AI secretary 2027: 12 criteria for choosing well
For each criterion you will find what it means, what to do and an example. At the end there are test scenarios, a cost calculation and answers to common questions.
Last updated: November 5, 2026
The AI secretary at a glance
24/7
Answers calls, WhatsApp and web chat
70€
Starting price per month + VAT
1 week
Most businesses are ready within a week
What an AI secretary is
An AI secretary is an AI phone assistant that answers a business's calls, takes messages and books appointments. It speaks natural Greek with the caller and takes action, instead of simply leaving a message after the beep.
This guide is for professionals and businesses considering an AI secretary for 2027. It does not describe a single product. The 12 criteria apply to any service you compare, and for each one we suggest a check you can run yourself.
An unanswered call often means a lost appointment or a lost sale, and someone who calls without getting an answer may call another business. A human secretary covers set hours and one call at a time. An AI secretary answers around the clock and handles many calls at once, depending on the lines in the plan.
The service has nothing to do with the secretariats of public services or educational institutions.
How a call works
Every call passes through six stages. The quality of the service depends on all of them, not only on the voice.
Speech recognition
The caller's voice is turned into text so the system can analyse it.
Understanding the request
The system works out what the caller wants: an appointment, information, a message or a person.
An answer based on your instructions
The answer relies on the details you have provided: opening hours, services, prices and rules.
Voice synthesis
The answer becomes speech in natural Greek, in the tone you have set.
Actions
The assistant checks the calendar, records the appointment or takes the message.
Summary and handover
At the end a summary of the call is created and, if needed, the call passes to a person.
12 criteria for choosing an AI secretary
The criteria start with what the customer hears and end with the terms of the agreement. For each one there is a check you can run on a test call.
- 1
Natural Greek
The voice should sound clear and comfortable on an ordinary call. Pronunciation, pace and pauses all matter. A voice that sounds robotic can make callers hesitate to continue.
What to do
Listen to voice samples and make a test call. Try voices with different styles and choose the one that suits your business.
Example: A medical practice may prefer a calm, formal tone, a hair salon a more relaxed one.
- 2
Speed and interruptions
The delay between the question and the answer decides whether the call feels like a conversation. People interrupt and change their minds, and the assistant has to cope.
What to do
Interrupt the assistant in the middle of a sentence and change your request. Notice how quickly it answers and whether it loses the thread.
Example: Ask for an appointment on Tuesday and, after it suggests times, say "actually Wednesday is better".
- 3
Names, numbers and dates
Mistakes here have a direct cost: a wrong phone number, a wrong time or a wrong name on the booking. Greek surnames, street names and phrases such as "after five" put the system to the test.
What to do
Dictate a phone number, a surname and an address. Ask the assistant to repeat them and check the result in the dashboard.
Example: Say "Thursday after five" and see whether it books 17:00, 17:30 or asks for clarification.
- 4
Calendar and availability
An appointment is only worth something if it lands in your real calendar. An AI secretary should see your availability, avoid double bookings and handle rescheduling and cancellation.
What to do
Ask which calendars it connects to. Test a booking, a reschedule and a cancellation, and check the calendar updates correctly.
Example: Ask for an appointment at a time that is already taken and see whether it offers an alternative.
- 5
Knowledge of your business
The assistant answers correctly only about what you have told it. Opening hours, services, prices, the cancellation policy and the topics it must not handle decide the quality of its answers.
What to do
Write a one page document with opening hours, services, prices, common questions and topics that always go to a person. Check whether you can change it yourself.
Example: A garage states that repair prices are given only as an estimate and that the inspection takes place at the garage.
- 6
Handover to a person
Not every call needs a person, but some do. You need to define which calls are urgent and where they go, together with the conversation history.
What to do
Write three handover rules and test them with a call. Also ask explicitly to speak to a person, to see how it handles that.
Example: A plumber decides that a burst pipe is forwarded straight to their mobile, while other requests stay as messages.
- 7
Messages and summaries
The outcome of a call should be easy to read. A short summary with the name, the reason for the call and the next step saves time compared with a recording.
What to do
After the test call, open the summary and the transcript. Check that they contain what you need to follow up without calling back to ask again.
Example: A good summary: "Ms Ioannou asks for a clean on Thursday at 17:00. The appointment has been booked."
