Laws on AI disclosure and call recording vary by state and country and change often. Some US states require everyone on a call to consent to recording, and some have rules about telling people they are talking to AI. US federal rules also restrict outbound calls that use AI-generated voices. Check the rules where you and your callers are, or ask a lawyer. This is general information, not legal advice. **Can the bot record or transcribe my calls?** Many bots record or transcribe every call by default. Ask the vendor where recordings and transcripts are stored, how long they are kept, and how you delete them. Laws on AI disclosure and call recording vary by state and country and change often. Some US states require everyone on a call to consent to recording, and some have rules about telling people they are talking to AI. US federal rules also restrict outbound calls that use AI-generated voices. Check the rules where you and your callers are, or ask a lawyer. This is general information, not legal advice. **Can it handle Spanish or other languages?** Ask which languages the vendor supports on your plan and whether the bot switches by itself or needs a menu choice. Test with a fluent speaker who agrees to take part: book a job entirely in that language, then check the saved details and any text or email the caller receives. **Do spam calls and robocalls use up my minutes?** Check the vendor's pricing page for whether you pay per minute, per call or per caller, and ask whether spam, robocalls, wrong numbers and very short calls count. Ask whether it can screen or block spam before answering, and check your usage report after the first week. Owner questions above are general information, not legal advice. ## About Tradey Verified (coming soon) Tradey Verified is **coming soon**: a planned check where a bot would show a recorded test call that ends in a confirmed booking on a live calendar. **No bot has been Tradey-verified yet.** Tradey is early — whatever any vendor (including any listed in our [public facts](https://tradey.com/receptionists)) tells you, the most reliable check is still the one above: run the booking test yourself. ## Sources Inline links above cite the pages we read. Prices and plan names are examples "as shown" on those pages around 2026-10-13; they may be promotional and can change. Cost cells are list prices from vendor pages on that date. This is not legal advice. Corrections: [contact](https://tradey.com/contact). Last reviewed: 2026-10-13 · Prices last checked: 2026-10-13 ## Related pages - [Printable test scorecard](https://tradey.com/guides/ai-receptionist-test-scorecard) - [Find a receptionist bot that books jobs](https://tradey.com/find-receptionist) - [Tools AI agents need](https://tradey.com/bot-tools) - [Listing standards](https://tradey.com/standards) - [Checklist: barbershops](https://tradey.com/guides/ai-receptionist-checklist-barbers) - [Checklist: HVAC companies](https://tradey.com/guides/ai-receptionist-checklist-hvac) - [Checklist: plumbing companies](https://tradey.com/guides/ai-receptionist-checklist-plumbing) - [Checklist: electricians](https://tradey.com/guides/ai-receptionist-checklist-electrician) - [Checklist: landscaping companies](https://tradey.com/guides/ai-receptionist-checklist-landscaping) - [How to test an AI receptionist before you buy](https://tradey.com/guides/how-to-test-an-ai-receptionist) - [All buyer guides](https://tradey.com/guides) - [Does an AI receptionist book appointments, or just take messages?](https://tradey.com/guides/does-an-ai-receptionist-book-appointments)