What does Moneypenny do? The UK's leading answering service explained
What does Moneypenny actually do? Discover how our people and technology help UK businesses answer calls, capture enquiries and deliver better customer experiences through telephone answering, virtual receptionists, AI and more.
Most UK business decision-makers know what a telephone answering service is, but far fewer can name one without prompting. That gap tells you something important about how this market works, and why the businesses who do know Moneypenny rate it so highly.
A February 2026 survey of 2,000 UK business decision-makers, conducted by Censuswide on behalf of Moneypenny, found that over 75% were very or somewhat familiar with telephone answering services. When shown a list of providers, Moneypenny led the market on unaided awareness and topped "very familiar" aided awareness.
So what do we actually do? And why does it matter for your business?
- 7M+ professionals trust Moneypenny UK
- 33% recall Moneypenny unaided
- 82.6% Net positive
- 180M Conversations
- Over 25 years of experience
Source: Censuswide brand survey for Moneypenny, February 2026. 2,000 UK business decision-makers.
What is a telephone answering service?
Definition: telephone answering service
A telephone answering service answers inbound calls seamlessly on behalf of a business, using trained staff, AI, or a blend of both, always in your business name. Calls can be answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Depending on the service, the provider takes messages, transfers calls, handles routine enquiries, or acts as a fully integrated receptionist that feels part of your team, without the cost and commitment of hiring dedicated in-house staff.
Why do UK businesses use outsourced call handling?
Missed calls cost businesses revenue. A caller who reaches voicemail rarely leaves a message. They call a competitor instead. For professional services firms, a missed call can mean a lost instruction worth thousands of pounds.
The most common reasons UK businesses outsource their call handling:
✓ Overflow management: handling calls during peak periods without additional headcount
✓ Out-of-hours coverage: ensuring calls are answered evenings and weekends
✓ Professional first impression: a trained receptionist answering in the company name
✓ Cost efficiency: outsourced reception typically costs significantly less than an in-house hire
✓ Business continuity: calls answered consistently regardless of staff absence or disruption
People and AI combined: Moneypenny's model
At Moneypenny, the conversation around AI has never been about replacing people. It has always been about helping people do what they do best.
As CEO Jesper With-Fogstrup explains:
"Despite the hype around AI, technology alone is not the answer. People, real people, really make a difference as well."
Jesper With-Fogstrup, CEO, Moneypenny
What Moneypenny has built is a model where human expertise and smart technology reinforce each other: empowered people on one side, intelligent technology on the other, with the overlap being what With-Fogstrup calls "the bright orange Moneypenny superpower".
That superpower is commercially live. Moneypenny's AI Receptionist launched in October 2024, and not a single customer was lost in the transition from beta to paid product.
For businesses evaluating call handling in 2026, the question is no longer "human or AI?" It is whether your provider has built a model that uses both intelligently. AI removes drudgery and friction. People deliver the empathy, judgement and trust that define reputations.
What services does Moneypenny offer?
Our core product. A dedicated PA or team answers calls in your company name, takes messages, transfers calls and handles routine enquiries. Available 24/7 with the warmth and professionalism your callers deserve.
A more integrated service where Moneypenny acts as the business's full receptionist function, managing diaries, screening calls and handling inbound enquiries as if based in-house.
Our AI voice agent handles inbound calls autonomously, routing enquiries, capturing leads and managing routine requests, with seamless handoff to a human PA when the call requires it.
For larger businesses and multi-site operations, a fully managed switchboard handling high call volumes with consistent professionalism.
🌟 Bespoke Customer Teams
A dedicated team delivering customer service entirely on your behalf, across phone, chat, email and more. Built around your business, your customers and your brand.
Who works with Moneypenny?
Moneypenny works with businesses of all sizes, across a wide range of sectors.
⚖️ Legal - 24/7 call answering, new client intake and out-of-hours emergency cover for law firms and solicitor practices.
🏠 Property and estate agents - Capturing every viewing enquiry and valuation request, even outside office hours.
