Virtual Receptionist in Quebec: How to Choose One (French, Law 25 and Pricing)

In Quebec, a receptionist does more than answer the phone. They're often the first voice of your business, and that voice has to speak French well and with the right manners. It also has to switch to English for the customer from Toronto or the tourist from Boston, without transferring the call or putting anyone on hold.

That's why choosing a virtual receptionist works differently here than elsewhere in Canada. This guide covers what the law requires, what your customers actually expect, the privacy questions to ask, and what human and AI options cost. For a broader look at the services available across the country, see our guide to virtual receptionist services in Canada.

What the law says: serve customers in French

The Charter of the French Language is clear. Section 50.2 says that "an enterprise that offers goods or services to consumers must respect their right to be informed and served in French". The same section adds that a business serving a public other than consumers must also inform and serve it in French.

On the phone, the practical consequence is simple: your receptionist, human or virtual, has to be able to carry the entire conversation in French. A service that answers in English and offers to "transfer you to a French-speaking agent" during office hours only doesn't cut it. French has to be there at 8 p.m. on a Sunday, the same as 10 a.m. on a Tuesday.

This isn't legal advice, of course. If your situation is unusual, the Office québécois de la langue française and your legal adviser are the right resources. But for choosing a tool, the basic rule is enough: French can't be a second-tier option.

How bilingual Quebec really is

It's easy to assume "everyone in Montréal is bilingual." The numbers say otherwise. According to Statistics Canada, 46.4% of Quebecers could hold a conversation in both English and French in 2021. In other words, most could not. The same source shows big regional gaps: about 6 in 10 people are bilingual on the Island of Montréal, in Laval and in the Outaouais, compared with about 4 in 10 in the rest of the province.

For a business, that means two things:

• Outside those areas, most of your calls will be in French, and a caller who hears an English voice is likely to hang up.
• In Montréal, Laval and the Outaouais, you'll get both languages, sometimes in the same call. Your receptionist has to follow the caller, not the other way around.

Aria detects the caller's language and answers in English or French on every plan. In French, she's set up to speak Quebec French and to use the formal "vous." Our bilingual answering page explains how it works.

Quebec French on the phone: callers can tell

Correct French isn't enough. Your customers notice right away when a receptionist sounds like a manual translated from English or an offshore call centre. A few details that make the difference:

• Formal "vous" by default, in a warm tone rather than a stiff one.
• Local vocabulary: "courriel" for email, "cellulaire" for cell phone, "fin de semaine" for weekend, "soumission" for a quote, "stationnement" for parking.
• Meal names: in Quebec, "dîner" is lunch and "souper" is dinner. A restaurant receptionist who mixes them up books tables at the wrong time.
• Times the Quebec way: "14 h," "19 h 30," not "2 p.m."
• Numbers and addresses read naturally: "cinq-un-quatre," "boulevard Saint-Laurent," "app. 3."

When you test a virtual receptionist, call it yourself in French. Ask for an appointment "jeudi après-midi," give an address with a unit number, and ask if they can "envoyer ça par courriel." You'll know quickly whether it was built for Quebec.

Law 25: the questions to ask any provider

A virtual receptionist hears names, phone numbers, addresses and sometimes sensitive details. Quebec's private-sector privacy act, as modernized by what's commonly called Law 25, governs that information.

Two sections bear directly on choosing a provider:

• Section 3.1 makes the person with the highest authority in the business the person in charge of the protection of personal information, unless they delegate the role in writing. Their title and contact information must be published on the business's website.
• Section 17 requires a privacy impact assessment before personal information is communicated outside Quebec, along with a written agreement that reflects it.

In practice, most cloud tools, whether booking software, a phone system or an AI receptionist, process data outside Quebec. So ask any provider these questions, including us:

1. Where are recordings, transcripts and messages stored?
2. Which subcontractors process that data?
3. How long is it kept, and can I delete it?
4. Who at the provider can access it?

To be transparent: Aria's privacy policy lists its service providers and states that data is stored on servers located in the United States. If you choose Aria, include it in your section 17 assessment, as you would for any other tool hosted outside Quebec.

One last point: if calls are recorded, say so. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada says an organization must inform the customer that the call is being recorded, state the purpose and obtain consent. A sentence in the greeting usually does it.

Human or AI receptionist?

Both have their place. Here's how they compare on what matters most in Quebec:

A human receptionist keeps the edge on emotional or very complex calls. AI wins on coverage, consistency and price. Many businesses combine the two: the team answers when it can, and the AI takes over on overflow, evenings and weekends.

What it costs in Quebec

Start with the most common benchmark, an in-house receptionist. Job Bank lists a median wage of $20.00 an hour for receptionists in Quebec. At 40 hours a week, that's about $41,600 a year before benefits and payroll taxes, to cover 40 of the week's 168 hours.

Human receptionist services usually bill per minute, per call or in blocks of minutes, sometimes with setup fees and evening or holiday surcharges. Prices vary a lot with volume, so ask for a written quote based on your real calls.

Aria runs on flat monthly plans in Canadian dollars:

• Starter, $59/month: up to 150 voice minutes, voice and website chat, booking (Google Calendar, Calendly, Acuity), message taking, English and French, 24/7.
• Pro, $189/month: up to 600 minutes, plus live call transfers, texting during calls, full SMS conversations and call recordings.
• Premium, $389/month: up to 1,200 minutes, plus custom training files, advanced analytics and custom voices.

Annual billing lowers each plan. Every plan starts with a 7-day free trial, with no setup fee and no contract. Full details are on the pricing page.

Montréal, Québec City, Gatineau and the regions

Needs vary by region. In Montréal, customers are often mixed and English comes up regularly on the phone; our Montréal page covers that in more detail. In Québec City, calls are almost entirely in French; see our Québec City page. In the Outaouais, many businesses serve customers on both sides of the river, with different language expectations. In the regions, the quality of the French matters above all.

Don't forget Quebec's own holidays: Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day on June 24 is observed in Quebec only, while the August Civic Holiday isn't, as the Canada Revenue Agency's holiday list notes. Your greeting should reflect that.

Checklist before you sign

• Can it handle the whole call in Quebec French, with "vous"?
• Does it switch to English when the caller does, without a transfer?
• Can it book appointments directly into your calendar?
• How do emergencies and "can I talk to someone?" requests reach you?
• Where is data stored, and will the provider give you what you need for a section 17 assessment?
• Can you change the greeting and answers yourself, the same day?
• Can you try it on your real number before committing?

FAQ

Can a virtual receptionist answer in French first?

Yes. You choose the greeting language. In Quebec that is usually French, and Aria switches to English if the caller answers in English.

Do I need a new phone number?

No. You keep your number and forward calls to the virtual receptionist, all the time or only when you don't pick up.

Will it sound Québécois?

Aria is set up to speak Quebec French and use "vous." The best test is to call it yourself during the free trial.

What happens when a caller wants to talk to a person?

On Pro and above, Aria can transfer the call to your number. On every plan, she takes a detailed message that's sent to you by email.

How long does setup take?

You can be live the same day. You provide your hours, services and rules, then forward your calls.