Your Receptionist can automatically answer calls when you're unavailable and represent you professionally. It captures key details from missed calls, helping you prioritize follow-ups.
Enable your Receptionist for calls
Turn it on
From Beside on the web
Go to app.beside.com and click Receptionist in the left sidebar
If you have multiple lines on your account, select the line you want to configure from the dropdown at the top of the page
Click Phone Calls under Channels
Toggle on Answers Phone Calls (top right). Changes save automatically.
From the mobile app
Open the Beside mobile app
Go to the Receptionist
If you have multiple lines on your account, select the line you want to configure from the dropdown at the top left
In the Phone section, under Phone Calls, toggle on Answers Phone Calls
Define the scope
Under Scope, choose who your Receptionist answers.
On Beside on the web, click the Answers to dropdown to pick:
Missed From Everyone - answer all missed calls
Missed From Unsaved Numbers - only new or unknown callers
On the mobile app, additional scope options are available, including saved-contacts-only.
On mobile, you can also tap Exclude Contacts to prevent specific people from being routed to your Receptionist. 📖 Control who your Receptionist handles
📌 Note: If you don't pick up and your Receptionist isn't configured to handle that call (e.g. the caller is outside your defined scope), the call goes to your Beside voicemail instead. No call is ever lost.
Set how long calls ring before the Receptionist picks up
📌 This works differently depending on platform right now:
On the Beside mobile app, you can still choose a specific ring count.
On Beside on the web, the ring count picker has been replaced with a simpler choice: Ring (a fixed ~25 seconds, about 5 rings) or Direct to AI Receptionist (instant handoff, 0 rings). This is now managed from Settings → Phone Numbers → [your line] → Ringing Mode rather than from the Receptionist page. See 📖 Choose how your line rings.
By default, calls ring for about 5 rings (~25 seconds) before being sent to the Receptionist.
📌 The same setting controls voicemail. The ring duration you set also applies when a call rolls over to voicemail (for callers outside your Receptionist's scope). There's a single setting per line.
From the mobile app
Go to the Receptionist
In the Phone section, under Scope, tap Answers after (iPhone) or Rings before AI answers (Android)
Select the number of rings
📌 iOS note: the option 1 ring is not available on iOS - pick 0 or 2+ instead.
Customize your greeting and ending message
Your Receptionist's welcome greeting (what it says when it picks up) and ending message (how it wraps up) are now set in Scenarios - the single place where you teach your Receptionist how to handle a call, from greeting to goodbye.
On the Beside mobile app: go to Receptionist and open Scenarios. Edit the Welcome Greeting under step 1 (Receptionist picks up the phone) and the Ending Message under step 3 (Wrapping up).
On Beside on the web: open Receptionist, then under Actions click Scenarios. Edit the Welcome greeting and Wrapping up sections, then click Save changes.
💡 Tip: Use short, friendly sentences that sound like something you'd actually say. For example: "Hi! You've reached Alex's Receptionist Assistant. How can I help today?" to greet callers, and "Thanks for calling, we'll get back to you soon. Have a wonderful day!" to wrap up. It makes your Receptionist feel more human and approachable.
Set up Call Transfer
Your Receptionist can redirect calls automatically to the right person or phone line based on scenarios you define.
Test your setup
In the mobile app, tap Try Receptionist at the bottom of the Receptionist screen, then Call Receptionist to simulate a call. You'll hear how your Receptionist answers, routes, and ends calls before going live.
⚠️ Important: If you're forwarding your personal number to Beside, calling your Beside number from that same number may not work. Beside detects this as a self-call and may end it automatically. Use a different phone to test.
Set up your Receptionist for texts and emails
Now that your Receptionist handles calls, you can also enable it for:
📌 Next step: Teach your Receptionist about your business so it can answer questions accurately - enter details manually, or let Beside pull them automatically from your website. 📖 Train your Receptionist
FAQ
How do I set the time before the Receptionist answers my calls?
How do I set the time before the Receptionist answers my calls?
On the Beside mobile app, adjust the number of rings from the Receptionist's Answers after setting - anywhere from Direct to Receptionist (0 rings) up to 10 rings. On Beside on the web, go to Settings → Phone Numbers → [your line] → Ringing Mode and choose Ring (~25 seconds) or Direct to AI Receptionist (instant). The same setting also controls how long calls ring before going to voicemail (for callers outside your Receptionist's scope).
What if call recording is turned off for a contact?
What if call recording is turned off for a contact?
The Receptionist will still handle their calls and generate a transcript. Call recording settings don't affect Receptionist behavior.
Is there a maximum call duration for Receptionist calls?
Is there a maximum call duration for Receptionist calls?
Yes - but only for AI-handled calls. Calls handled by your Receptionist are limited to 10 minutes. After that, the Receptionist disconnects, though the call itself may continue depending on your carrier or network.
Live calls you answer yourself have no time limit.
What happens if I don't answer and the Receptionist is off?
What happens if I don't answer and the Receptionist is off?
The call goes to your Beside voicemail, where the caller can leave a recorded message.
Can I have different Receptionist settings per line?
Can I have different Receptionist settings per line?
Yes. If you have multiple lines on your account, each line has its own Receptionist with independent settings for scope, greetings, transfer rules, and knowledge base.