- 8
Communication channels
Customers get in touch by phone, WhatsApp and website chat. If each channel has a different tool, the information gets scattered.
What to do
Ask which channels the same service covers and whether all requests end up in one dashboard.
Example: A customer asks about availability in the chat and calls later to book. You want to see both requests in the same place.
- 9
Languages
If you serve international customers, support for other languages matters from the first call. SmartestVoice, for example, speaks Greek, English and dozens of other languages.
What to do
Make a test call in English and, if needed, in a third language. Check that the information recorded is correct.
Example: A hotel receives calls from guests asking about arrival and transfers.
- 10
Data, GDPR and transparency
Calls contain personal data, so the GDPR applies. The provider should state which data it processes, and the assistant should say at the start of the call that it is an AI and, when the call is recorded, that it is being recorded.
What to do
Ask for a Data Processing Agreement (DPA), an AI policy and a privacy policy. Ask how long recordings are kept and how they are deleted.
Example: SmartestVoice publishes its DPA and AI policy on the corresponding pages of the website.
- 11
Cost
Compare the whole package and not only the monthly price: call minutes, number of lines, setup fee and what happens when you exceed the minutes in the plan.
What to do
Work out the monthly minutes: number of calls multiplied by average length. Add a margin for busier months and compare it with the minutes in the plan.
Example: A hypothetical example: 80 calls a month at 2.5 minutes each make 200 minutes. At that volume, a plan with at least 200 minutes fits.
- 12
Trial and contract terms
A free trial shows how the service answers your own customers. The termination terms show how easily you can change your mind.
What to do
Ask whether there is a free trial, what the minimum term is and how cancellation works. Ask for the terms in writing.
Example: SmartestVoice offers a free trial. The terms of the agreement are described on the pricing page and in the terms of use.
Scenarios for the test call
Simple scenarios
- Ask for an appointment next week
- Ask for the opening hours and the address
- Ask the price of a service
- Leave a message for the person in charge
Difficult scenarios
- Change your mind in the middle of the call
- Call from a noisy place
- Give a surname that is hard to pronounce
- Ask for an appointment outside opening hours
Testing the limits
- Ask something that is not in the instructions and see whether it admits it does not know
- Explicitly ask to speak to a person
- Describe an urgent request
- Ask whether the call is recorded
Answering machine, secretary or AI secretary?
Three ways to answer your business phone.
Answering
- AI secretary
- Holds a conversation and gives information
- Answering machine
- Records a message after the beep
- Human secretary
- Holds a conversation and gives information
Appointments
- AI secretary
- Books into the calendar
- Answering machine
- Does not book appointments
- Human secretary
- Books during working hours
Availability
- AI secretary
- 24/7, including holidays
- Answering machine
- 24/7, without a conversation
- Human secretary
- Working hours
Simultaneous calls
- AI secretary
- Many, depending on the plan
- Answering machine
- Does not hold conversations
- Human secretary
- One at a time
Monthly cost
- AI secretary
- From 70€ + VAT
- Answering machine
- Depends on the provider
- Human secretary
- Salary and contributions, or a remote answering service fee
How to work out whether it pays off
Start with the missed calls. Count for a month how many calls went unanswered and how many of them would have become an appointment or a sale. Multiply by the value of one appointment.
A hypothetical example: if you miss 20 calls a month, 1 in 4 would have become an appointment and each appointment is worth 60€, the loss is 5 appointments and 300€ a month. The figures are illustrative. Use your own.
You can use the missed calls calculator on the website and compare the result with the monthly cost of the plan.
SmartestVoice plans
Prices are monthly and exclude VAT. The Starter, Pro and Scale plans have a setup fee of 150€, paid once. An Enterprise plan is available on a quote.
Starter
70€ + VAT a month
100 call minutes and 1 phone line. For sole traders and small offices.
Pro
130€ + VAT a month
200 call minutes and 3 phone lines. For businesses with more calls.
Scale
235€ + VAT a month
400 call minutes and 5 phone lines. For businesses with a higher call volume.
Which indicators to track after launch
Calls
- Share of calls answered
- Number of missed calls
- Average call length
- Calls outside opening hours
Appointments
- Appointments booked per number of calls
- Cancellations and reschedules
- Customer no shows
Quality
- Calls handed over to a person
- Questions left without an answer
- A sample of transcripts you review every week
How to get started in three steps
Write down your needs
Opening hours, services, prices and the questions you hear most often. These decide what the AI secretary says.
