The Remi blog
What things actually cost, what the law allows, and what the research says, written for service businesses in South Africa and the UK, with the sources shown.
Yes. The GMC, NMC and GPhC all bar remote prescribing of cosmetic injectables. How to set up bookings so every Botox client sees a prescriber first.
Practical ways UK barbers can fill quiet weekdays: rebook at the chair, off-peak pricing, a cancellation list, win-backs and never missing a booking call.
A signed CoC, an invoice with both geyser serial numbers, and before and after photos. What one major SA insurer requires before it pays a geyser claim.
No. Private physios can accept self-referrals. What to tell callers who think they need a GP letter, and the cases where an insurer or NHS route does want one.
Remind, send a formal letter of claim, then use the online court claim. Court fees start at £35, and businesses that pay late owe statutory interest.
SAVC guidance lets SA vets ask for a deposit on admission and an upfront fee from doubtful payers, but owners must get an estimate and emergencies come first.
Yes, but not personally. RCVS guidance says vets must take steps to provide 24-hour emergency first aid and pain relief, and it can be outsourced.
Out-of-hours work pays if you price it properly and only get woken for real emergencies. How UK plumbers set night rates, filter calls and protect their sleep.
Book the next check-up before the patient leaves, time recall messages to their medical aid year, make rebooking one reply, and follow up those who go quiet.
GDC standards say you must give patients clear information on your emergency and out-of-hours arrangements. What that means for your phone and website.
What a UK dog grooming cancellation policy needs: notice periods, deposits, late arrivals, matted, unwell or anxious dogs, and fair terms under consumer law.
Photo ID plus something linking the person to the address, checked once the door is open. A practical proof-of-residence routine for UK locksmiths.
How UK private podiatrists set cancellation and missed appointment fees: common notice periods, fair amounts, consumer law and handling vulnerable patients.
Benefits, cost, what treatment involves and risks: the GOsC's own survey shows what people want to know before a first osteopathy visit. How to answer it.
Some SA schemes fund glasses once every 24 months, others give an annual optometry limit. How practices can explain both and recall patients on time.
Practical ways UK opticians can reduce eye test no-shows: neutral reminders, shorter lead times, easy rebooking and a fair policy for private appointments.
AHPCSA rules ban touting, testimonials, fee or discount adverts and healing claims. What is left: be findable, answer every enquiry, keep patients booked.
Yes, with limits. The GCC Code in force from January 2026 says payment plans need a clear contract, refunds for unused care and no pressure. What to change.
Remi and Ringmere both answer UK business calls 24/7 and book into your calendar. Prices, minutes, booking software and setup compared, side by side.
Practical ways UK garages can cut MOT no-shows: confirmations, reminders, easy rebooking, a short-notice list and a fair policy for deposits.
SA price guides put an after-hours electrician call-out at about R750 to R1,800. How to set your rate, quote it upfront and filter out night calls.
Since 1 May 2026, agents in England must not invite or accept offers above the advertised rent. What your team can say on calls and viewings.
Remind about a month early, use more than one channel, make booking a one-step reply, and fill summer first. A practical system for UK heating engineers.
HPCSA Booklet 19 bars fees for services not yet rendered, with listed exceptions. Self-funded aesthetic care is a grey area. What clinics can do.
No. Since 2021 it is an offence in England to give, or even book, cosmetic Botox or filler for anyone under 18, consent or not. What clinics must check.
Walk-ins, appointments or both? What each booking model costs a UK barbershop in empty chairs and queues, and how to run a hybrid shop that fills both.
Only if you disclose the fee and the client agrees before you prepare the quote. What section 15 of the Consumer Protection Act means for SA plumbers.
Before an insured patient's first physio session, check their cover, referral route, authorisation and that the insurer recognises you. A checklist.
Charge for detailed surveys and designs, keep simple quotes free, and filter time-wasters on the first call. Plus the rules when a quote is signed at home.
SAVC rules say a vet facility's phone must be answered at all times. An after-hours message is allowed if it gives your hours and the on-duty vet's number.
The CMA's vets Order is now in force. Price lists, booking confirmations, prescriptions and complaints all reach reception. What to change and by when.
Yes, if you say it before you set off. UK law treats what you tell the customer as part of the deal. How to set a call-out fee and say it so it sticks.
Why a dental bill can be more than medical aid pays, what HPCSA rules say the patient must be told in writing first, and how practices quote the shortfall.
An NHS dentist in England cannot fine you for missing an appointment, but repeat misses can count against you, and private dentists can charge. What applies.
