Hybrid Telephone Answering for UK Businesses
Hybrid telephone answering combines our friendly human receptionists with intelligent AI call handling, giving your business reliable call cover 24 hours a day. During office hours, our team answers your calls professionally in your company name. Outside normal business hours, evenings, weekends and overnight, AI continues answering calls so important enquiries are never missed.
Whether you need out-of-hours cover or a complete 24/7 solution, our hybrid service keeps your business available whenever customers call.
Make sure important calls are still answered
Not every customer calls between nine and five. People may contact your business after finishing work, during the evening, over a weekend or when they need urgent help outside your normal opening hours.
An out-of-hours answering service gives callers an immediate response when your usual team is unavailable. Depending on the service selected, we can take a message, collect important details, answer approved questions and make sure the enquiry reaches your business for follow-up.
This helps you remain responsive without asking your internal team to monitor the telephone around the clock.
How does Hybrid Telephone Answering work?
Your calls are automatically diverted to our hybrid telephone answering service when your office closes or during the times agreed when your account is set up.
Callers hear your chosen company greeting and are guided through an agreed call-handling process. We can collect their name, contact details, the reason for their call and any other information your business needs.
Messages are then sent directly to your nominated email address so your team can respond quickly and appropriately.
For evenings, overnight and routine weekend cover, calls are typically handled by our AI telephone answering service. During your normal business hours, your calls can continue to be answered by our friendly UK-based reception team, giving you seamless hybrid call handling. Saturday human answering may also be available by prior arrangement for clients with an ongoing requirement.
If you're comparing human, AI and hybrid options, read our guide to how to choose a telephone answering service before deciding which approach best fits your business.
What happens with our Hybrid Telephone Answering service?
Calls answered in your company name
Callers hear your chosen company greeting and feel as though they are speaking directly with your business, rather than reaching a generic voicemail message.
Professional message taking
We collect the caller's name, telephone number, email address, reason for calling and any other information your business requires.
Answers to common customer questions
Your AI receptionist can answer agreed questions about your services, opening hours, location and next steps, helping callers without them needing to leave a voicemail.
Structured information collection
If you need additional information from callers, we can ask bespoke questions and record the answers before sending the completed message to you.
Instant message delivery
Once the call has finished, the completed message is sent directly to your nominated email address so your team can respond promptly.
24/7 availability
AI call answering can provide continuous cover overnight, at weekends, on public holidays and whenever your regular team is unavailable.
Human & AI working together
During office hours, your calls are answered by our friendly UK-based reception team. Outside those hours, AI takes over automatically, giving your business seamless 24/7 telephone answering without callers noticing the change.
Setting up your Hybrid Telephone Answering service
Step 1 - Tell us when you need calls answered
We discuss your normal opening hours and identify the periods when calls need to be answered.
Step 2 - Choose the right level of cover
We help you decide whether human answering, AI answering or hybrid telephone answering is the best solution for your business.
Step 3 - Choose human, AI or hybrid support
We explain which option is suitable based on the hours, call types and level of support required.
Step 4 - Divert your calls
Your telephone number is diverted or connected to the service at the agreed times.
Step 5 - Stay informed
Caller details are collected and sent straight to your nominated contact so you can follow up quickly.
Who is Hybrid Telephone Answering ideal for?
Hybrid Telephone Answering is suitable for almost any business that receives important calls outside normal office hours, including:
Growing businesses
Extend your opening hours without the cost of employing additional reception staff.
Healthcare and clinics
Provide approved information, answer common questions and collect messages while your reception team is unavailable.
Legal and professional services
Capture new enquiries even when your office is closed, ensuring potential clients don't go elsewhere.
Property and facilities businesses
Collect details about maintenance issues, tenants, buildings and urgent problems outside office hours.
Trades and emergency callout businesses
Capture urgent repair and emergency callouts 24/7, whether you're working, driving or asleep.
Businesses serving customers across different time zones
Capture enquiries from customers whose working hours don't always match yours.
Choose the times you want us to answer
Every business is different. We can answer your calls exactly when you need us to, including:
evenings after your office closes
overnight cover
weekends
public holidays
annual shutdowns
staff training days
lunch breaks or team meetings
unexpected closures
whenever your receptionist is unavailable
full 24/7 telephone answering
You stay in control. We only answer your calls during the times you choose, whether that's every evening, weekends only, holiday cover or full 24/7 support. Your cover can be changed at any time if your opening hours or business needs change.
24/7 Telephone Answering with an AI Receptionist
For businesses that need evening, overnight, weekend or 24/7 telephone answering, an AI receptionist provides reliable call handling without the cost of employing additional reception staff.
Hybrid combines the best of both worlds: our experienced UK reception team during office hours, with AI providing seamless cover outside your chosen opening times.
Your AI receptionist answers in your company name, follows your approved call handling process, collects caller information and can answer common questions using information you provide. Every call is handled consistently, day or night.
For straightforward call handling, our standard AI plans include message taking and email delivery. If your business needs appointment booking, CRM integrations, multiple routing options or more advanced call flows, we can create a bespoke AI solution.
