What a person costs, and what they are for
A receptionist is wages, payroll tax, training, breaks, sick days, and the fact that one person answers one call. They are also the right choice for relationships, exceptions, and upset people who need a human decision.
An AI receptionist is a monthly service that answers every simultaneous call, including lunch and overnight, from the same notes. It does not replace the person who knows the customer. It stops that person from spending the day repeating the address.
A practical split
Let the agent take the first question and the after-hours message. Let the employee take transfers, callbacks, and anything the notes do not cover. Many desks do not need a second hire. They need the first hire to stop missing calls while they are already on one.
Compare the cost to one recovered job a month, not to an imaginary fully loaded salary down to the dollar. If the agent pays for itself in saved opportunities and the employee spends the day on higher-value work, you do not have to choose only one.