Will AI replace human receptionists?

Hey there! Chris here from Aeva AI receptionist for healthcare.

Almost 2 years ago, I reached out to the very first person I’d ever tried to sell an AI receptionist to, long before we started focusing on healthcare. He was also the first to ask me the question above.

At the time, I was already convinced that AI receptionists were going to be massive for any industry that relied on phone calls. It was a vision I couldn’t let go of.

On 26th February 2024, I reached out directly to the CEO of Australia’s largest call answering service.

After cold calling and texting him three times over a few days with no reply, he finally called me back.

He said, “Chris, most people send one email, don’t hear back, and give up. But somehow you found my personal number and didn’t stop after three tries. I’m impressed. Let’s meet.”

We ended up meeting many times after that. I shared demos, walked him through what AI receptionists could do, and how they could support human staff to focus on higher-value work.

He was absolutely blown away.

That question came up during one of our conversations. He raised it casually, but it landed with weight. At the time, I hadn’t given it much real thought. I was so focused on the tech, on what AI could do, that I hadn’t taken a step back to consider what domino effect it could have.

We sat in silence for a bit. It was one of those moments where the energy shifts, where it wasn’t just a business discussion anymore, but something deeper.

Then he answered, almost offhandedly, but with total clarity:
“AI will replace those who only answer calls.”

That line stuck with me. It still does.

He was right. One of an in house receptionist’s core values that can’t be replaced is making patients feel welcomed and cared for. Like helping the elderly lady down the entrance steps or calming patients down when their practitioner is running late.

But the role where the entire job is to pick up phones and ask “thanks for calling the practice, how can I help today?”. That part is already fading. AI can now do it better, more affordably, and more reliably.

For Aeva, it was never about replacing anyone, but to support current receptionists to allow them to focus on the things that make them irreplaceable, like making patients feel valued with human to human connections.

We didn’t end up working with that call centre company in the end. But I walked away from that experience with three important lessons:

After 8+ months of efforts trying to work with them, I realised we realistically didn’t have the resources yet and they would take forever to finally realise that as well. So we moved on. After exploring 6 different industries, that’s when we met a practice owner who used Cliniko, and when Aeva was born.

Honestly it took me by surprise at how interested this CEO of an enterprise company was to speak with me. But at the end of the day, it wasn’t about me, it was about how big this AI receptionist revolution really is.

I realised it was going to take mass investment, staff and infrastructure to help enterprises like call centres implement AI receptionists. So we looked for business owners who were already struggling with calls. That’s when we found healthcare practices who were begging for a better way and I knew we had found the perfect match.

For practices:
Missed calls = missed patients
Taking calls = being less present to patients
Outsourcing calls = loss of control and trust

This shaped everything that came next. The lessons reminded me that it’s not about chasing the biggest deals, but solving the most urgent problems. That people don't need more tech, they need better support. And that behind every missed call is a missed opportunity to care for someone. That’s why we’re obsessed with getting Aeva right.

Because by getting it right, practices run smoother, patients feel seen, and reception teams get to focus on the moments that really matter.

Keep innovating,
Chris Baxter

Founder, Aeva AI Receptionist for healthcare

www.aevaai.com

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