Best AI Phone Answering Service: How easy it is to replace your phone lines
Starting a new business? Tired of dealing with phone companies and their endless fees? As someone who's helped hundreds of restaurants streamline their operations, I can tell you that getting your phone answering service up and running doesn't have to be a nightmare. In fact, with Kea AI, you can be taking customer calls in under 30 minutes to an hour.
Kea's AI-powered phone answering service promises setup in 30 minutes or less with your own dedicated phone number to route calls to. Helping you save lines and call time!
Why Traditional Phone Lines Are Holding You Back
Let's be honest: dealing with phone companies is about as fun as getting your car's extended warranty renewed by a robot caller at 7 AM (yes, we'll help you block those too). Traditional phone setups require:
- Multiple phone lines that cost hundreds monthly
- Complex installation processes
- Hours of setup time
- Ongoing maintenance headaches
- Staff constantly tied to the phone
Meanwhile, your competitors are already using AI phone answering service technology to handle more calls, upsell customers, and free up their staff for what really matters: serving customers in person.
The average restaurant receives between 50 and 75 calls a day, and when 63% of Americans say calling is their preferred way to contact a restaurant, and more than two-thirds (69%) would give up on going to a restaurant if no one answers the phone, the stakes couldn't be higher.
The Kea AI Advantage: Your Dedicated Phone Number Solution
While keeping your same phone number, we're able to use your carrier's call forwarding functionality to route calls directly to a Kea number. This way, your phone line is handling the maximum number of calls at any given time.
Here's what makes our phone answering service different:
Instant Setup, Zero Hardware
Today it takes an hour. "It's taken years of development effort to get to this point," said John Merrells, CTO of Kea, in an interview. No new hardware is required.
Two Ways to Go Live
Option 1: Call Forwarding (Perfect for existing businesses) Simply forward your existing business line to your dedicated Kea AI phone number using 21 followed by your Kea number. Your customers keep calling the same number they always have.
Option 2: Direct Implementation (Ideal for new businesses) Skip the phone company entirely. Use your dedicated Kea AI phone number directly on Google Business Profile, Yelp, and all your marketing materials.
Beyond Basic Call Answering: Smart Features That Actually Work
Our phone answering service isn't just about picking up calls. Here's what sets Kea AI apart:
Spam Call Protection
Restaurant hours, place an order to-go, contact manager, spam filtering, etc. No more interruptions from robots trying to sell you on a new vacuum while you're trying to run your business.
After Hours Management
Set custom hours and call routing rules to block after-hours calls or filter out anonymous callers.
The Kea AI interface allows you to customize call routing depending on your operational needs.
Personalized Caller Greeting
With Kea AI, you can fully tailor your call settings and greetings to match your brand’s tone for new customers and returning customers. Even based on business hours for opening and closing messages.
Customize greetings for different scenarios, including personalized messages for returning customers.
Smart SMS Text Routing
Need to direct someone to your careers page? Looking for customer feedback? Our AI doesn't just answer calls – it sends helpful texts that route people exactly where they need to go.
All-in-One Employee Features
- Reservation & Waitlist handling
- Order customization and upselling
- Call Feedback Collection
- Our AI remembers your customers' names so that your customers feel like VIPs
Real Results from Real Businesses
With a 99.3% order accuracy rate, Kea consistently matches–if not exceeds–the performance of traditional phone interactions, minimizing the risk of human error.
Deploying Voice AI for to-go orders proves to be lucrative, with boosts in Average Order Value (AOV) up to 25%.
Kea's impressive 2025 performance metrics show over $828K in phone order revenue and 99.3% accuracy without human intervention.
The Setup Process: Seriously, It's That Simple
- Get Your Dedicated Number: Log into the Kea AI portal and receive your phone number
- Choose Your Method: Forward calls or use the number directly
- Configure Settings: Set hours, customize responses, add menu items
- Go Live: Start taking calls immediately
Kea integrates with over 11 leading POS systems–including Toast, Square, Clover, and Olo–enabling new restaurants to onboard in less than 1 hour.
Perfect for Every Business Size
And not just for larger brands, who have historically been the ones with the resources to experiment with technology, but smaller brands, who have smaller budgets but big needs. Max Tilka, Senior Product Manager for the Brand Experience says “Kea's new offering is affordable and intuitive, something even a non-tech-savvy overworked operator can install and understand. We can now serve as a virtual helping hand to moms-and-pops.”
Whether you're a single location or managing multiple stores, our phone answering service scales with your business. With all the previous features and bulk edit setup, Kea can handle 50+ locations. Making brand wide changes as simple as 2 clicks.
Why This Matters for Your Bottom Line
We save restaurants' operating costs in 3 ways: 100% upselling, reducing labor costs, and removing phone lines.
Think about it: every call your staff doesn't have to answer is time they can spend creating better customer experiences, preparing food, or handling the dozen other tasks that keep your business running smoothly.
On average, restaurants save $677 per month in missed order revenue with Kea AI's phone answering service.
Daily performance reports show exactly how much revenue Kea AI is saving your business by handling calls and preventing missed orders.
Ready to Transform Your Phone Operations?
Never miss a call with Kea AI. Personalize your restaurant's Voice AI to capture orders, answer questions, streamline operations, and grow revenue.
The phone answering service landscape has changed dramatically. You no longer need to choose between expensive traditional setups and missing important calls. With Kea AI, you get the best of both worlds: professional call handling that works 24/7, costs less than traditional phone lines, and actually helps grow your business.
For more insights on restaurant technology and AI implementation, check out our interview with John Merrells, Chief Product and Technology Officer at Kea and learn about how VIA 313 is scaling growth with Kea AI.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How quickly can I really get set up with Kea AI's phone answering service?
A: Any restaurant operator, no matter their experience with technology, can simply and easily set up our Voice AI in just an hour. We've streamlined the process so much that you can be taking calls the same day you sign up.
Q: What makes Kea AI the best phone answering service?
A: Kea AI sounds like a human phone assistant, but is so much more. From answering customer calls to checking your menu, tracking trends, and surfacing smart suggestions, Kea works behind the scenes to help you run smoother every day.
Q: Can I use this for my new business instead of getting traditional phone lines?
A: Absolutely! Many of our clients use their dedicated Kea AI phone number as their primary business line, posting it directly on Google Business Profile and Yelp. This saves you from dealing with phone companies entirely while providing superior service.
Q: How accurate is the AI compared to human staff?
A: With 99.3% accuracy, Kea AI knows your menu like the back of its hand (or wing). Our system actually reduces human error while providing consistent service quality.
Q: Does Kea AI work with my existing systems?
A: We integrate with all major POS systems to ensure seamless operations. Kea has a key integration partnership with Olo, which means Kea is available in any restaurant that uses Olo. Kea is the only Olo Gold Connect partner that leverages AI and human operators to digitize the phone channel and improve hospitality in the process.
Q: How does Kea AI help increase revenue?
A: No cashier upsells 100% of the time, except ours. We always offer intelligent recommendations, which significantly increase average ticket size. Plus, you'll never miss another call during busy periods.
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