Answers
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about how an AI receptionist works, what it will not do, how calls are routed, what happens to your data, and how a deployment is set up and priced.
The short answers
An AI receptionist answers your business calls, works out what the caller needs, and either handles it, books it, routes it to a person or records it for follow-up. You keep your existing number in most cases, and your team receives calls that already carry context.
Certain calls always reach a person immediately, whatever the configuration. Those boundaries are described below and are not adjustable.
How it works
What can an AI receptionist actually handle?
Answering common enquiries, qualifying new leads, booking and rescheduling appointments, routing callers to the right person, and recording what happened. The scope is defined by rules you approve rather than by what the technology could theoretically attempt.
Will callers know they are speaking to an automated system?
We recommend telling them in the opening sentence, and we design flows that way. Callers usually work it out regardless, and being straightforward avoids the frustration that follows a discovered pretence.
Can it transfer calls to our staff?
Yes, according to rules you set by enquiry type and time of day. Context captured on the call is passed across so your colleague does not start from nothing. See live call transfer.
Can it book appointments in our calendar?
Where your calendar can be connected, yes, with real availability offered rather than a promise to check. Booking rules, buffers and who is bookable are agreed during setup. See appointment booking.
Does it work outside office hours?
Yes. After-hours and overflow coverage is usually where businesses see the clearest benefit, because those calls currently reach voicemail or nothing at all.
What languages can it handle?
That depends on the deployment and should be established by testing with your own callers rather than from a list. Code-switching and dialect are covered honestly in our guide to multilingual and dialect call handling.
What it will not do
These categories reach a person immediately in every deployment we build. They are fixed, and we will not remove them on request.
- Any matter concerning an individual child, including safeguarding concerns
- Clinical triage, symptoms, and whether a caller should seek treatment
- Security incidents, threats and reports of harm
- Allergen confirmation and food safety assurances
- Callers in distress or crisis
- Grievances, disciplinary matters and personal HR issues
- Regulated legal, medical, financial and immigration advice
We will also tell you when the answer is no. If your call volume is small, your processes are still changing, or nobody has capacity to work the enquiries that get captured, automation may not help yet. Our guide to preparing your business for AI adoption sets out how to judge that.
Numbers, routing and setup
Can we keep our existing phone number?
In most cases yes, using call forwarding from your current line, so nothing on your signage or listings changes. The arrangements available depend on your telco, as explained in phone numbers and call routing setup.
Do we have to route every call through it?
No. Most businesses start with overflow or after-hours only, then widen coverage once the flow is behaving consistently.
How long does setup take?
It depends on how many call types you handle, which systems are connected and how quickly your team can approve the flow. We will give you a realistic sequence for your situation rather than a headline figure, because a fast promise usually means testing has been cut.
What do you need from us?
Your common enquiries and their outcomes, your booking rules, who takes transfers at which hours, and access to the systems being connected. The full list is in the onboarding checklist.
Can we change the wording after launch?
Yes. Wording and routing are configuration, and changes apply to every subsequent call at once rather than requiring anyone to be retrained.
What if we want to stop?
Routing can be reversed, and we document the steps before go-live so reverting is straightforward rather than a project.
Data, recording and cost
Are calls recorded?
That is your decision. Many deployments run on structured summaries or transcripts without stored audio. The considerations are set out in PDPA and call recording.
Who can see our call data?
Access is defined by role, and you decide who in your business sees what. Our own handling is described in how we handle your data.
Can you confirm we will be PDPA compliant?
No, and we would be wary of any supplier that claims otherwise. Compliance depends on how your business collects, uses and governs data. We describe exactly what our service does so your own advisers can reach their conclusion.
How is pricing calculated?
Cost is driven by usage and by the scope of configuration built for you. The structure is explained on the pricing page.
Is there a minimum commitment?
Terms are set out before you sign, and we would rather you started with a contained pilot than a long commitment made on a demonstration.
How do we know it is working?
Set a baseline before launch and compare against it. The measures worth tracking are in measuring call handling performance.
Where to go next
If your question is not answered here, the sections below go into detail, or you can contact us and ask.
Still deciding? Hear it handle one of your calls
Bring a real enquiry, including an awkward one. We will show how it would be handled end to end, and where a person should take over.