1. Separate the four cost categories
Your AIKOTEC service budget combines initial implementation, ongoing service, call usage and support. We design the conversation around your business, configure the assistant, connect the agreed business processes and test real scenarios before launch. Your written proposal explains what is included, what depends on usage and how future changes are handled. You receive a business solution with defined responsibilities and a clear point of contact.
2. Estimate your actual call minutes
Start with the number of calls you expect the assistant to handle, not every call your business receives. Multiply by average call length. For example, 300 calls at three minutes each is 900 minutes per month. AIKOTEC reviews call types and transfers with you and explains how billable usage is calculated in your proposal.
3. Use a calculation, not a headline price
Illustrative budget only: at an assumed all-in usage rate of $0.15 per minute, 900 minutes would cost $135 in usage. This is a calculation example only, not an AIKOTEC rate, package or quote. If the same calls average five minutes, the usage becomes 1,500 minutes, or $225 at that assumption. Add implementation, any fixed service charges, phone costs not included in the assumption, support and applicable taxes separately.
Build the budget in two parts
Separate the initial project from the cost of keeping it running. This planning diagram is not an AIKOTEC price quote.
4. Understand your AIKOTEC proposal
AIKOTEC designs, configures and maintains a service around your business. Your proposal should explain conversation design, English and Spanish coverage, setup, integrations, testing and support. Review the initial fee, monthly service, included usage and any additional usage charges. Final pricing depends on the agreed scope; an illustrative cost-per-minute calculation is not the full service price.
5. Decide what the first version must do
Capturing a request and sending a summary is a different scope from checking calendars, confirming appointments and updating several systems. Two languages, multiple locations and complex transfer rules also need additional review and testing. Ask for a written list of included functions and excluded tasks.
6. Review the outcome after launch
Measure requests captured accurately, useful handoffs and the time your team spends reviewing the output. Compare these with the cost of operating and maintaining the assistant. More answered calls do not automatically mean more sales. Start with a bounded use case and expand after reviewing it.
What you receive from AIKOTEC
We begin with your services, the questions customers ask and the work you want your team to stop repeating. The proposal defines what the assistant can answer, which details it captures, how English and Spanish conversations are handled and where the summary goes. We also agree what happens when a caller needs a person. Configuration, testing and agreed support are part of the service scope. You can evaluate the proposal by its responsibilities and outcomes rather than trying to assemble a system yourself.
Build low, expected and high usage scenarios
A single monthly forecast hides variation. Prepare three scenarios using the same method: calls multiplied by average duration, then multiplied by the assumed rate. Include busy weeks and repeat callers in the high scenario. If your billing combines separate components, calculate them individually instead of applying one rate to everything. Ask for a notification when spending approaches your chosen threshold. A threshold should trigger a defined action, such as a review or routing change, rather than unexpectedly leaving callers without a working contact path.
A practical example: a local service business
Imagine a small service company wants help with incoming inquiries while its staff are on jobs. The first assistant asks what service is needed, the property location, name, callback number and preferred contact time. It sends the team a summary but does not quote a final price or promise an installation slot. This limits the first project to inquiry capture and handoff. Once the team can rely on the collected details, a calendar connection can be considered separately. This is a hypothetical planning example, not a client result or a claim of guaranteed savings.
Budget for review and maintenance
The information your assistant uses will change. A service may be removed, opening hours adjusted or a team member replaced. Decide who approves those changes and who tests the revised conversation. Review a small sample of interactions to check whether the right details were collected and whether the next action happened. Include this review time in your budget. If a workflow depends on another application, consider how the connection will be checked after that application changes. The ongoing cost is not just the minutes: it includes keeping the system useful and accurate.
Questions to ask before accepting a proposal
What happens to your phone number and business records if the service ends? What happens when the assistant cannot help? Is there a spending limit or usage alert? Who updates business information? Which support is included? How are changes quoted? At AIKOTEC, the implementation and ongoing components are defined in a custom proposal.
Illustrative monthly usage scenarios
| Calls / month | Average length | Total minutes | At assumed $0.15 / minute |
|---|---|---|---|
| 150 | 3 minutes | 450 | $67.50 |
| 300 | 3 minutes | 900 | $135.00 |
| 300 | 5 minutes | 1,500 | $225.00 |
Planning assumptions only. This is usage arithmetic, not an AIKOTEC quote; fixed fees, implementation, support and applicable taxes are separate.
Frequently asked questions
Is there one fixed price for every business?
No. The conversation, integrations, languages and ongoing responsibilities determine the scope. Compare setup, recurring charges and usage separately.
Can I start with after-hours inquiries only?
That can be a useful first scope if your phone setup supports it. Confirm routing, opening hours and the handoff before launch.
Will shorter calls always be better?
Not if important details are missed. Review accuracy and useful next steps alongside duration and cost.
Published by AIKOTEC. This guide combines editorial guidance and hypothetical examples; it does not report client results. The images are illustrative and were created with AI. About AIKOTEC
