alt Hacker NewsThe alternative here isn't talking to a person. The alternative is leaving a voicemail and praying for a callback. Likely, you don't even leave a voicemail and a match is not made.
Asking a business to hire a receptionist is probably a bit unlikely for small businesses in today's environment.
Why is talking to a robot preferred? I would much rather have a voicemail with an introduction message that says "See website and send email"