If you're looking for a Ruby receptionist alternative for a roofing or contracting business, this page covers what Ruby does well, what it costs as of September 2026, and where Taylor, the AI receptionist from AI Bot Store, fits instead. The short answer: Ruby gives you people who can book and transfer. Taylor gives you far more minutes for the money and a message built for contractors.
What Ruby offers
Ruby is a live virtual receptionist service. Its receptionists answer 24/7, including after hours, weekends and holidays. Ruby's site lists scheduling, call transfers to any number you choose, Spanish and bilingual answering, lead qualification and intake, payment collection and outbound call assistance. Roofers are among the contractors it lists serving.
Plans are sold by the minute: $250 a month for 50 minutes, $395 for 100, $720 for 200 and $1,725 for 500, with larger plans by quote. Ruby says there are no fees for activation, onboarding or setup, and no long-term contract. First-time customers get a money-back guarantee if they cancel within 21 days or before using 500 receptionist minutes, whichever comes first.
Ruby vs Taylor at a glance
| Ruby | Taylor (AI Bot Store) | |
|---|---|---|
| Who answers | Trained people | AI receptionist |
| Monthly price | $250 to $1,725 | $300 |
| Minutes included | 50 to 500 | 1,000 |
| Cost per included minute | $5.00 (50-minute plan) to $3.45 (500-minute plan) | $0.30 when you use all 1,000 |
| Extra minutes | Rate not listed on its pricing page | $0.25 each |
| How time is counted | 60-second increments, rounded up, including after-call work (per its terms and FAQ) | By the second; partial minutes aren't charged |
| Setup fee | None | None |
| Contract | No long-term contract | None; cancel anytime |
| Guarantee | Money-back within 21 days or 500 minutes, whichever comes first (first-time customers) | 14-day money-back guarantee |
| Hours | 24/7 | 24/7 |
| Books appointments | Yes | No |
| Transfers calls live | Yes | No |
| Texts callers | Not listed | No (emails a thank-you to callers who give their email) |
| Spanish | Yes | Yes |
| Caller sorting | Lead qualification and intake; robocall filtering listed | New and existing customers, suppliers, adjusters, job seekers, salespeople; robocalls screened out |
| How you hear about calls | Mobile app and email notifications | Email right after every call, plus a dashboard |
| JobNimbus | Not listed (lists 5,000+ integrations) | Yes, built in |
The price-per-minute math
Ruby's most popular plan is 200 minutes for $720, or $3.60 a minute. Taylor's $300 covers 1,000 minutes, or $0.30 a minute if you use them all. Here's the same amount of answered time on each, using Ruby's listed plans:
- 50 minutes a month: Ruby $250, Taylor $300. Ruby costs less, and a person answers.
- 100 minutes: Ruby $395, Taylor $300.
- 200 minutes: Ruby $720, Taylor $300.
- 500 minutes: Ruby $1,725, Taylor $300.
- 1,000 minutes: Ruby by quote, Taylor $300.
So the line sits at Ruby's 100-minute plan. If 50 minutes a month covers your calls, Ruby's smallest plan costs less than Taylor. If you'd need Ruby's 100-minute plan or bigger, Taylor costs less.
Rounding matters too. Ruby's terms of use say receptionist minutes are billed in 60-second increments, with calls rounded up to the next 60-second mark. Taylor counts by the second and doesn't charge partial minutes.
What Ruby does that Taylor doesn't
- People on every call. Some callers want a human, and a person can handle a messy situation with judgment.
- Live transfers. Ruby can put an urgent caller through to your cell. Taylor flags urgent jobs and emails you right after the call, but you make the callback.
- Scheduling. Ruby lists appointment scheduling; its FAQ says it reviews your online calendar system first. Taylor doesn't book appointments.
- Payments and outbound calls. Ruby lists payment collection and outbound call assistance. Taylor doesn't take payments or make outbound calls.
- Website chat. Ruby also sells live chat for your website. Taylor answers your phone.
What Taylor does for contractors
- A complete message every time: full name, a callback number read back to confirm, email, property address, what they need and how urgent it is.
- Caller sorting built for the trades: new customer, existing customer, supplier, insurance adjuster, job seeker or salesperson, with urgent jobs flagged and robocalls screened out.
- An email right after every call, with one-tap Call back, Text them back and Open the call buttons, plus a hang-up alert when someone leaves no message.
- The JobNimbus handoff: new callers become contacts in the workflow, status and source you pick, and existing customers get a note on their record.
- A thank-you email to callers who give their email, sent from your business name.
- 1,000 minutes for $300, with English and Spanish included.
Each Taylor receptionist answers up to 5 calls at the same time and up to 150 calls a day.
Get Taylor today Call the live demo
Switching from Ruby to Taylor
- Sign up. A two-minute form, then checkout. Taylor gets a local phone number, in your area code when one is available, and it's usually ready within a few minutes.
- Forward the calls you miss. You keep your own number. From your cell, Verizon is *71 plus Taylor's number (off: *73); AT&T, T-Mobile and most GSM carriers are **004*1 plus the number plus # (off: ##004#). On an office line or business phone app, set "forward when busy or no answer" to Taylor's number.
- Test it. Call your own number, let it ring out, talk to Taylor, and check the lead email that comes in right after.
- Wind down Ruby. Ruby's FAQ says you can cancel by phone or email. If Ruby hosts your business number, sort that out with Ruby first.
Who should pick which
Pick Ruby if you want a person on every call, you need calls transferred or appointments booked, your callers expect a human, or 50 minutes a month covers you. Its 21-day guarantee gives you time to test it.
Pick Taylor if you miss calls on the job and want each one turned into a complete, sorted message you can act on, you'd otherwise need Ruby's 100-minute plan or bigger, or you want new leads handed straight to JobNimbus. Call the demo at (252) 483-6765 to hear her first, and see how she stacks up against other options in our AI receptionist comparison.
Trademarks belong to their owners. AI Bot Store isn't affiliated with the companies named here. Spot something out of date? Email brockstarmediacorp@gmail.com and we'll fix it.