2026 comparison

Hattie vs. In-House Receptionist

A great receptionist is invaluable during business hours. But they go home at 5 PM, call in sick, take vacations, and eventually quit. Hattie doesn't.

In-House Receptionist

$3,000–$5,500/mo (salary, taxes, benefits for full-time; $2,000–$3,500 for part-time)

Hattie

From $499/mo (unlimited calls, 24/7)

Side by side

Feature by feature.

FeatureHattieIn-House Receptionist

Hours per week168 (24/7/365)40 (business hours only)

Monthly cost$499–$1,799$3,000–$5,500 (fully loaded)

After-hours coverageFullNone (voicemail)

Sick days / vacationNever10-15 days/year minimum

Training timeDay one2-4 weeks

TurnoverZeroEvery 12-18 months (industry average)

BilingualEnglish + Spanish included$3-$5/hr premium if available

PMS integration31 systems, automaticManual data entry

Waitlist automationML-ranked, fully automaticManual phone calls

Walk-in greeting—✓

Emotional intelligenceGood for 85-90% of callsExcellent

Concurrent callsUnlimitedOne at a time

Credit where it’s due

What In-House Receptionist does well

+Human empathy, warmth, and relationship-building with regular patients/customers
+Can handle complex, nuanced situations that require judgment
+Physical presence at the front desk for greeting walk-ins
+Institutional knowledge built over months and years
+Can multitask: phones, check-ins, filing, mail, and more

Where Hattie wins

What Hattie does that In-House Receptionistdoesn’t

✓Works 168 hours/week vs 40 — Hattie covers nights, weekends, holidays, lunches, and sick days
✓Costs 70-85% less per month — $499 vs $3,000-$5,500 for a full-time employee
✓Zero turnover — average receptionist tenure is 12-18 months, each replacement costs $3,000-$5,000 to hire and train
✓Fills cancelled slots automatically from your ML-ranked waitlist — no human receptionist does this
✓Bilingual English and Spanish at no extra cost — bilingual staff commands a $3-$5/hr premium

The bottom line

Hattie isn't here to replace your receptionist during business hours — she's here to be the shift they can't work. Nights, weekends, holidays, lunch breaks, sick days. And if you're a solo practice or small business that can't justify a full-time hire, Hattie is your entire front desk at 1/6 the cost. The smartest move for most businesses: keep your human for the daytime, and let Hattie handle everything else.

Hear her first

Judge the difference yourself — dial the line.

866-481-6507

Open · 24 / 7 / 365

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