The short answer
An AI receptionist for dance studios built on HighLevel Voice AI costs about $0.24 per answered call, or $48 a month for 200 calls averaging 3 minutes, phone line included. Roughly 70 of those calls (35%) would come outside office hours, which is where an AI answering service earns its keep. Emergencies, complaints and anything needing judgment should go to a person.
What the AI should handle
Place a child in the right class
Asks the child's age, past training and preferred days, then suggests the matching class, such as a ballet and tap combo for ages 4 to 5.
Book a trial class
Books a trial in the right age group, texts the parent what the child should wear, and notes anything the teacher should know before the first class.
Answer recital logistics
Gives recital dates, ticket sale details and dress rehearsal times from the knowledge base, cutting the repeat calls in the weeks before the show.
Schedule makeup classes
Finds a class at the same level on another day and books the makeup, following the studio's makeup policy.
What to send to a person
- Tuition refunds and withdrawals
- Concerns about a teacher or another student
- Competition team placement decisions
- Custody and pickup authorization questions
HighLevel's voice agents can transfer a live call, create a task, or trigger a workflow that texts the owner. Set the handoff rules before the agent goes live.
Cost per call and per month
Assumptions for a typical dance studio: 200 calls a month answered by the AI, averaging 3 minutes. Phone minutes are billed per call and rounded up, so each call bills 3 phone minutes at $0.01165.
| Setup | AI cost | Phone line | Per month | Per call |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pay per use, Standard voice, GPT-4.1 Mini | $40.80 | $6.99 | $48 | $0.24 |
| Pay per use, ElevenLabs voice, GPT-4.1 Mini | $52.80 | $6.99 | $60 | $0.30 |
| Pay per use, speech-to-speech (OpenAI) | $120.00 | $6.99 | $127 | $0.63 |
| AI Employee Unlimited, $97 flat | $97.00 | $6.99 | $104 | $0.52 |
The breakdown of every Voice AI charge is in our Voice AI pricing guide. Agencies can price this as a monthly service with the calculator's Price a client tab, preloaded for a dance studio.
Compared with staff time
Those 200 calls take about 10 hours of talk time a month. At the US median receptionist wage of $18.27 an hour (May 2025, Bureau of Labor Statistics), that talk time alone is worth about $183, before hold time, breaks, benefits and the calls that come in after hours. An AI receptionist does not replace a good front desk; it catches the overflow and the evenings, and frees staff for the people in front of them.
Sample call
AI AGENTHi, thanks for calling Starlight Dance Academy. I'm the studio's AI assistant. How can I help?
CALLERMy daughter is four and she loves dancing. What do you have for her age?
AI AGENTFor ages 4 and 5 we have a Ballet and Tap combo on Tuesdays at 4 pm and Saturdays at 10 am. It's 45 minutes. Has she taken classes before?
CALLERNo, this would be her first.
AI AGENTThat class is made for first-timers, and she's welcome to try one free before you register. Would Saturday at 10 work?
CALLERYes. What does she wear?
AI AGENTA leotard, tights and ballet shoes. Tap shoes can come later. May I have her name and your mobile number?
CALLERAva Chen, and my number is 555-0199.
AI AGENTAva is booked for Saturday at 10. I'm texting you the address and our season registration link now.
CALLERThank you!
Prompt tips
- Tip 1Lay out classes by age band with day, time and length, because nearly every caller opens with the child's age.
- Tip 2Load recital dates, the ticket release day and costume fee deadlines into the knowledge base before registration opens, and update them each season.
- Tip 3Have the agent pass pickup, custody and safety questions to the owner immediately instead of answering them.
Rules to watch
Consent for recital and promo texts. Recital updates a parent signed up for are informational, but texts selling recital tickets, photos or summer intensives are marketing, and the FCC says commercial texts need written consent. Collect that opt-in on the season registration form from the parent who owns the phone.
Posting photos of students. Recital and class photos make strong marketing, but they show minors. Get written permission from a parent before posting a child's photo in ads, social posts or on the website, and keep that permission noted on the family's contact record.
General information, not legal advice.
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