Virtual Answering System: What It Is and How to Set One Up for Your Business

A virtual answering system combines phone answering software with your saved business details. Instead of a caller hearing your voicemail greeting, the system picks up, greets the caller, and handles the conversation based on what you have told it about your services, prices, hours, and policies.

AllDayDesk answers calls around the clock using your saved business information. When a caller asks something the system does not know, such as a price you have not listed or a question about a specific appointment, it takes a message instead of guessing. New appointments are booked on 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.

Everything the system handles is visible to you: calls, transcripts, summaries, and bookings appear in your dashboard, so you always know what happened while you were unavailable. If a caller wants to change an existing appointment, the system records that as a request for you to review and approve, rather than confirming the change on its own.

• Answers calls in your business's name using your saved details
• Answers questions it can and takes a message when the answer is unknown
• Books new appointments on the built-in dashboard calendar, with optional Google Calendar connection in Settings
• Logs calls, transcripts, summaries, and bookings for your review
• Passes appointment-change requests to you instead of confirming them automatically

You do not need a new phone number. Most owners keep their public number and forward calls to the answering system. The exact steps depend on your phone carrier or phone service, so check what kind of service you have before following any instructions.

For example, on Verizon mobile you activate all-call forwarding by dialing *72 plus the 10-digit destination from the phone itself, and *73 turns it off. Verizon business landline uses *72 and *73 as well. T-Mobile uses codes like **21*1 followed by the destination and # for unconditional forwarding, with ##21# to disable. On Optimum Business Phone, you dial *72, wait for a dial tone, then dial the destination, and *73 turns forwarding off. Spectrum Business Voice manages forwarding through the SpectrumBusiness.net portal under Voice Settings or Forwarding Manager, where you can choose all calls or busy/no-answer forwarding.

Forwarding comes in two main types. Unconditional (all-call) forwarding sends every incoming call to the system. Conditional forwarding sends calls only in certain situations, such as when you do not answer, the line is busy, or the phone is unreachable. Not every carrier or plan supports every type, so confirm with your provider which options your line supports before relying on them.

• Keep your existing public number and forward calls to the service
• Unconditional forwarding sends all calls; conditional forwarding sends only missed, busy, or unreachable calls
• Activation is usually a star code dialed from your phone or a setting in your carrier's portal
• Steps vary by carrier and even by product within the same carrier, so identify your exact service first

The most common setup mistake is using instructions for the wrong product. Carriers often sell several phone products with different steps. AT&T, for instance, publishes different codes for AT&T Phone for Business than for AT&T Collaborate, and neither matches AT&T wireless. Comcast Business features depend on whether you have Voice Mobility, Business Voice, VoiceEdge, or Managed Voice. Frontier's Digital Voice guide uses *72 and *73, but other Frontier products can differ.

A simple check works for any provider: find the exact service name on your bill or account page, then look up that product's forwarding instructions. If your provider does not document conditional forwarding for your plan, ask their support team directly rather than borrowing another carrier's code. If conditional forwarding is not available on your line, unconditional all-call forwarding is the usual alternative, or you can forward only during the hours you want covered if your provider offers scheduled forwarding.

One important exception: Google Voice does not support forwarding calls from a Google Voice number to an automated answering system, so that path is not a way to connect a Voice number to this kind of service.

• Identify your exact phone product from your bill before using any star code
• Ask your carrier's support which forwarding types your plan supports
• If conditional forwarding is unavailable, all-call forwarding is the common alternative
• Google Voice numbers cannot be forwarded to an automated answering system

Setup starts with your business information, not your phone. You choose your business from a list or enter its website, and the system pulls together the details callers are likely to ask about. You then check those details and correct anything that is missing or wrong, because the system answers using exactly what you have saved.

Next, you hear a personalized sample so you know how your calls will sound before anything goes live. The sample is a demonstration only and creates no real booking. Once you are satisfied, you choose your phone setup option and follow the forwarding instructions that match your provider.

After that, configure your services and availability so the built-in dashboard calendar can book new appointments for you. If you already keep your schedule in Google Calendar, you can optionally connect and authorize your Google account in Settings. Then turn on forwarding with your carrier whenever you want the system covering your phone, and turn it off whenever you want calls coming back to you.

• Choose your business or enter its website so the system can gather your details
• Review and correct the information it learned before going live
• Listen to a personalized sample; it is a demo and creates no real booking
• Choose phone setup and follow your provider's forwarding steps
• Configure services and availability so new appointments can be booked on the dashboard calendar

Virtual answering systems come in a few forms, and the right choice depends on your call volume and what your callers need. An automated AI-based system like AllDayDesk handles routine questions, messages, and appointment booking on its own. Human answering services, such as Ruby or AnswerConnect, put trained people on the line, which can matter for sensitive conversations, though plans and fees vary by provider. Some providers, including Smith.ai, offer both human and AI receptionist options as separate services.

A few honest limits are worth knowing before you compare. AllDayDesk's transfers to you require you to configure a destination number and rules, and a pickup or immediate response is not guaranteed. Around-the-clock availability describes when the system can answer, not a promise that every call connects. And when the system does not know an answer, a price, or an appointment detail, it takes a message rather than improvising.

A practical way to decide: list the top five questions your callers ask. If the answers are stable and written down somewhere, an automated system handles them well. If most calls need judgment calls, negotiation, or reassurance from a person, weigh a human service or a hybrid approach. Also compare pricing structures directly, since per-minute, per-call, and flat monthly plans add up very differently.

• AI-based systems handle routine questions, messages, and booking automatically
• Human answering services put people on the line; plans and fees vary by provider
• Transfers need a configured destination and rules, and pickup is not guaranteed
• Unknown answers, prices, or appointment details become messages, not guesses
• Compare pricing structures and included allowances when weighing options