Comparison · checked August 2026
A traditional answering service is a proven thing that has worked for decades. A real person answers, they follow your script, and for out-of-hours cover it is a reasonable answer.
What decides it. Who does the work afterwards. An answering service moves the task; it does not finish it. You still ring the caller back, find a slot, and hope they answer this time. Clayta finishes it during the first call — the caller hangs up with a time, and it is already in Square Appointments.
| a traditional answering service | Clayta | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | Typically $200–$600/month | $99/month |
| What that buys | Usually priced per minute or per call, with rates rising after hours and at weekends — exactly when the phone rings most for a shop. | 150 minutes of answered calls |
| After the call | You act on it | The appointment is already written |
| Booking | Varies by plan | Into Square Appointments, live availability |
| Languages | Check current plans | English and Spanish |
| Two callers at once | Varies | Yes |
a traditional answering service pricing is their published entry tier as at August 2026, and moves. Check their site for the current figure before deciding.
your calls need judgement a script cannot capture, or you want a human voice at any cost.
most of your calls are people wanting an appointment, and the return-call round trip is where you lose them.
The fastest way to settle this is to hear the thing answer. Call the demo line and book a fake appointment — it behaves exactly as it would on your line.
Call (949) 687-2811Or see both plans — 30-day money-back guarantee, no contract, cancel from your dashboard.
Most are $200–$600 a month at small-business volume, usually billed per minute or per call, with higher rates outside business hours.
For a nuanced conversation, a person is better. For 'can I get a cut Friday afternoon', the difference that matters is whether it ends in a booking or a message.
Yes, on every call, along with the recording notice. That is not configurable while recording is on.