Automated Call Answering Service

When a call comes in, the service answers with a greeting built from your business information: your name, services, hours, and policies. A caller can ask questions, request an appointment, or leave a message. The system follows the rules you set, so it behaves the same way at 2 p.m. and at 2 a.m.

It is different from a simple voicemail or an auto attendant with a menu of buttons. There is no numbered menu to press through; callers just talk. It is also different from a human answering service, where employees at another company pick up. An automated service uses software, which is why it can be available around the clock and why its behavior is consistent from call to call.

AllDayDesk answers calls using the business information you save, and you can hear a personalized sample before you commit to anything. The sample is a preview only; it does not create a real booking or take any real action.

• Greets callers using your saved business details
• Answers questions about services, hours, and policies you have saved
• Takes messages when it does not know an answer, a price, or an open appointment
• Books new appointments once you have configured services and availability
• Logs calls, transcripts, summaries, and bookings in your dashboard

Setup starts by choosing your business from a listing or entering your website. The service pulls details like your business name, services, and hours, and you check them for accuracy before anything goes out to callers. Wrong or missing details here are the most common cause of a bad caller experience, so this step is worth doing carefully.

Next, you hear a personalized sample of how your calls will be answered. This is your chance to hear the greeting and the way questions are handled. The sample creates no real booking, so you can listen freely.

Finally, you choose phone setup. In most cases you keep your public number and forward calls to the service. The exact forwarding steps depend on your phone provider, and some providers handle forwarding differently than others, so follow the instructions for your specific service.

• Choose your business or enter its website so details can be pulled in
• Review and correct the business information before calls are answered
• Listen to a personalized sample; it does not create a real booking
• Choose your phone setup option, usually forwarding your existing number
• Follow your provider's own forwarding instructions, since codes and portals differ

You do not need a new phone number. You forward your existing number to the service, and callers dial you the same way they always have. The activation steps depend entirely on who provides your phone service, and the difference between forwarding all calls and forwarding only unanswered calls matters: all-call forwarding sends every call straight to the service, while conditional forwarding sends calls only when you do not answer, are busy, or are unreachable.

A few verified examples show how much providers differ. Verizon mobile uses *72 plus the 10-digit destination for all calls and *71 for unanswered calls, with *73 to disable; setup must be done from the phone while in Verizon coverage. T-Mobile uses **21*1 plus the destination and # for unconditional forwarding, **61*1 for no-reply, and ##004# to reset to defaults. Comcast Business, Vonage Business Communications, Spectrum Business Voice, and Frontier Digital Voice manage forwarding through their portals or device menus rather than a single universal code, and the exact product on your account matters before you use any instructions.

One important limit: Google Voice does not support forwarding calls from a Google Voice number to an automated system, so a Google Voice line is not a compatible path. If you are unsure which product or plan you have, check your bill or provider portal first, then use the guide written for that exact service.

• Verizon mobile: *72 plus destination for all calls, *71 for unanswered, *73 to disable
• T-Mobile: **21*1 plus destination and # for unconditional, **61*1 for no reply, ##004# to reset
• Comcast Business, Spectrum Business Voice, Vonage, and Frontier Digital Voice use portal or device settings, not one universal code
• All-call and conditional (unanswered-only) forwarding are different features; confirm which your line supports
• Google Voice numbers cannot be forwarded to an automated answering system

New appointments are booked into the built-in AllDayDesk dashboard calendar by default, once you have configured your services and availability. If you prefer, you can optionally connect Google Calendar in Settings after connecting and authorizing your Google account. Other calendar programs and industry scheduling software are not part of the service.

Changes to existing appointments work differently from new bookings. A caller asking to move or cancel an existing appointment generates a request for you to review and act on; the service does not confirm those changes on its own. This keeps you in control of your schedule.

When the service does not know an answer, does not have a price, or cannot find an open appointment, it takes a message instead of guessing. You see the message, the call transcript, and a summary in your dashboard, so nothing depends on the caller remembering to call back.

Call transfers are also available, but only after you configure a transfer destination and the rules for when transfers happen. A transfer is not guaranteed to be picked up or answered immediately, so configure destinations you actually monitor.

• New bookings go to the dashboard calendar once services and availability are set
• Google Calendar is an optional connection in Settings, after you authorize your account
• Existing appointment changes are requests for you, not confirmed changes
• Unknown answers, prices, or availability become messages, not guesses
• Transfers require a configured destination and rules; pickup is not guaranteed

Both approaches can work, and the right choice depends on your calls. A human virtual receptionist service, such as Ruby or Smith.ai's live receptionist plans, puts trained people on your line; pricing varies by plan, included allowance, and hours, so compare current quotes rather than headline numbers. An automated service like AllDayDesk uses software instead, which keeps behavior consistent and makes around-the-clock availability practical for a small business budget.

Ask yourself what your calls actually need. If callers mostly want hours, directions, prices you have published, and to book a time, an automated service handles that well and shows you every transcript. If your calls involve judgment calls, sensitive matters, or complex back-and-forth negotiation, weigh whether software is the right front line. Also consider an in-house receptionist: according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, that role includes greeting visitors and office tasks beyond phone answering, so a phone service is not a full replacement for one.

Cost and coverage vary by service and plan on both sides of this comparison, so the honest way to decide is to list your call volume, the questions callers ask most, and the hours you actually miss, then match those against what each option documents.

• Human services put people on the line; pricing depends on plan, allowance, and hours
• Automated services use software, with consistent behavior and dashboard records
• Match the choice to your call types: routine questions and booking versus judgment calls
• An in-house receptionist covers visitors and office work, not just phones
• Compare documented features and current quotes; this page compares features, not hands-on tests