Automated Virtual Receptionist: What It Is and How to Set One Up

An automated virtual receptionist is software that answers incoming calls with a spoken voice. Unlike a menu system that only plays options, it can hold a conversation: callers ask questions in their own words, and the receptionist responds using the details the business owner has saved. It can share information like hours, services, and pricing when it knows the answer, take a message when it does not, and book new appointments.

Everything the receptionist does shows up in a dashboard. Owners can read call transcripts, see summaries of each conversation, and review any bookings or messages that were taken. That record makes it easy to follow up with callers the next business day.

AllDayDesk is an example of this category. It answers calls around the clock using your saved business information, and you can hear a personalized sample of how it would sound for your business before turning anything on.

• Answers calls conversationally instead of reading a fixed menu
• Shares business details you have saved, like services and hours
• Takes messages when it does not know an answer, price, or opening
• Books new appointments into a built-in calendar once you set up services and availability
• Logs calls, transcripts, summaries, and bookings in a dashboard you can review

You do not need a new phone number. You keep your public number and forward calls to the service, so callers dial the same number they always have. How you turn on forwarding depends on your phone provider, and the instructions differ between mobile carriers, landlines, and business phone systems.

For example, Verizon mobile customers activate all-call forwarding by dialing *72 plus the 10-digit destination from the phone itself, and *73 turns it off. T-Mobile uses codes like **21*1 followed by the destination and # for unconditional forwarding. Business systems vary more: Spectrum Business Voice manages forwarding through the online portal under Voice Settings, while Vonage Business Communications has a Call Forwarding setting that forwards calls to any phone number you enter.

Before choosing instructions, identify the exact product you have. A carrier often sells several phone services with different steps, and codes that work on one product will not work on another. If your provider is not listed, call their support line and ask how to forward calls to an outside number.

• Keep your existing business number; forwarding sends calls to the receptionist
• Mobile carriers usually use star codes dialed from the phone itself
• Business VoIP systems often manage forwarding in an online portal
• Check which exact product or plan you have before following any instructions
• Google Voice does not support forwarding calls to an automated system, so it is not a compatible path

Setup with AllDayDesk starts by choosing your business or entering its website so the service can pull in your details. You then check those details to make sure they are accurate, because the receptionist answers questions using exactly that information. Next, you hear a personalized sample of how your receptionist would sound. The sample is a preview only and does not create a real booking. Finally, you choose your phone setup, which is where your carrier's forwarding instructions come in.

Once the service is live, new appointments go into the built-in AllDayDesk dashboard calendar by default. That works once you have configured your services and availability. If you prefer Google Calendar, an optional connection is available in Settings after you connect and authorize your Google account.

A few limits are worth knowing upfront. Changes to existing appointments are passed to you as requests rather than confirmed changes, so you stay in control of your schedule. Transfers to you or another number require you to configure a destination and rules, and a transfer is not guaranteed to be picked up or answered immediately. When the receptionist does not know an answer, a price, or an opening, it takes a message instead of guessing.

• Choose your business or enter its website to pull in your details
• Review and correct the saved information before going live
• Listen to a personalized sample to preview how calls will sound
• Choose your phone setup and apply your carrier's forwarding instructions
• Configure services and availability so new bookings land on your calendar
• Optionally connect Google Calendar in Settings after authorizing your account

The main alternative is a service staffed by people. Human virtual receptionist services exist at a range of price points; for example, Ruby advertises live receptionist plans starting at $245 per month as of October 2026, and Smith.ai sells per-call human receptionist pricing that depends on the needs you select. Those figures are starting prices only, and real costs depend on included minutes, overage rates, hours, and contract terms, so always compare current quotes.

An automated receptionist handles calls with software instead of people, which usually changes the cost structure and means calls are handled the same way every time. A human service can handle judgment calls and nuanced conversations differently, but coverage and fees vary by provider and plan, so it is not accurate to say humans always cost more or only work set hours.

It also helps to compare scope. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics describes in-house receptionists as doing far more than answering phones, including greeting visitors and handling office tasks. A phone service, automated or human, replaces the phone-answering part of that job, not the whole role.

• Human services: judgment and flexible conversation, with pricing that varies by plan and usage
• Automated services: consistent handling and dashboard records of every call
• Compare included minutes or calls, overage rates, and hours before choosing either type
• A phone service covers calls only, not the other duties of an in-office receptionist

An automated receptionist tends to fit businesses where calls are predictable: appointment requests, questions about services, hours, and pricing, and messages that can wait for a callback. Owners who answer their own phones, as most solo operators do, often use it to cover times when they are on a job, with a customer, or simply away from the phone.

It fits less well if every call needs complex judgment, or if you need guaranteed immediate human response. Transfers can be configured, but pickup is not guaranteed, and unknown questions become messages rather than improvised answers. If your callers frequently need sensitive matters handled, review whether a message-and-callback flow meets your needs.

A practical way to decide is to look at your recent missed calls and voicemails. If most are appointment requests or simple questions, automation handles them well. If most need back-and-forth negotiation, weight that in your choice.

• Good fit: appointment requests, common questions, and message taking
• Weigh carefully: calls needing complex judgment or guaranteed immediate human pickup
• Review your recent missed calls to see what your callers actually need
• Remember you keep your number, so you can adjust or stop forwarding anytime