How your AI Receptionist works (Growth)

The AI Receptionist is a Growth and Premium feature. If you are on Starter it is not part of your plan. On Growth, it is designed to do one job well: pick up your slack on the calls you cannot take yourself. It is important to be clear about what that means, because it is not what most people picture when they hear “AI receptionist”.

It only picks up your slack

On Growth, the AI Receptionist does not answer all your calls and it is not a 24/7 switchboard. Your own phone still rings first, every time. The AI only steps in on the calls you do not get to. You stay in control of when that happens.

It is fully customisable, and you choose how it runs:

• Missed-call mode: it only handles calls you miss. If you answer, the AI never gets involved.
• Out-of-hours mode: it only handles calls that come in outside your working hours.
• Both: missed calls during the day and any calls in the evening or at the weekend.

We set your preferred mode up during your build, and you can change it any time by contacting support.

What it does when it picks up

When a call reaches the AI Receptionist, it has a natural conversation with the caller, answers their questions about your services and your area, and works out what they need. It is trained on your business during your build, so it knows what you do.

It then qualifies the caller and texts them a link to your quote form. That is how the lead is captured. Once they submit the form, your normal speed-to-lead flow kicks in: the lead lands in your BuildMyService App inbox and the customer gets the instant text back. You pick it up the same way as any other enquiry.

It does not book the job (on Growth)

On Growth, the AI Receptionist qualifies and directs to your quote form. It does not book the job straight into your calendar. Booking directly into the calendar, a voice cloned to sound exactly like you, and a true 24/7 receptionist that answers every call are all Premium features. There is a separate article on what Premium adds.

What runs automatically and what you do

The Receptionist runs automatically in whichever mode you have chosen. It catches the calls you cannot take, qualifies the caller and sends them to your quote form, all on its own.

Your part is simply to read and reply to the lead in your app when it comes through, and to call any caller back if you want to. The AI has already had the first conversation and captured the enquiry for you.

Changing how it works

We configure your Receptionist and its mode during your build. To switch modes, change your hours, or update what it says, contact support and we will sort it. You do not configure it yourself.