AI receptionist for gyms and fitness studios
Julius Answer by DealsFlow answers the studio phone while your coaches are teaching. It asks which class the caller wants and whether it's their first visit, books sessions as requests you confirm, and answers membership and price questions only from your own information.
Updated
What to know
- Answers every call 24/7, including the ones that ring mid-class when nobody is at the desk.
- Books classes, intro sessions and training sessions; asks which class and whether it's the caller's first visit.
- Membership and price answers come only from your studio's information.
- An injury during a session is treated as urgent. If it's serious, the caller is told to call 911.
- From $79 a month with every feature included and a 7-day free trial.
What a call to the studio sounds like
Here is a shortened example of someone calling while the 6 p.m. class is running. This studio picked an energetic tone. As on every call, it opened with the studio's name, said it was an AI assistant and mentioned the recording.
Hi, I want to try one of your classes.
Great to hear. Which class are you interested in, and is this your first visit?
Spin, probably an early one. And yes, first time.
The 6 a.m. Ride runs Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, and first-timers are asked to arrive 15 minutes early to get set up on a bike. Which day works?
Wednesday. Also, how much is a monthly membership?
I don't have the current membership prices, so I'll ask the team to call you back with them. Wednesday's 6 a.m. Ride is requested. What's your name and best number?
An illustrative example. Your receptionist uses your studio's name, schedule and policies.
Why gyms and studios miss calls
In a small studio, the person who would answer the phone may be the one teaching. During a class the desk is empty, and early-morning and after-work classes run at the same hours people are free to call.
That matters because callers move on quickly. Invoca's 2026 B2C Buyer Experience Report, a survey of 693 US consumers in May 2026, found that 79% will switch to a competitor that responds faster. The same report found that nearly 60% prefer a human over AI when both are equally available, so it helps that Julius Answer says up front that it's an AI and can put a caller through to a coach or manager when someone is free.
Call volume is also uneven. The new year, a promotion or a new class on the schedule can bring a burst of calls in a few days, and the questions repeat: what's the schedule, what does it cost, what should I bring, can I try a class first.
What Julius Answer does for a studio
First visits and intro sessions
It asks whether the caller has been in before. First-timers hear what to bring, when to arrive and any waiver or intro offer, all from your information, and the request is marked as a first visit so a coach can welcome them.
Class and session requests
After asking which class, it suggests up to three open times and holds the caller's pick as a request until you approve it with one tap. Connect Google Calendar and busy times are never offered.
Membership questions from your information
Monthly plans, class packs, guest passes, the freeze and cancellation policy: answered only from what you've written down. If a caller mentions a price they saw somewhere else, it flags the question rather than guessing.
Cancellation and freeze requests
It explains your policy, takes the request with the member's name and number, and leaves the account change to your team. It doesn't touch your billing system.
Members it already knows
Caller ID tells it who's calling, so regulars hear their first name. It remembers lasting details, such as a preference for evening classes, and plans like "call me in two months, after I move."
No equipment pitches
Equipment sellers, ad offers, robocalls and wrong numbers are turned away courteously and logged as low priority. Your coaches stay on the floor.
Injuries and other calls that need attention
Julius Answer handles routine studio calls on its own. The exception is an injury during a session, which Julius Answer treats as urgent, and a serious one as a 911 call.
| On the call | What happens next |
|---|---|
| Someone is seriously hurt, has collapsed, or has chest pain or trouble breathing | Its first instruction is to hang up and call 911. |
| "I hurt my back in this morning's class" | Marks it urgent, takes the name, the class and what happened, and tries to connect the caller with your manager. When the manager can't pick up, the message goes to your team as urgent. |
| A billing complaint or a bad experience with a coach | Writes down what went wrong and flags the caller as unhappy, which triggers an alert to you. |
| "Can I try a class?" or "I'd like to book a session with a trainer" | Asks which class or session and whether it's their first visit, then offers up to three open times. |
| "What does a class pack cost?" or "do you have showers?" | Answers from your information. If it isn't there, it says so and saves the question. |
Set up the studio line
Start the trial
Sign up on the website with the studio name and an email address, then add a card in the console to start the 7-day free trial. No contract; cancel in the console.
Add schedule and policies
Type or talk to the setup assistant: class schedule, intro offer, membership options and prices, freeze and cancellation rules, what to bring, parking.
Name who handles what
The manager takes injury and complaint calls; your head trainer takes personal training questions. Add Slack alerts with one click.
Connect a calendar
Google Calendar keeps it to your free times; there's also a calendar link for Apple Calendar and Outlook.
Pick the voice
Choose the receptionist's name, voice and tone. Energetic suits a cycling studio; consultative may suit personal training.
Forward and test
On AT&T and T-Mobile, **21*1 plus the number and # forwards every call; ##21# stops it. Then call the studio yourself.
What it costs to cover the studio phone
All three plans include every feature. They differ in how many minutes are included and how many calls are answered at once (1 on Starter, 3 on Pro, 10 on Business), which is what decides the plan for a studio with a busy January.
| Feature | Starter | Pro | Business |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | $79 | $199 | $399 |
| Yearly price (two months free) | $790 | $1,990 | $3,990 |
| Call minutes included | 300 | 1,000 | 3,000 |
| Effective price per minute | $0.26 | $0.20 | $0.13 |
| Calls answered at the same time | 1 | 3 | 10 |
| Local phone number | Included | Included | Included |
| Every feature | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | 7 days | 7 days | 7 days |
A studio that gets eight calls a day, every day, at about two minutes each uses roughly 480 minutes a month, more than Starter's 300 and well inside Pro's 1,000. For a rush month, 500 extra minutes cost $110 and never expire, so whatever you don't use carries forward.
Keep the phone covered during every class
Try it free for 7 days and let Julius Answer book intro sessions while your coaches teach.
Frequently asked questions
Can an AI receptionist book fitness classes?
Yes. Julius Answer asks which class or session the caller wants and whether it's their first visit, offers up to three open times, and books the one they pick as a request. You confirm it with one tap, and with Google Calendar connected, confirmed sessions appear on your calendar.
Can it cancel or freeze a membership?
No. Julius Answer can't change a member's account in your billing or booking system. It explains your cancellation or freeze policy from your information, takes the request with the member's name and number, and puts it in front of your team.
Will it quote our membership prices?
Only the prices you give it. If a caller asks about an option that isn't in your information, it says so, takes a message and saves the question. If a caller says they were offered a different price, for example in a promotion, it flags that for you instead of guessing.
What happens when lots of people call at once in January?
Each plan answers a set number of calls at the same time: 1 on Starter, 3 on Pro and 10 on Business. If a busy month uses up your minutes, extra packs from $25 never expire, so leftovers carry into the spring.
Does it work with my gym management software?
There's no built-in connection to gym or class-booking software. Each call can send a signed webhook to Zapier or Make, which can pass the details to other apps, and you can download calls and bookings as a spreadsheet (CSV) at any time.
Can callers still reach a coach or the front desk?
Yes. Tell it who takes which calls, such as personal training questions going to your head trainer. If that person doesn't pick up, it takes a message, and you get an alert about the missed transfer.
Sources
- B2C Buyer Experience Report 2026, Invoca, 2026
Checked 2026-10-19. Third-party prices and features change; check the vendor before you buy.