Compare
410 vs. hiring a receptionist.
A receptionist is a person. 410 is a system. Here’s the real math.
Hiring a receptionist
- Average US receptionist salary: about $39,460 a year (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 data). Salary alone, before payroll taxes, workers’ comp, benefits, PTO, and sick days.
- All-in, a full-time hire usually lands well north of $50,000 a year.
- Business hours only. Your 7pm, Saturday, and holiday calls still hit voicemail.
- Needs hiring and training on your trade, your customers, and your pricing. And can quit, putting you back at square one.
410 Business Solutions
- $450 a month flat, $5,400 a year. No payroll taxes, no benefits, no PTO, no sick days.
- Texts back missed calls in about 16 seconds. Evenings, weekends, holidays.
- Books the job on your real calendar, chases estimates and invoices, handles reschedules and photo intake, and requests reviews after every completed job, replies handled. Plus a morning Day Sheet and a monthly proof report.
- No hiring, no training, no turnover. Done for you on your real number.
When each one wins
Hire a receptionist when call volume keeps a person busy 40 hours a week, with walk-ins to greet and a front desk to run. At that scale, a good hire is worth every penny.
Pick 410 when the leak is calls nobody answers: after hours, weekends, while you’re on a job, and you’re losing jobs to voicemail but not ready for a $50,000-a-year hire. 410 costs roughly what a receptionist costs in a month and a half, and it works the hours they don’t.
Some businesses graduate to both: a person at the front desk by day, 410 catching everything else. A fine problem to have.
Prefer a per-call service? See 410 vs answering services. Page updated October 2026.