BT launches AI receptionist for small businesses in the UK
Key Points
- BT Business launched AI Receptionist as part of its new AI from BT portfolio
- The tool answers calls 24/7, books appointments and transcribes conversations
- It works on any UK network and businesses keep their existing number
- BT says UK small businesses lose £3.67 billion a year to missed calls
- A free AI Adoption Hub offers guides, prompt packs and case studies
BT Business has launched an AI receptionist for UK small businesses, which it says lose £3.67 billion a year to missed calls.
The tool forms part of AI from BT, a new portfolio of AI products that BT Business unveiled on 1 October alongside a free AI Adoption Hub.
BT said the hub offers practical guides, prompt packs, expert insights and real-world examples of businesses using AI in their day-to-day operations.
AI Receptionist answers calls 24 hours a day and handles routine enquiries on behalf of the business. BT said the service offers several features, including:
- Round-the-clock call answering for routine customer enquiries
- Appointment scheduling and confirmations, with Outlook and Google Calendar integration
- Call capture and transcription, with insights drawn from customer conversations
- Customisable voice and accent options, with the tool learning from business information
BT offers the service on flexible contracts, and businesses can set it up through a self-service portal without any technical expertise.
It works across any UK fixed or mobile network, which means businesses can keep their existing number and phone system. BT said customer data remains private and that it does not use this data to train AI models.
BT aimed the tool at sectors where incoming calls drive bookings or new work, including trades, estate agents, healthcare practices, legal and financial services, retailers, and pubs and restaurants.
“AI has the potential to be a huge boost to small businesses and to drive the UK’s growth, but many businesses are struggling to know how to begin and how to adopt simply and securely,” said Jon James, CEO of BT Business.
“AI Receptionist is the first step in the journey, helping businesses capture every opportunity, reduce admin and deliver responsive, personalised service around the clock, while keeping their customer data protected,” James added.
BT commissioned research firm Censuswide to survey 1,500 decision makers at UK small and medium-sized businesses and 2,000 UK adults in late September 2026.
Two-thirds (67%) of small businesses said they miss at least one call on an average day that they believe costs them business.
Nearly three in five (58%) said they spend between 30 minutes and two hours every day answering customer calls, and 85% said this interrupts their other work.
The consumer survey found that 75% of callers give a business three attempts before giving up. A further 58% said they would tell friends and family to avoid a business that failed to pick up.
Almost two-thirds (65%) of small business owners believe AI could significantly benefit their business, but 56% said they are not yet getting its full value.
BT based its £3.67 billion estimate on businesses’ own figures for revenue lost to missed calls so far this year, scaled up to a full year. That works out at roughly £71 million a week, and BT described the figure as indicative.
Businesses with one to nine employees account for £1.84 billion of the total, with an average annual loss of £1,597 each.
“AI can be an incredible help, and when utilised correctly, it is a cost-effective and fast way of managing the front line of customer service,” said Michelle Ovens, CEO and founder of Small Business Britain.
BT will support the launch with a major advertising campaign set in a busy pub. The campaign will run across TV, video-on-demand, radio, podcasts, social media, billboards and in-pub activations.
