Electronic Receptionist: What It Is and How to Choose One

An electronic receptionist sits between your callers and you. When someone calls your business number, your phone service forwards that call to the software, which answers in a natural voice. The software draws on details you have saved about your business, such as your services, hours, and pricing, so it can answer questions without you on the line.

When a caller wants an appointment, the receptionist can book one using a calendar. With AllDayDesk, new appointments go on the built-in dashboard calendar by default, once you have set up your services and availability. If you prefer Google Calendar, you can optionally connect and authorize your Google account in Settings, and new bookings will use that calendar instead.

Calls, transcripts, summaries, and bookings are visible in your dashboard, so you can review what was said and follow up. When the receptionist does not know an answer, a price, or whether a time is open, it takes a message instead of guessing. If a caller asks to change an existing appointment, that is passed to you as a request rather than a confirmed change.

You can also configure call transfers, which send certain callers to a destination number you choose along with rules for when transfers happen. Transfers depend on that configuration, and neither pickup nor an immediate response is guaranteed. Separately, the receptionist takes a message whenever it cannot answer a question or confirm an opening.

• Answers with a voice using your saved business details
• Books new appointments on the built-in calendar, or Google Calendar after you connect it in Settings
• Shows calls, transcripts, summaries, and bookings in your dashboard
• Takes a message when an answer, price, or opening is unknown
• Treats changes to existing appointments as requests for you to confirm

Electronic receptionist products vary in what they can actually do, so it helps to check a short list of concrete things before signing up. The points below apply whether you are evaluating AllDayDesk or another provider in this category.

First, check how the service learns about your business. AllDayDesk builds its knowledge from your business details or website, then lets you hear a personalized sample before you commit to phone setup. A sample that reflects your real business is far more useful than a generic demo. Second, check the calendar story. If you already run your schedule in Google Calendar, confirm the service supports connecting it; AllDayDesk supports an optional Google Calendar connection in Settings after you authorize your account. Third, check what happens to information: you want transcripts and summaries you can review, not just a notification.

Fourth, be realistic about coverage. Around-the-clock availability describes when the service can answer, not a promise that every call connects, so ask how failures are handled. Finally, compare pricing structure. Plans usually combine a monthly fee with a set of included minutes and a per-minute rate beyond that, so estimate your typical call volume before choosing a tier.

• Setup: does it learn from your website or business details, and can you hear a sample first?
• Calendars: does it book on its own calendar, and can you optionally connect Google Calendar?
• Visibility: can you read transcripts and summaries of every call?
• Limits: what happens when it does not know an answer or a time is uncertain?
• Cost: monthly plan, included minutes, and the per-minute rate for extra minutes

You keep your public phone number. Setting up an electronic receptionist means forwarding calls from that number to the service, and the exact steps depend on your phone provider. AllDayDesk walks you through phone setup after you check your business details and hear your sample, but here is what the major providers document.

On Verizon mobile, dial *72 plus the 10-digit destination to forward all calls, *71 plus the destination for unanswered calls, and *73 to turn forwarding off; setup must be done from the phone while in Verizon coverage. On T-Mobile, **21*1 followed by the destination and # enables unconditional forwarding, **61*1 enables no-reply forwarding, and ##004# resets forwarding to defaults. For AT&T Phone for Business, dial *72, the destination, then # for all calls, *92 for no-answer, and *90 for busy, with *73, *93, and *91 to turn each off. Spectrum Business Voice manages forwarding through the SpectrumBusiness.net portal under Voice Settings or Forwarding Manager, where you choose all calls or busy/no-answer and set the destination.

Comcast Business forwarding is managed through My Account or the Comcast Business App, and features depend on which service you subscribe to, so identify whether you have Voice Mobility, Business Voice, or VoiceEdge first. Vonage Business Communications users enable Call Forwarding to a phone number in the admin interface. Frontier lists forwarding among its calling features, and its Digital Voice products include Find Me-Follow Me and Simultaneous Ring options, but activation steps depend on which Frontier service is on your bill, so check that product's own guide before dialing anything. Optimum Business Phone customers covered by its user guide dial *72, wait for dial tone, then dial the destination, and press *73 to turn forwarding off.

One important exception: Google Voice explicitly does not support forwarding calls from a Google Voice number to an automated system, so a Google Voice number is not a compatible path. If your number is with a smaller carrier, ask them whether all-call forwarding is supported before signing up, since some prepaid and regional services limit forwarding to select areas and plans.

• Verizon mobile: *72 plus destination for all calls, *71 for unanswered, *73 to disable
• T-Mobile: **21*1 destination # for all calls, **61*1 for no reply, ##004# to reset
• AT&T Phone for Business: *72 destination # all calls, *92 no answer, *90 busy
• Spectrum Business Voice: portal-based under Voice Settings or Forwarding Manager
• Optimum Business Phone: *72 then destination to activate, *73 to disable
• Google Voice numbers cannot be forwarded to an automated system

The main alternative is a service staffed by people. Human virtual receptionist services such as Ruby advertise plans starting at $245 per month as of October 2026, and Smith.ai prices its human receptionist service per call, with costs depending on the needs you select. Those are starting prices only; real cost depends on included minutes or calls, overage rates, coverage hours, and contract terms, so always compare current quotes.

A human service can handle judgment calls and unusual requests with more flexibility. An electronic receptionist is available around the clock and works from consistent saved information, but it takes a message rather than improvising when something is unknown. On cost, electronic receptionists are priced as a monthly plan with included minutes plus a per-minute rate, so whether that comes out lower than a per-call human service depends on your call volume; compare current quotes. Note that an in-house receptionist does far more than answer phones, including greeting visitors and office tasks, so a phone service is not a full replacement for that role.

A practical way to decide: if your calls follow predictable patterns, such as booking, pricing questions, and directions, an electronic receptionist handles them well. If callers frequently have complex situations that need human judgment, a human service or a hybrid may fit better. This comparison covers documented features and published prices, not hands-on testing of each provider.

• Ruby: human virtual receptionists, plans advertised from $245/month (October 2026)
• Smith.ai: human receptionists priced per call, quote-based
• Electronic receptionists: consistent answers from saved info, around-the-clock availability, message taking when unsure
• In-house receptionists cover visitors and office work beyond the phone

Setup starts by choosing your business or entering its website so AllDayDesk can pull in your details. You then check that the information is accurate, hear a personalized sample of how your receptionist will sound, and choose your phone setup option. The sample is a preview only and creates no real booking.

Because you forward your existing number, callers keep dialing the same number they always have. Most owners answer their own phones, so the service is designed for a single owner rather than assuming you have office staff. After setup, review your dashboard regularly to see transcripts, summaries, and bookings, and configure your services and availability so the built-in calendar can accept appointments.

• Choose your business or enter its website
• Check the pulled-in details for accuracy
• Hear a personalized sample call
• Choose your phone setup and forwarding steps for your carrier