Virtual Call Answering Service

A virtual call answering service handles your incoming calls without a person sitting at your front desk. When a call comes in, it is answered by a remote receptionist or an automated receptionist that speaks with callers, answers questions from your saved business details, and records what was said.

The word virtual means the reception is not in your building. The word answering means the core job is picking up your phone. Services in this category commonly take messages, share basic information like hours and prices you have approved, and some can book appointments directly on a calendar.

This is different from a voicemail box. A voicemail only records audio for you to review later. An answering service talks with the caller in real time, responding to the caller instead of sending them to a beep.

• Your phone number stays the same; calls are forwarded to the service.
• Calls are answered in your business name using details you provide.
• Messages, transcripts, summaries, and bookings show up in a dashboard.
• You can usually choose when forwarding is active, such as always or only when you miss a call.

AllDayDesk is a virtual call answering service built around your saved business information. Setup starts by choosing your business or entering its website, then checking the details it pulled in. You hear a personalized sample of how your calls would be answered before you turn anything on. The sample is a preview only and does not create a real booking.

Next you choose your phone setup. You keep your public number and forward calls to AllDayDesk; the exact instructions depend on your phone service. Once forwarding is on, calls are answered around the clock using your business details. When a caller asks something the service does not know, like a price you have not published or an appointment question it cannot resolve, it takes a message instead of guessing.

Everything lands in your dashboard: calls, transcripts, summaries, and bookings. New appointments go on the built-in AllDayDesk dashboard calendar by default, once you have configured your services and availability. If you prefer Google Calendar, you can optionally connect and authorize your Google account in Settings.

• Enter your business or website and confirm the details.
• Listen to a personalized sample greeting before going live.
• Forward your existing number using your phone provider's instructions.
• Review calls, transcripts, summaries, and bookings in the dashboard.
• Change requests for existing appointments are passed to you as requests, not confirmed changes.

You do not need a new phone number. You forward your current number to the service, and the steps depend entirely on your phone provider. Many mobile carriers use star codes: for example, Verizon mobile uses *72 plus the destination number for all-call forwarding and *71 for unanswered calls, while T-Mobile uses **21*1 plus the destination and # for unconditional forwarding. Business phone systems often use a portal instead, such as Spectrum Business Voice, where you enable forwarding in Voice Settings and choose all calls or busy/no-answer.

Before you pick instructions, identify your exact service, because codes differ between a carrier's wireless, landline, and business products. If your provider does not support the forwarding type you want, a common alternative is unconditional forwarding during the hours you want covered, or forwarding only when you do not answer if your line supports it. One important limit: 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.

• Verizon mobile: *72 plus destination for all calls, *71 for unanswered, *73 to disable.
• T-Mobile: **21*1 destination # for unconditional, **61*1 destination # for no reply.
• Spectrum Business Voice: manage forwarding in the online portal under Voice Settings.
• A test call from another phone is a simple way to confirm forwarding is active.
• Check your plan, since some carriers charge for forwarded minutes.

Not all virtual call answering services work the same way. The biggest split is between human virtual receptionists and automated receptionists. Human services, such as Ruby and Smith.ai's live receptionist plans, staff your calls with trained people; Smith.ai also sells a separate AI receptionist product, and AnswerConnect offers 24/7 live answering by people. Automated services like AllDayDesk use an AI receptionist that answers using your saved business information.

Costs also differ. Ruby advertises plans starting at $245 per month as of October 2026, while Smith.ai's human receptionist pricing is per call and depends on the needs you select. AllDayDesk's current plans and prices are listed on its pricing page. When comparing any service, look past the starting price and check what the included allowance covers, what overages cost, and whether there is a contract.

This comparison is based on documented features and published prices, not hands-on testing, and AllDayDesk is this site's own product. Also keep scope in mind: 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.

• Human receptionists: judgment and flexibility, usually higher cost per month or per call.
• AI receptionists: consistent answers from your saved details, usually lower cost.
• Check included minutes or calls, overage rates, and contract terms.
• Confirm which calendar or booking tools the service actually supports.

A virtual call answering service makes the most sense when calls arrive at times you cannot pick up, or when interruptions pull you away from paid work. A one-person shop that loses focus every time the phone rings gets a different benefit than a team that simply wants after-hours coverage.

Before signing up, write down what you want the service to say and do. List your hours, your service area, the prices you are willing to share, and what should happen when someone wants to book. Decide how you want transfers handled: AllDayDesk transfers require you to configure a destination and rules, and a pickup is not guaranteed, so think about which calls truly justify a transfer versus a message.

Finally, plan how you will use the dashboard. Messages only help if you review them and call back, so decide when you will check summaries and transcripts each day. If you book appointments, set up your services and availability first so new bookings land on a calendar that reflects your real schedule.

• List the questions callers ask most and the answers you approve.
• Decide which calls should transfer to you and which should become messages.
• Configure services and availability before enabling booking.
• Set a daily habit for reviewing messages and transcripts.