AI phone answering for your business

Virtual Office Receptionist

A virtual office receptionist answers your business phone calls without sitting in your office. When you forward your existing business number to the service, calls are handled remotely: the receptionist greets callers, answers questions using information you provide, takes messages, and can book appointments. You keep your public phone number, and callers never need to know the receptionist is not in your building. AllDayDesk is a virtual office receptionist that answers calls around the clock using your saved business details. Setup works in a few steps: choose your business or enter its website, check the details it pulled together, hear a personalized sample of how your calls would be answered, and pick how to connect your phone. Forwarding instructions depend on your phone provider, and you keep the same number your customers already dial. The sample call does not create a real booking. This page explains what a virtual office receptionist actually does, how forwarding works with common phone providers, what to look for when comparing services, and where the limits are, so you can decide whether it fits your business.

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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 a Virtual Office Receptionist Does

The job is simple to describe: answer the phone professionally when the owner is busy, away, or closed, and handle each call sensibly. A virtual office receptionist does this remotely, so you do not need a desk in your lobby or a person on staff to cover the phone.

With AllDayDesk, calls are answered around the clock using the business information you save. Callers can ask questions, request appointments, or leave a message. When a caller asks something the service does not know, like a price you have not listed or a question about a specific appointment, it takes a message for you instead of guessing.

Everything happens in a dashboard. You can review calls, read transcripts, check summaries, and see bookings in one place. New appointments go on the built-in AllDayDesk calendar by default, once you have set up your services and availability. If you prefer Google Calendar, you can connect and authorize your account in Settings as an optional step.

Answers calls using your saved business details
Takes messages when an answer, price, or appointment is unknown
Books new appointments on the built-in calendar, or Google Calendar if you connect it
Shows calls, transcripts, summaries, and bookings in your dashboard
Keeps your existing public phone number through call forwarding

For a broader definition of the role and how it differs from an in-house hire, read this guide. what is a virtual receptionist

How Call Forwarding Connects Your Number

You do not change your phone number. You forward it. When a call comes in on your regular business line, your phone provider sends it to the receptionist service instead of ringing your phone. The exact steps depend on who provides your phone service, so it is worth checking before you sign up.

Some providers use short star codes. 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 for unconditional forwarding. Other providers use a web portal instead: Spectrum Business Voice manages forwarding through Voice Settings in the online account, and Vonage Business Communications has a Call Forwarding option you enable to forward calls to a phone number.

One important exception: 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 way to connect. If your provider is not listed in the setup instructions, contact their support and ask whether call forwarding to an outside number is available on your plan.

There are two general kinds of forwarding. Unconditional forwarding sends all calls to the service. Conditional forwarding only sends calls you do not answer, such as when the line is busy or rings too long. Not every carrier or plan supports the conditional kind, so confirm with your provider which type your line supports before choosing.

Keep your existing public number; forwarding does not change it
Activation steps vary by provider: star codes, a mobile menu, or a web portal
AllDayDesk gives instructions based on your phone service during setup
Google Voice numbers cannot be forwarded to an automated answering system
Conditional forwarding is not supported on every plan, so verify with your carrier

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

This guide walks through forwarding steps for many common business phone providers. business phone forwarding guide
If you want calls forwarded only when you miss them, this page explains the Verizon options. Verizon conditional call forwarding

What Happens When a Call Comes In

A caller dials your normal business number. The forwarded call is answered with a greeting based on your business details, and the caller can ask questions, request an appointment, or explain what they need.

If the caller wants an appointment, the service checks the services and availability you configured and books a time on your calendar. If a caller asks something you have not provided, such as a price that is not listed, the receptionist takes a message so you can follow up yourself.

You can also configure call transfers, which send certain calls to a destination number you choose, along with rules for when transfers happen. A transfer depends on that configuration, and neither pickup nor an immediate response is guaranteed. Changes to existing appointments are passed to you as requests, not confirmed changes, so you stay in control of your schedule.

Callers dial your regular number and hear a greeting based on your details
New appointments are booked from your configured services and availability
Unknown answers, prices, or appointment questions become messages for you
Transfers require you to set a destination and rules in advance
Changes to existing appointments arrive as requests for you to approve

For more detail on how callers schedule time with your business, see the appointment booking page. AI appointment booking

How to Choose a Virtual Office Receptionist

Services differ in who answers, when, and at what cost. Human virtual receptionist services, such as Ruby, Smith.ai's live receptionist plans, and AnswerConnect, use trained people to answer calls. Ruby advertises plans starting at $245 per month as of October 2026, and Smith.ai prices its live receptionist service per call, but a starting price alone is not a full comparison. You need to check each quote for included minutes or calls, overage charges, coverage hours, and contract terms.

An AI receptionist like AllDayDesk answers calls around the clock using your saved business information, with calls, transcripts, summaries, and bookings visible in a dashboard. When comparing any service, human or AI, ask the same practical questions rather than relying on marketing claims.

Also think about scope. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics describes in-house receptionists as doing more than phones: greeting visitors, handling mail, and other office tasks. A virtual phone service covers calls, not the rest of a front desk job, so compare what you actually need covered.

Who answers: a person, an AI, or a mix, and does that fit your callers
Coverage hours and whether after-hours calls are handled
What is included in the plan and what overages cost
How appointments are booked and which calendar is used
Whether you can review transcripts and messages afterward
Whether the service covers only calls or a full front-desk role

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

This comparison walks through the tradeoffs between AI and human answering in more depth. AI receptionist vs human receptionist
For a breakdown of what answering services typically charge and why quotes differ, read the cost guide. answering service cost

Getting Started with AllDayDesk

Setup starts by choosing your business or entering its website. AllDayDesk pulls together your business details, and you check them for accuracy before anything goes live. Next, you hear a personalized sample of how your calls would be answered, which creates no real booking. Then you choose your phone setup, and the service gives forwarding instructions matched to your provider.

Before bookings can land on your calendar, configure your services and availability in the dashboard. If you use Google Calendar, connect and authorize your account in Settings to use it instead of the built-in calendar. From then on, your dashboard is where you review calls, transcripts, summaries, and bookings.

Enter your business or website and verify the details
Listen to a personalized sample before committing
Follow the forwarding instructions for your specific phone service
Set up services and availability so appointments can be booked
Optionally connect Google Calendar in Settings

For a step-by-step walkthrough of the whole setup process, read this guide. how to set up a call answering service

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 Your Business Answered

Enter your business or website, check the details, and listen to a personalized sample of how AllDayDesk would answer calls for your business. The sample creates no real booking, so you can try it with no commitment.