Connect your calls
Usually with call forwarding to the AI assistant's number. SmartestVoice helps you with the setup.
Test and monitor
Make test calls, read the summaries in the dashboard and adjust the instructions.
Call forwarding: the options
You usually keep your number and forward calls to the AI assistant's number. You do not need to change your cards or your advertising.
There are two main options: forward all calls, or forward only when the line is busy or you do not answer. The second suits businesses that want to keep answering themselves.
The codes and the cost of forwarding depend on your phone provider. Check its terms before you switch it on.
7 common mistakes when setting up
Generic instructions
An assistant without specific details gives generic answers. Write down opening hours, services and rules.
No testing before launch
Make test calls with the scenarios in this guide before you forward your number.
Undefined handover rules
If you have not defined what is urgent, the request may not reach you in time.
Ignoring the dashboard
Summaries show which questions go unanswered. Read them in the first week and update the instructions.
Instructions that are not kept up to date
Changes to opening hours, prices or offers must also reach the assistant.
Comparing on price alone
The cheapest option is not always the best if calls are not completed properly. Compare how it works, not only the cost.
Overlooking transparency
The assistant must say it is an AI. Check that setting and the DPA from the start.
The limits of an AI secretary
An AI secretary handles repetitive calls: appointments, information and messages. Anything that needs judgement or sensitive handling passes to a person, together with the conversation history.
When it does not know the answer, it says so and records the request instead of guessing. Test the service with your own calls before you switch it on.
Legal framework and transparency
The EU Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act) sets transparency obligations for systems that interact with people. The exact obligations depend on how you use the system, so consult a legal adviser.
This guide is not legal advice.
Key terms
Remote answering service
A service where a human secretary answers a business's calls remotely.
Answering machine
An automatic system that records a message after the beep. It does not hold a conversation.
AI phone assistant
An artificial intelligence system that talks with the caller and takes actions, such as booking an appointment.
Call forwarding
A setting that sends the calls of one number to another number.
Call transcription
Turning the conversation into text.
Handover to a person
The moment a call passes from the assistant to a member of your team.
Voice menu (IVR)
A menu such as "press 1 for…" that guides the caller with keypad presses.
Call minutes
The conversation time included in the plan each month.
Frequently asked questions about the AI secretary in 2027
What is the difference between an AI secretary, a remote answering service and an answering machine?
An answering machine records a message. A remote answering service is a human secretary working remotely, usually in set hours. An AI secretary holds a conversation, books appointments and answers around the clock.
In what order should I apply the 12 criteria?
Start with the test call, because it shows the voice, the speed and the accuracy. Then check the calendar, the handover to a person, the data protection and the cost.
Can an AI secretary book appointments without double bookings?
Yes, when it is connected to your calendar and you have set your availability. Check it with a test booking at a time that is already taken.
Do I need to change my number?
No. You keep your number and forward calls to the assistant's number, either all the time or only when you do not answer.
What happens if the AI secretary does not understand the customer?
It asks for clarification. If it does not know the answer, it says so and records the request or passes the call to your team.
Are calls recorded?
That depends on your settings. When recording is on, the assistant says at the start of the call that the call is being recorded.
Does it speak other languages?
Yes. SmartestVoice speaks Greek, English and dozens of other languages.
How many calls can it handle at once?
Many, depending on the lines in the plan. Starter has 1 line, Pro 3 and Scale 5.
What determines the cost?
The call minutes, the number of lines and the setup fee. The current plans are shown on the Pricing page.
Does it replace a human secretary?
It takes over the repetitive calls. Anything that needs a person passes to your team together with the conversation history.
Which industries is it suited to?
Medical practices, law firms, hair salons, garages, restaurants, tourism, Real Estate and retail, in other words any business that takes calls and appointments.
Is it lawful to use AI on calls?
That depends on how you use it. You need to be transparent that the assistant is an AI, tell callers when a call is recorded and process the data correctly. Consult a legal adviser about your own situation.
Can I try it before I pay?
Yes. The free trial lets you see how it answers your own customers before you decide.
Try the AI secretary on your own calls
Book a free demo and see how SmartestVoice answers your customers.