🩺 Healthcare and medical - Appointment management and patient call handling for private clinics and healthcare providers.
💼 Accountancy and financial services - A professional telephone presence without the cost of a full-time receptionist.
🚀 SMEs and growing businesses - A cost-effective way to compete with larger companies on responsiveness and professionalism.
How does Moneypenny compare to hiring in-house?
Beyond cost, there is flexibility. Moneypenny scales with you. Whether you are fielding 20 calls a month or 2,000, your coverage does not waver.
What UK business decision-makers think
In February 2026, Moneypenny commissioned Censuswide to survey 2,000 UK business decision-makers about their awareness of telephone answering services and the brands operating in the category.
Category awareness is high, but brand recall is low without prompting
78% of respondents were very or somewhat familiar with telephone answering services. Despite this, fewer than 1 in 3 could name a provider unaided. Among those who could, Moneypenny led at 33%, more than 8 percentage points ahead of the nearest competitor.
Marketing sentiment is best-in-class
Among respondents who had noticed Moneypenny's marketing in the previous six months, 82.6% left with a net positive impression, with less than 2% net negative. An 80%+ net positive score is considered very strong and best-in-class in the category.
3 in 4 respondents had noticed Moneypenny marketing
75% of respondents recalled Moneypenny marketing in the six months prior to the survey. Radio was recalled by 15.4%, setting a strong foundation for Moneypenny's 2026 national radio campaign across talkSPORT, Virgin Radio UK and four other national stations.
Source: Censuswide brand survey for Moneypenny, February 2026.
The Moneypenny superpower
With over 25 years of experience and 180 million conversations handled, Moneypenny knows exactly where automation adds value and when only a real person will deliver the empathy, judgement and trust that define reputations. That knowledge is built into everything we do.
If your business is still answering its own calls and wondering whether there is a better way, the answer is a combination of great people and smart technology working together. That is the Moneypenny superpower.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a telephone answering service?
A telephone answering service answers inbound calls on behalf of a business, using trained staff or AI, in the business name. Calls can be answered 24/7, messages taken and calls transferred, without the business needing to employ a dedicated receptionist.
- How does Moneypenny handle calls?
Moneypenny assigns a dedicated PA and supporting team to each client. That team learns the client's business, answers calls using the company name, and handles them according to agreed instructions. Where appropriate, Moneypenny's AI Receptionist handles routine calls before handing off to a human PA.
- What is Moneypenny's AI Receptionist?
Moneypenny's AI Receptionist is an AI voice agent that answers inbound calls, qualifies leads, routes enquiries and manages routine requests, operating 24/7 and handing off to a human PA when required. It launched commercially in October 2024.
- How much does a telephone answering service cost in the UK?
Entry-level services typically start from around £25 to £50 per month for low call volumes, rising to several hundred pounds per month for high-volume or fully managed reception services. Moneypenny offers tailored pricing with a free one-week trial.
- What is the difference between a virtual receptionist and an answering service?
An answering service typically takes messages and transfers calls. A virtual receptionist provides a fuller reception function including diary management, call screening and client greeting, acting as an integrated remote team member.
- Can AI handle complex business calls?
AI handles routine calls well. Complex or sensitive calls are better handled by trained human receptionists. Moneypenny's AI Receptionist manages what it can and routes everything else to a human PA.
- How do I handle business calls when working remotely?
Outsourced telephone answering services allow business owners and remote teams to operate without being tied to a desk. Moneypenny answers calls in your company name and handles them according to your instructions, wherever you are.
- Does Moneypenny operate in the United States?
Yes. Moneypenny provides phone answering, virtual receptionist and AI Receptionist services to businesses in the US, including legal, medical and SME sectors.
Get your quote from the UK’s #1 provider today
Provide us with a few details and we’ll contact you to explain how Telephone Answering will work for your business. Alternatively, call 0333 202 1005 to find out more.
What to expect:
- Thousands of businesses on board
- Unmatched sector expertise
- Award-winning culture