AI phone answering for your business

Front Desk Automation

Front desk automation means using software to handle the phone tasks a front desk person would normally handle: answering calls, sharing business information, booking appointments, and taking messages. With AllDayDesk, you set it up by entering your business or website, checking the details it pulls in, listening to a personalized sample, and then forwarding your existing number to it. This page covers what it does, setup steps, and decisions to make first.

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How it works

Set up your business receptionist

Add your business

Choose your business or enter its website. Check the services, hours, and details callers need.

Hear your receptionist

Listen to a sample for your business and check its answers. The sample does not create a real booking.

Connect your phone

Follow the steps for your phone service. Set up booking availability and any call transfers you want to use.

Review calls, messages, and bookings in your dashboard.

What front desk automation actually does

A front desk usually does four things on the phone: answers, informs, schedules, and relays messages. Front desk automation applies software to those same tasks. AllDayDesk answers calls using the business information you save, so callers hear answers about your hours, location, and services instead of a generic recording.

Scheduling is a core part of it. New appointments are booked onto the built-in AllDayDesk dashboard calendar by default, but only after you have set up your services and availability. If you prefer, you can connect Google Calendar in Settings and authorize your account; that connection is optional and is set up by you, not automatic.

Honesty matters as much as coverage. When a caller asks for a price you have not published, or wants to change an existing appointment, the system does not invent an answer or confirm the change. Changes to existing appointments are requests passed to you, and unknown answers become messages you review in the dashboard.

Answers calls using your saved business information
Books new appointments on the dashboard calendar once services and availability are configured
Optional Google Calendar connection, authorized by you in Settings
Takes a message when an answer or price is unknown
Passes requests to change existing appointments to you rather than confirming them
Shows calls, transcripts, summaries, and bookings in your dashboard

For a deeper look at how automated scheduling works, read the appointment booking page. AI appointment booking
If you want the broader front desk picture beyond automation, see the virtual front desk page. virtual front desk

How to set it up, step by step

Setup starts with your business, not your phone. You choose your business or enter its website, and AllDayDesk builds a profile from that information. You then check the details it gathered and correct anything wrong, because callers will hear whatever you approve.

Next, you hear a personalized sample based on your information. This sample is a demonstration only; it does not create a real booking or affect your calendar. If something sounds off, fix the business details and listen again.

The last step is phone setup. You keep your public number and forward calls to AllDayDesk, and the exact instructions depend on your phone service. Most owners answer their own phone, so this is usually a setting on your existing line or phone system rather than something a staff member manages.

Choose your business or enter its website
Review and correct the business details before callers hear them
Listen to the personalized sample (no real booking is created)
Choose your phone setup option
Forward your existing number using your phone provider's instructions

For general setup guidance that applies to any answering service, read the setup guide. how to set up a call answering service
If your phone system itself needs attention first, the business phone setup guide covers the basics. business phone set up

Forwarding your number: what your provider controls

Forwarding instructions come from your phone carrier, and they differ by product. Verizon mobile, for example, activates all-call forwarding with *72 plus the 10-digit destination and turns it off with *73, while unanswered-call forwarding on Verizon mobile uses *71. Verizon business landline uses *72 and *73 for all-call forwarding. T-Mobile uses codes like **21*1 followed by the destination and # for unconditional forwarding, with ##21# to disable.

Other providers route forwarding through portals or menus. Spectrum Business Voice manages forwarding in the SpectrumBusiness.net portal under Voice Settings or Forwarding Manager, where you can choose all calls or busy/no-answer. Vonage Business Communications has a Call Forwarding option where you enable forwarding to a phone number. Comcast Business features depend on which service you subscribe to, such as Voice Mobility, Business Voice, or VoiceEdge, so identify your product first.

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 workable path to this kind of service. If your carrier is not listed here, check your provider's own support pages for your exact product, since codes that work on one service often do not work on another from the same company.

