If you're considering getting a voice agent for your business, one of the first questions you'll probably ask is: how much does it cost?
It's a fair question. You want to understand what you're paying for, whether it's affordable, and whether it will actually bring value to your business.
The honest answer is that there isn't one fixed price that applies to every business. The cost of a voice agent depends on what your business needs, how you want it to work and how many calls it needs to handle.
At Seeded Systems, we believe the best place to start is by understanding your business first. From there, we can recommend a solution that makes sense for your requirements rather than trying to fit every business into the same package.
Why Doesn't Every Voice Agent Cost the Same?
Every business handles calls differently.
A restaurant might need a voice agent that can answer questions about its menu, provide prices and help customers with bookings. A service-based business might need an agent that answers enquiries, explains available services and books appointments.
These are different requirements, so the solutions shouldn't necessarily cost the same.
When we speak to a business, we first want to understand what it does, how it currently handles incoming calls and what it wants the voice agent to achieve.
Some of the things we consider include:
- What questions do customers typically ask?
- What information should the voice agent be able to provide?
- Should it be able to book appointments?
- How many calls does the business receive?
- How long do calls typically last?
- What should happen when a caller needs assistance with something outside the agent's responsibilities?
The goal is to build something that serves a purpose in your business, not simply add AI because it is a popular technology.
What Goes Into the Cost of a Voice Agent?
There are a few different parts to consider when looking at the cost of a voice agent.
Setup and customisation
A voice agent needs to be configured around your business.
It needs to understand what your business offers, what questions customers might ask and how it should respond. For example, a restaurant needs to provide its menu and prices, while a service business needs to provide information about its services.
This information helps us customise the agent so that it can have useful conversations with your customers.
The setup process is important because a voice agent is only as useful as the information and instructions it receives.
Monthly fees and call usage
Another factor is how much the voice agent will be used.
A business receiving a small number of calls will have different usage requirements from a business receiving calls throughout the day.
The number of calls and the length of those calls can influence the monthly cost. The monthly fee takes the expected call usage into account, alongside the ongoing maintenance required to keep the solution running.
This is why understanding your business's call volume is important when putting together a suitable solution.
Ongoing maintenance
A voice agent is not something you should simply set up and never think about again.
Businesses change. Prices change, services are added, and information needs to be updated. Your voice agent should reflect those changes so that it continues providing relevant information to callers.
Ongoing maintenance forms part of the overall cost of having a voice agent.
Can a Voice Agent Actually Make Your Business More Money?
This is where I think business owners should look beyond the monthly price.
Instead of only asking how much a voice agent costs, consider how much it might be costing your business when calls go unanswered.
Think about a typical receptionist or secretary.
They might work from 8:00 to 16:00 or 9:00 to 17:00. They take lunch breaks, need to use the bathroom and sometimes have to deal with another customer or phone call.
None of this is unusual. It's simply part of having a person manage your calls.
But what happens when another potential customer phones while your receptionist is already busy?
What happens when somebody calls during lunch?
And what happens when a customer tries to contact your business outside normal working hours?
That customer might not call again. They might simply move on to another business.
A voice agent can act as your backup receptionist
I'm not saying every business should replace its receptionist with an AI voice agent. In many cases, I think it makes more sense to use one as a backup.
Your receptionist can continue doing their job, while the voice agent helps answer calls that would otherwise go unanswered.
Depending on how it is configured, the agent can:
- Answer incoming calls.
- Provide information about your business.
- Answer frequently asked questions.
- Explain your services and prices.
- Help customers book appointments.
- Handle enquiries when your receptionist is unavailable.
The important thing is that a potential customer has another way to reach your business instead of simply being left without an answer.
What could missed calls be costing you?
Let's use a simple hypothetical example.
Imagine your business misses 10% of its incoming calls because your receptionist is busy, taking a break or unavailable.
That means some potential customers aren't getting through to your business.
Now imagine that a voice agent could answer some of those calls and help turn those enquiries into bookings or sales.
