Virtual Answering Service Software: What It Does and How to Set It Up

The software sits between your callers and you. When someone dials your business number, your phone service forwards that call to the answering software. The software greets the caller, uses the business details you saved to answer common questions, and records what was said.

After each call, you can open the dashboard and see the call, read a transcript, and review a short summary. If the caller wanted an appointment, the software can book it on the built-in AllDayDesk calendar, as long as you have configured your services and availability first. If a caller asks something the software does not know, like a price you never listed or a question about an existing appointment, it takes a message so you can follow up yourself.

One important limit: changes to existing appointments are requests for you to approve, not confirmed changes. The software passes the request along; you decide.

• Answers calls using your saved business information
• Takes messages when an answer, price, or appointment time is unknown
• Books new appointments on the built-in dashboard calendar by default
• Shows calls, transcripts, summaries, and bookings in your dashboard
• Treats changes to existing appointments as requests for you, not confirmed changes

You keep your public business number. The connection happens through call forwarding, which is a feature of your phone carrier, not of AllDayDesk. You turn forwarding on with your carrier, point it at the number AllDayDesk gives you, and calls start arriving at the software.

The exact steps depend on who provides your phone service. Some carriers use star codes you dial from the phone itself. For example, Verizon mobile uses *72 plus the destination number for all-call forwarding and *73 to turn it off, while T-Mobile uses codes like **21*1 followed by the destination and #. Other providers, such as Spectrum Business Voice, use a web portal where you sign in, open Voice Settings, and set the forwarding destination there. Because every carrier is different, AllDayDesk shows you instructions matched to your phone service during setup.

A note on Google Voice: Google explicitly states that forwarding calls from a Google Voice number to an automated system is unsupported. If your business runs on Google Voice, check with Google support about your options before choosing any answering software.

• You keep your existing public number; forwarding routes calls to the software
• Activation methods vary: star codes dialed from the phone, or a carrier web portal
• AllDayDesk provides carrier-specific instructions during phone setup
• Google Voice does not support forwarding to automated systems, per Google's own documentation

Setup starts with your business, not your phone. You choose your business from a list or enter its website, and AllDayDesk pulls together the details it will use on calls. You then check those details and correct anything wrong, because the software can only answer from what you saved.

Next, you hear a personalized sample so you know exactly how your calls will sound. The sample is a demonstration only; it does not create a real booking. Once you are happy with it, you choose phone setup and follow the forwarding instructions for your carrier. After that, calls arrive at the software and everything shows up in your dashboard.

• Choose your business or enter its website so details can be gathered
• Review and correct the saved business information
• Listen to a personalized sample (no real booking is created)
• Choose phone setup and follow your carrier's forwarding instructions
• Watch calls, transcripts, summaries, and bookings appear in the dashboard

By default, new appointments go on the built-in AllDayDesk dashboard calendar. This works once you have configured your services and availability, so the software knows what you offer and when you can take appointments.

If you prefer Google Calendar, AllDayDesk supports an optional connection. You turn it on in Settings, connect your Google account, and authorize access. It is an optional add-on, not something that happens automatically, and it is the only external calendar connection supported. Other scheduling tools and industry software are not connected.

• Built-in dashboard calendar is the default for new appointments
• Services and availability must be configured before booking works
• Optional Google Calendar connection lives in Settings and requires you to connect and authorize your account
• No other external calendars or industry scheduling software are connected

Not all answering software works the same way, so it helps to compare a few things before you commit. This comparison covers documented features rather than hands-on testing, and AllDayDesk is this site's own product.

First, decide between software that answers automatically and services staffed by people. Human services exist; for example, Ruby advertises live virtual receptionist plans starting at $245 per month, and Smith.ai sells per-call human receptionist pricing. Human coverage and fees vary by service and plan, so get a current quote and check what is included. Software like AllDayDesk answers around the clock using saved business information, which suits owners who mostly handle the work themselves and want calls covered whenever they come in.

Second, check how you connect. Ask whether the service supports your carrier's forwarding method and whether you keep your existing number. Third, look at what happens after the call: can you read transcripts and summaries, and where do bookings land? Fourth, ask what the service does when it does not know an answer. AllDayDesk takes a message so you can respond yourself. Finally, understand transfers: AllDayDesk can transfer calls, but you must configure a destination and rules first, and neither pickup nor an immediate response is guaranteed.

• Automatic software vs. human-staffed services: compare scope and current quotes
• Confirm you keep your number and that your carrier's forwarding method is supported
• Check dashboard visibility: calls, transcripts, summaries, bookings
• Ask what happens when an answer or price is unknown (AllDayDesk takes a message)
• Understand transfer setup: destination and rules are configured by you; pickup is not guaranteed

Virtual answering service software fits owners who handle their own phones and cannot always pick up: contractors on job sites, salon owners mid-appointment, landlords, and solo professionals. Most owners answer their own phone, so the software acts as backup coverage rather than replacing a front desk.

It also fits businesses that want calls handled the same way every time. Because answers come from your saved business information, the caller hears consistent information about hours, services, and booking. When something falls outside that information, the software takes a message instead of guessing.

If your needs are bigger than phone coverage, an in-house receptionist does more than answer calls. The Bureau of Labor Statistics describes receptionist work as including greeting visitors and office tasks beyond the phone, so compare scope rather than treating a phone service as a full employee replacement.

• Owners who answer their own phones and need coverage when busy
• Businesses wanting consistent answers drawn from saved information
• Anyone who wants calls, transcripts, and bookings visible in one dashboard
• Businesses needing full front-desk duties should compare scope with an in-house hire