Verizon mobile: *72 plus destination for all calls, *71 for unanswered, *73 to disable
Verizon business landline: *72 to activate, *73 to deactivate
T-Mobile: **21*1 plus destination and # for unconditional, ##21# to disable
Spectrum Business Voice: manage forwarding in the online portal, choosing all calls or busy/no-answer
Vonage Business Communications: enable Call Forwarding to a phone number in the settings
Google Voice numbers cannot be forwarded to an automated system

Sources: Verizon mobile call forwarding · Verizon business call forwarding guide · T-Mobile short codes · Spectrum Business Voice user guide · Vonage Business Communications call forwarding · Comcast Business Voice Mobility · Google Voice linked phone setup

For forwarding instructions across more providers, see the business phone forwarding guide. business phone forwarding
If you are choosing a phone service with forwarding in mind, the small business call forwarding guide compares options. call forwarding service for small business

Decisions to make before you turn it on

Front desk automation works best when you decide its limits in advance. Start with what callers may book: configure your services and availability so the dashboard calendar reflects reality. Without that configuration, booking cannot work as intended.

Decide what stays yours. Changes to existing appointments are requests for you, not confirmed changes, so plan a habit of reviewing them. The same goes for messages taken when an answer or price was unknown; the dashboard collects them, but you decide how quickly to respond.

Finally, decide about transfers. You can configure a transfer destination and rules for callers who need a person, but neither pickup nor an immediate response is guaranteed, so think about who the destination is and when it makes sense to transfer instead of taking a message.

Configure services and availability so the dashboard calendar books accurately
Review appointment-change requests and messages regularly
Set a transfer destination and rules if you want callers routed to you
Remember transfers do not guarantee pickup or immediate response

If you plan to answer some calls yourself, the overflow answering service page covers splitting coverage. overflow answering service

Comparing automation with other front desk options

Automation is one of several ways to cover your front desk. Human virtual receptionist services, such as Ruby (plans advertised starting at $245 per month as of October 9, 2026) and Smith.ai's live receptionist service, which uses per-call pricing, put people on your calls. AnswerConnect offers 24/7 live answering by people as well. Costs, hours, and included allowances vary by service and plan, so compare current quotes rather than headline prices.

An in-house receptionist does more than answer phones. Federal occupational data describes receptionist work as including greeting visitors and office tasks beyond phone duties, so a phone service of any kind is not a full replacement for that role. This comparison is based on documented features and published information, not hands-on testing, and AllDayDesk is this site's own product.

The practical trade-off is between consistency and judgment. Software answers the same way every time and works from your saved information, while a person can improvise but costs more and varies by plan and hours. Your call volume, budget, and how much of your front desk is really phone work should drive the choice.

Human virtual receptionists: people answer, pricing varies by plan and usage
In-house reception: covers visitors and office tasks, not just phones
Automation: consistent answers from your saved information, available around the clock
Compare included minutes, overage rates, and hours on any current quote

Sources: Ruby live virtual receptionists · Smith.ai virtual receptionist pricing · AnswerConnect business answering service · BLS receptionist occupation guide

For a fuller side-by-side of software and people, read the AI vs human receptionist guide. AI receptionist vs human receptionist
To understand what different services typically charge, see the answering service cost guide. answering service cost

Running it day to day

After setup, your dashboard is the control center. Calls appear there with their transcripts and summaries, and bookings show on the calendar. Reviewing summaries takes the place of listening to voicemails, and you can spot patterns in what callers ask for.

Keep your business information current. If your hours, services, or location change, update the saved details so callers hear accurate answers. If you connect Google Calendar in Settings, remember it is an optional connection you authorize, and the built-in dashboard calendar remains the default for new appointments.

Treat unknown-answer messages and appointment-change requests as your daily follow-up list. The automation captures them; acting on them is what keeps callers satisfied.

Review calls, transcripts, and summaries in the dashboard
Update saved business details whenever your information changes
Google Calendar connection is optional and set up in Settings
Follow up on messages and appointment-change requests

For a broader view of tools that organize business calls, read the call management software guide. call management software

Pricing

Choose a plan that fits your calls.

Solo $99/moBusiness $199/moGrowth $349/mo

Each plan includes call minutes. Extra minutes cost more. See your estimate before you start. Your first 30 calls are free, with no credit card. Paid plans are monthly; cancel anytime.

Hear it with your own business details

Enter your business or website, check the information it pulls in, and listen to a personalized sample of how your calls could be handled. No real booking is created, and you keep your existing number.