Guide
How to set up an AI receptionist, step by step
By the RingVia team
Setting up an AI receptionist takes about five minutes with RingVia, and you can test it before your trial starts. Here is each step and what to think about along the way.
Before you start
- Your opening hours and any holidays you close
- The services you offer, with prices if you’re happy to quote them
- The questions callers ask most, with your answers
- Your website, a price list or an FAQ document, if you have one
- Whether you want calls transferred to you, and to which number
The steps
- 1
Choose a template for your industry
RingVia has templates for dental offices, clinics, salons, home services, law firms, property management and more. Each starts with the right questions, services and FAQs.
- 2
Add your business details
Business name, time zone, hours, holidays and services. Your receptionist uses them on every call, and changes apply from the next call.
- 3
Teach it your FAQs and knowledge
Write your answers to common questions, and add your website or a document to its knowledge base. If it doesn’t know an answer, it will say someone will follow up rather than guess.
- 4
Pick a voice and a greeting
Hear your own greeting in each voice, choose the language it greets callers in, and set whether calls are recorded.
- 5
Turn on booking and messages
Set your appointment length and, on Silver and Gold, connect your calendar and turn on confirmations, reminders and call summaries.
- 6
Test it in your browser
Talk to your receptionist as a caller would. Ask the awkward questions too, and adjust its answers.
- 7
Go live
Pick a local number, or forward your existing line: the app shows the code for your carrier. Forward every call, or only the ones you don’t answer.
Tips for the first week
- Read the summaries of the first calls and add any question it couldn’t answer to your FAQs
- Start with forwarding only missed calls if you want to ease in, then forward everything once you’re comfortable
- Set a transfer number for urgent calls
- Turn on missed-call text-back so callers who hang up still hear from you
Ready to try it? Start a free trial or see how RingVia works as an AI receptionist.