What is an AI phone assistant?
An AI phone assistant is software that answers incoming calls with a natural-sounding AI voice, understands what the caller needs and handles it: it answers questions, books appointments or hands over to a person – around the clock, with no hold queue.
In short
Unlike a voicemail, an AI phone assistant doesn’t record a message – it holds the conversation itself. Unlike a phone menu (“press 1”), it understands freely spoken sentences. Loomira is an AI phone assistant for small and medium-sized businesses in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, built and hosted in the EU.
How does an AI phone assistant work?
A conversation runs through four steps that repeat within fractions of a second.
1. Listen
Speech recognition continuously turns what is said into text – including dialects, names and numbers.
2. Understand
A language model identifies the request and draws on the information you have provided: opening hours, services, procedures.
3. Act
The assistant checks free slots in the calendar, books them, takes callback requests or forwards the call.
4. Answer
A natural-sounding voice replies – without pauses, in the caller’s language.
What can an AI phone assistant do – and what can’t it?
A trustworthy assistant takes over the repetitive phone work and knows its limits.
What it handles
- Answer every call instantly, including several at once and outside business hours.
- Answer common questions from your knowledge base, such as opening hours, services or directions.
- Book, reschedule and cancel appointments against your real availability.
- Capture requests in a structured way and deliver them as a summary with transcript.
- Forward urgent or complex calls to your team.
- Hold conversations in several languages.
What it doesn’t
- No medical, legal or tax advice – such questions go to your team.
- No decisions that are yours to make, such as goodwill gestures, discounts or contract changes.
- No made-up answers: anything not provided is recorded as a callback request.
- No pretending to be human – the assistant identifies itself as AI at the start of the call.
Is an AI phone assistant GDPR-compliant?
That depends on the provider. Four points are decisive.
- EU hosting. Calls, transcripts and customer data should be hosted in the EU. If an AI service involved processes data outside the EU, the provider must disclose it openly — with its location and transfer basis.
- Data processing agreement. A DPA under Art. 28 GDPR governs how the provider processes data on your behalf.
- AI disclosure. Since 2 August 2026, Art. 50 of the EU AI Act requires that callers are told they are speaking with an AI.
- Data minimisation. Call audio should not be stored permanently, and retention periods should be clearly defined.
What should you look for when choosing one?
These questions help you compare providers – whichever one you choose.
- Where are calls, transcripts and audio processed and stored – and by which sub-processors?
- Is there a DPA and a public list of sub-processors?
- Does the assistant book directly into your calendar, or only take appointment requests?
- How do you maintain knowledge and instructions – and how quickly do changes take effect?
- How does it hand over to people, and what happens outside business hours?
- Can you keep your existing phone number?
- How is it billed – flat rate, per minute, per call – and what do extra minutes cost?
- Can you test the assistant live before buying?
What does an AI phone assistant cost?
Most providers charge a monthly price including a minute allowance; extra minutes are billed separately. Whether it pays off depends on how many calls you miss or answer yourself today. Work it out with your own numbers here.
What is the phone costing you today?
Enter your numbers and compare: what answering calls costs your team today — and how much you save with Loomira each month.
Today, without Loomira
€880/month
Time calls take from your team
With Loomira · Scale plan
€299/month
+ 29.3 hrs/month freed for your team
Your monthly saving
€581/month
Estimate based on 22 working days/month. Savings = staff cost − Loomira plan (incl. overage at €0.15/min). Not a commitment, just a guide.
For every use case, for every industry
Whether appointment booking, reception or emergency dispatch, and whether trades, hotel or law firm: Loomira adapts to your business.
Use cases
Common questions about AI phone assistants
Try an AI phone assistant yourself
Set up Loomira for your business – EU-hosted, with a DPA, ready in under an hour.