Depending on your business, even a small number of additional customers could make a meaningful difference.
For example, if your average customer spends a significant amount on your products or services, winning just a couple of additional customers could help cover the cost of your voice agent.
This isn't a guaranteed return, of course. It depends on how many calls you miss, how many callers become customers and how much those customers spend.
But it's an important way to look at the investment. You're not only paying for an AI tool. You're investing in another opportunity to capture business that might otherwise have been lost.
Will a Voice Agent Give Customers Incorrect Information?
This is one of the concerns I hear when discussing AI with business owners.
People worry that AI might make things up, give customers incorrect prices or provide information that doesn't reflect what the business actually offers.
It's a valid concern, and it's one of the reasons the setup process matters so much.
A voice agent needs to be given the correct information about your business.
For example:
- A restaurant provides its menu and prices.
- A plumbing business provides information about its services.
- A salon provides its treatments and pricing.
- A professional service provider provides information about its services and how customers can book.
We use the information supplied by the business to configure the agent and guide the conversations it can have.
The better the information we receive, the better the foundation we have for creating a useful voice agent.
This doesn't mean AI can never make a mistake. It means that proper configuration, accurate business information and ongoing updates are important parts of building a solution that works well.
Is a Voice Agent Just an Automated Phone Menu?
Not at all.
When some people hear the term automated phone system, they imagine calling a business and being told to press one for sales, press two for support or press three for something else.
That's not what I mean when I talk about an AI voice agent.
A voice agent can have a natural conversation with a caller. Instead of forcing someone through a list of options, it listens to what the person is asking and responds accordingly.
A customer can ask a question about your business, enquire about a service or request assistance with a booking.
The agent can respond using the information it has been given and follow the instructions it has been configured to handle.
It can even address callers by name where that information is available.
The idea is to make the experience feel like a conversation rather than a traditional automated phone menu.
How Much Does a Voice Agent Cost at Seeded Systems?
At Seeded Systems, we don't believe in giving every business the exact same solution without first understanding what it needs.
We have packages available on our website, which combine different agents and services. Choosing a package can also be more affordable than purchasing the different solutions separately.
However, the best option depends on your business.
That's why we offer a free 20-minute consultation. During the call, we can discuss:
- What your business does.
- How you currently handle incoming calls.
- What you would like the voice agent to do.
- What kind of call volume you expect.
- Which solution or package would make the most sense.
From there, we can recommend a suitable solution and explain the associated costs.
You can also explore our available packages here: Seeded Systems Packages.
Is a Voice Agent Worth the Investment?
My opinion is that a voice agent is absolutely worth considering if your business regularly receives enquiries and you want to capture more opportunities.
Think about it this way: your receptionist might be excellent at their job, but they are still human. They need breaks, they have working hours and they can only handle so much at once.
A voice agent gives your business an additional layer of support. It can help answer calls when your team is unavailable and give potential customers another opportunity to enquire, get information or book an appointment.
It doesn't necessarily mean replacing people. It means giving your business another way to serve customers.
And I think that's an important distinction.
If you're happy with the amount of money your business is currently making and you're only interested in maintaining that position, perhaps a voice agent isn't something you feel you need right now.
But if you're looking to grow, attract more customers and avoid losing potential business simply because nobody could answer the phone, it's worth looking at what a voice agent could do.
After all, a potential customer who can't get through to your business might end up calling your competitor instead.
Ready to Find Out What a Voice Agent Would Cost for Your Business?
The best way to understand the cost is to look at your business and what you actually need.
At Seeded Systems, we help businesses explore how AI voice agents and automations can improve the way they handle enquiries and interact with customers.
Book a free 20-minute consultation with us. We'll discuss your business, understand what you're looking for and help you work out whether a voice agent is the right solution.
You don't need to know exactly what you want before the call. That's what the conversation is for.
The question I'd leave you with is this: Are you happy making the same amount of money you're making right now, or are you looking for more opportunities to grow?