Nine AI receptionists sold to UK businesses, compared on what they do after they answer, how they are set up, and published prices checked on 3 October 2026.
Most AI receptionists read your calendar. Far fewer write a booking back with the right practitioner, duration and service. Which ones do, and what to check.
Can a GP practice put an AI on the phone? The medical-device line, DCB0129, DCB0160 and DTAC explained for practice managers, and what to ask a vendor.
A copy-paste no-show policy for UK restaurants, plus what makes it stick: card holds, per-cover deposits, and the window to resell a cancelled table.
The three terms get used interchangeably and mean different things. What a virtual receptionist is, how it differs from an AI receptionist, and what each costs.
What a 24/7 phone answering service costs a UK small business, why night cover is usually an add-on, and the four things that quietly stop working out of hours.
What UK answering services charge in 2026 (per call, per minute and per month) and the pricing trap that turns a £32 headline into a four-figure bill.
Six Moneypenny alternatives for UK businesses, human and AI, compared on published price, minutes and booking, including where Moneypenny still wins.
What an AI receptionist should handle in a UK dental practice (new-patient calls, recalls, emergencies and deposits) and what it must never touch.
What an AI receptionist should do in a UK physio clinic, the 2026 data on DNAs and rebooking, and what to ask about Cliniko and Nookal before you switch.
The sum to do before buying an AI receptionist: missed calls, what a customer is worth, what the alternatives cost, and four cases where the answer is no.
What an AI receptionist actually does for a UK small business, the published 2026 prices, and the seven questions that separate it from smart voicemail.
Retell AI is a developer platform with no monthly plan and per-minute pricing by component. What it takes to run one as a receptionist, and when Remi is simpler.
Synthflow is now enterprise-only from $30,000 a year. Remi starts at £89/mo ex VAT with 500 minutes. An honest UK comparison of what each actually does.
Nextiva's AI Receptionist costs $99/month on top of a paid seat, and its 100 resolutions are not 100 calls. Here is how it compares with Remi in the UK.
GoTo publishes no price and no booking feature for its AI receptionist. What it does on a call, when it is the right choice, and a UK alternative that books.
Hey Jodie is £49 to £199 with unlimited minutes, but the £49 tier cannot book. So the real comparison is £99 vs Remi’s £89. Figures dated and checked.
IONOS AI Receptionist costs £39 to £99 a month ex VAT, billed per call, and booking only starts on the £69 plan. What each tier does, and how Remi compares.
3CX bundles its AI receptionist into a flat annual licence with no per-minute overage, but caps every AI call at three minutes. An honest UK comparison.
Zoom gives 100 minutes, needs a separate Scheduler licence to book, and callers cannot reschedule on the call. An honest UK comparison with Remi, figures shown.
Moneypenny is a hybrid of AI and human PAs, with no published rate card. An honest look at when humans win and when software wins for a UK clinic.
RingCentral AIR includes 100 minutes, then 40p a minute, and its UK page still lists booking as coming soon. The real monthly cost, and how Remi compares at £89.
UK AI receptionist prices start at £32 a month, until the minutes add up. The real cost at clinic volume, compared on published 2026 rates.
What an AI receptionist can and can't do for a UK GP surgery: NHS-integrated tools vs a simpler option for private practices, the rules, and the real cost.
A human answering service and an AI receptionist solve the same problem differently. Where each one wins in 2026, with real UK prices, so you can choose.
AI receptionists are priced three ways, and the sticker price is not the whole story. What the UK market charges in 2026, from published rate cards.
A copy-paste no-show and cancellation policy for UK clinics and salons, plus the one thing that decides whether it works. Free template, no sign-up.
The average UK receptionist salary is £25,578 (London £29,798). Hourly pay, the National Living Wage floor, and what one really costs to employ: about £29,200.
AI receptionists are priced three ways, and the sticker price is not the whole story. What each model means, what to pay in South Africa, and how it compares.
A no-show fee recovers a fraction of the slot and costs you the relationship. What actually reduces no-shows, ranked by what the evidence says works.
The Consumer Protection Act allows a reasonable cancellation charge and HPCSA guidance permits it. The conditions, and the one case you may never charge.
South African receptionists earn about R7,900 to R9,100 a month, roughly R46 to R53 an hour; medical receptionists earn more. Sourced 2026 figures.
An appointment reminder is not direct marketing, and POPIA says so. Where the line sits, what section 69 requires, and WhatsApp's own second rulebook.