The useful number is the cost of the agreed workflow over a defined period. Separate implementation, recurring service, variable usage and future changes. A starting price is a reference point; it is not a promise to build every feature you can imagine.
Start with what must happen after the call
Consider a fictional repair business. It wants an assistant to answer opening-hours questions, take an enquiry and send the details to a person. Now add a requirement to check availability, reserve a slot, update an existing customer record and send a confirmation. Both projects involve a voice assistant, but the second has more dependencies and more ways to fail.
Write the required outcome in one sentence: “When we miss a call, capture the caller’s request and create a reviewable enquiry for our team.” Then list the systems involved and which actions require approval. This gives a supplier something concrete to assess.
Separate the four parts of the budget
1. Implementation
Ask what the initial work delivers: approved answers, conversation flows, call routing, escalation rules, configuration, testing, documentation and staff handover. Identify who supplies the content and who signs off the result. A demo using a fictional business does not establish that your own workflow is ready.
2. Recurring service
The monthly agreement should name what continues after launch: hosting, monitoring, support coverage and any allowance for content updates. Ask whether changing opening hours is included, whether a new workflow is included, and how quickly each request will be handled. Those are different kinds of work.
3. Variable usage
Ask which units are measured and whether the allowance covers incoming calls, website conversations, transfers or several of these. Telephony can include separate components: for example, Twilio lists calling and additional features such as recording and transcription separately. That illustrates why a supplier’s total must be explained; it does not establish your provider’s charges or imply a Lucentia integration.
4. Changes and exit
A new location, additional language, customer portal or CRM connection may change the scope. Request a written change process and an explanation of what happens when you leave: number ownership, exported information, credentials, documentation and any remaining contractual balance.
Use your own call pattern to estimate usage
Gather a representative phone report before asking for a quote. Count the calls the assistant would actually handle and their typical duration. Include peak periods and distinguish new enquiries from existing-customer calls. A quiet week is a poor basis for an annual commitment.
Here is an illustrative calculation, not a Lucentia allowance or forecast: 200 handled calls at an average of three minutes produce 600 conversation minutes. A plan with an allowance of 500 minutes would leave 100 minutes to assess under that supplier’s overage rules. Transfers, rounding and other billed components may change the invoice; ask rather than assume.
Keep revenue estimates separate from cost. An answered call is not automatically a new customer. For an internal business case, use completed outcomes and contribution after delivery costs, then account for staff follow-up and the full service cost.
Send suppliers the same quote checklist
- Which calls, locations, languages and business hours are covered?
- What can the assistant read, write or promise, and what needs a person?
- Which integrations are included, and what access or paid licences do they require?
- What is the usage allowance, how is it measured, and what happens beyond it?
- What support hours, response targets and update allowances apply?
- Which acceptance tests must pass before launch?
- What are the term, cancellation, renewal and handover arrangements?
Compare the answers alongside the price. A lower monthly figure can be appropriate for a simple capture-and-callback workflow. It becomes a poor comparison if another quote also includes assessed integrations, testing and ongoing operation.
How Lucentia approaches the quote
Lucentia Services scopes implementation around the workflow, dependencies, deliverables and support arrangement. Booking systems, client portals and custom integrations are included only when named in the written scope. The Pricing page contains published implementation references; exact scope and price require a written quote after discovery.
DineDesk is a separate product journey, not another name for every custom restaurant project. This guide announces no new premium rate or DineDesk subscription price. Existing customers’ signed agreements continue to govern their commitments.
Prepare for the first conversation: bring one call report, your approved FAQs, a list of systems and a description of the result your team needs. That is more useful than asking for an assistant that “does everything.”