Want to learn more about AI Telephone Answering? Click here
The Best of Both Worlds: Human Receptionists by Day, AI Cover Out of Hours
Many businesses want the reassurance of a real UK receptionist during office hours while also making sure important calls are never missed after the office closes.
Hybrid Telephone Answering combines our live UK telephone answering team during office hours with AI answering during evenings, weekends and overnight periods, giving you seamless cover without changing how callers experience your business.
Your callers always receive a prompt, professional response while your business captures more enquiries around the clock.
Learn more about our daytime Telephone Answering Service
Urgent calls handled your way
Before your service goes live, we agree exactly how urgent and routine calls should be handled.
If a caller says their enquiry is urgent, our AI receptionist follows the call handling process you have approved. It can collect important information, explain the agreed next steps and, where appropriate, follow any escalation or on-call procedure you've put in place.
Where immediate emergency assistance is needed, callers are always advised to contact the appropriate emergency services. Our service is designed to support your business, not replace emergency services.
If your business requires on-call engineers, specialist escalation or call transfers, these requirements can be discussed and built into your setup where suitable.
Whether calls are answered by our reception team or your AI receptionist, the agreed call handling process remains consistent.
What if a caller wants to speak to someone?
On an AI Telephone Answering plan, the AI explains that their details will be passed to your team so someone can respond as soon as possible.
Messages are sent immediately after the call, allowing you to return important enquiries promptly.
If you'd prefer calls to be answered by a real receptionist during office hours and by AI outside those hours, our Hybrid Telephone Answering service provides the best of both.
Built on decades of telephone answering experience
Becky Kelly has worked in the telephone answering industry since 2001 and co-owns That's My Call Ltd with Cheryl Canning-Eaton. Since 2015, That's My Call has helped businesses across the UK manage their calls professionally and reliably.
Our out-of-hours services are built on years of practical experience in telephone answering, customer service and message handling. We know that a useful message is more than simply taking a name and telephone number. It should give your team enough information to understand exactly why the caller contacted you and what action needs to happen next.
We take the time to understand your business, your callers and the way you work before creating call instructions tailored to your requirements.
Flexible plans for every business
AI telephone answering plans start from just £39 per month and provide affordable evening, overnight and weekend call handling.
If you would prefer human answering during the working day with AI answering outside office hours, our Hybrid service starts from £75 per month, depending on your message volume and requirements.
Businesses with more complex call flows, integrations or advanced routing requirements can request a bespoke quotation.
Not sure which option is right for your business? We'll recommend the most suitable solution based on your opening hours, call volumes and the way you work.
Do you need Saturday telephone answering?
Human telephone answering may be available on Saturdays between 10:00am and 3:00pm by prior arrangement.
Saturday cover is not part of our standard service and is only provided where ongoing cover has been agreed in advance.
If you need reliable weekend availability every week, our AI telephone answering service can provide consistent cover throughout Saturdays, Sundays, evenings and overnight.
Contact us to discuss the most suitable option for your business.
FAQ’s
Can calls be answered after my office closes?
Yes. Calls can be diverted to our service when your office closes, during evenings, overnight, at weekends or at other agreed times. This means your customers can still reach your business even when your team isn't available.
Is the out-of-hours service provided by humans or AI?
Routine evening, overnight and weekend cover is normally provided using AI telephone answering. Human telephone answering is available during our live answering hours, with Saturday cover available by prior arrangement.
Can the service operate 24 hours a day?
Yes. AI telephone answering can provide 24/7 cover, including evenings, weekends and public holidays.
Will calls be answered in my company name?
Yes. We use the business greeting agreed during setup.
Can you take urgent messages?
Yes. The service can collect agreed information and identify that a caller considers the matter urgent. Any specialist escalation process must be discussed during setup.
Can the AI answer questions about my business?
Yes. It can provide approved answers about your services, hours, location and other common enquiries.
Can callers be transferred to someone on call?
Basic AI plans do not include live call transfers. If you require on-call routing or specialist escalation, we can discuss a bespoke solution.
How will I receive the message?
Basic AI plans send completed messages to one nominated email address immediately after the call.
Can I use human answering during the day and AI answering at night?
Yes. This is our hybrid telephone answering option, combining human call answering during your chosen hours with AI answering outside them. You can learn more in our guide to how hybrid telephone answering works.
Do you provide human answering every Saturday?
Saturday cover is available by prior arrangement. It is not a routine every-Saturday service unless ongoing cover has been agreed.
How long does it take to get started?
Most services can be set up quickly once we've agreed your greeting, call instructions and message requirements.
Can I change my greeting or instructions later?
Yes. We understand businesses change over time, so your greeting and call instructions can be updated whenever required. Changes to AI call handling instructions are subject to our standard administration charge.
Ready to capture calls outside office hours?
Tell us when calls are being missed, what information you need from each caller and how you would like those enquiries handled. We will help you choose an out-of-hours answering option that fits your business.
More Ways We Can Support Your Business
Looking for more than Out-of-Hours Answering? Explore our Telephone Answering, AI Answering, Virtual Receptionist and Call Overflow services, or view our pricing to find the right support for your business.
Explore our telephone answering services in your area
We support businesses across the North West, North Wales and throughout the UK. Explore our local telephone answering pages to learn more about the support available for businesses in your area.