Virtual Receptionist Appointment Scheduling

When someone calls your business, the receptionist greets them, answers questions using the business details you saved, and offers appointment times based on the services and availability you configured. If a caller asks something the receptionist does not know — like a price you never entered or a special request — it takes a message instead of guessing.

Each confirmed new appointment is written to the AllDayDesk dashboard calendar by default. If you prefer, you can connect Google Calendar in Settings; you connect and authorize your Google account yourself, and the connection is optional.

You can review every call in the dashboard, including transcripts and short summaries, so you can double-check what was booked and what still needs your attention.

• Callers hear a receptionist trained on your saved business information
• New appointments land on the built-in dashboard calendar by default
• Optional Google Calendar connection is available in Settings after you authorize your account
• Calls, transcripts, summaries, and bookings are all visible in the dashboard
• Unknown answers, prices, or times become messages for you instead of guesses

The receptionist books new appointments using the services and availability you set up in the dashboard. That means your service list, durations, and open hours are the source of truth — if you have not configured them yet, booking cannot start until you do.

Changes to existing appointments work differently. If a caller wants to move or cancel something already on the calendar, the receptionist records that as a request for you to handle. It does not confirm the change on its own, so you stay in control of your schedule.

Transfers to you are also possible, but only after you configure a transfer destination and the rules for when transfers happen. A transfer depends on the call connecting through, so pickup is not guaranteed. If a caller's question falls outside what you saved, the receptionist takes a message.

• New bookings use your configured services and availability
• Existing-appointment changes are recorded as requests, not confirmed changes
• Transfers require you to set a destination and rules first
• Unknown answers become messages rather than made-up replies

Setup starts by choosing your business or entering its website so the receptionist can pull in your details. You check that the information is correct, then hear a personalized sample of how your receptionist would sound. The sample is a preview only — it does not create a real booking.

Next you choose how to connect your phone. Most owners keep their public number and forward calls to AllDayDesk, and the forwarding instructions depend on your phone service. For example, Verizon mobile uses *72 plus the destination number for all-call forwarding and *73 to turn it off, while T-Mobile uses **21*1 followed by the destination and #. Other carriers use portals or different codes, so follow the guide for your specific provider.

Once calls are flowing, finish configuring your services and availability in the dashboard so the receptionist has real times to offer.

• Pick your business or enter its website, then verify the details
• Listen to a personalized sample before going further
• Choose phone setup and forward your existing number using your carrier's steps
• Configure services and availability so booking has real options to offer

This kind of service tends to fit owners who handle their own phone and lose bookings when they are busy, on a job, or closed. If your appointment rules are simple enough to write down — services, durations, open hours — an automated receptionist can offer those times consistently.

If your scheduling depends on judgment calls, complex multi-step intake, or rules you cannot describe in advance, expect the receptionist to take messages for those cases instead of booking them. That is the intended behavior: it books what it knows and messages you about the rest.

Compare options on documented features rather than marketing. Human virtual receptionist services exist too — for example, Ruby advertises plans starting at $245 per month and Smith.ai sells per-call human receptionist pricing — so check included minutes, overage rates, hours, and contracts on any current quote before deciding.

• Good fit: clear services, set hours, and a phone you answer yourself today
• Messages cover anything the saved information cannot answer
• Compare plans on included minutes, overage pricing, and contract terms
• Human services like Ruby and Smith.ai price differently; verify current quotes

Your dashboard is the control center. Check the calendar for new bookings, read call summaries to see who called and why, and open transcripts when you need the exact wording of a request. Requests to change existing appointments appear there for you to act on.

If you use Google Calendar, connect it in Settings and authorize your account so your booking calendar matches the tool you already use. The connection is optional and set up by you, not automatic.

Keep your saved business information current. Prices you add are what the receptionist shares; services and hours you set are what it offers. When your schedule or offerings change, update the details so callers hear accurate information.

• Review bookings, summaries, and transcripts in one dashboard
• Handle change and cancellation requests yourself
• Connect Google Calendar in Settings if you want it
• Update saved services, prices, and hours whenever they change