Your Receptionist gets better the more you invest in it. The difference between an AI that sounds generic and one that sounds like a real member of your team comes down to a few key habits.
This guide covers proven strategies to help your Receptionist handle calls and texts more accurately, sound more professional, and reduce the number of conversations you need to follow up on manually.
Give your Receptionist better knowledge
The single biggest factor in your Receptionist's performance is the quality of the knowledge you provide.
Be specific, not generic. Instead of "We offer cleaning services", write "We offer residential deep cleaning, move-in/move-out cleaning, and weekly maintenance cleaning. Service area: Greater Montreal. Pricing starts at $150 for a standard apartment." The more detail you provide, the more accurately your Receptionist can answer caller questions.
Add your top 10 FAQs. Think about the questions you answer most often on calls. Add them to your Knowledge section with clear, complete answers. This alone can dramatically improve how your Receptionist handles conversations.
Use your website. Paste your website URL in the Knowledge settings and your Receptionist will automatically learn your services, hours, and FAQs. This is one of the fastest ways to get started.
Include what to say - and what NOT to say. If there are topics you don't want your Receptionist to discuss (like specific pricing for custom work, or competitor comparisons), add a note in Additional Knowledge: "Do not quote prices for custom projects - instead, ask the caller to schedule a consultation."
Craft a strong welcome greeting
Your welcome greeting sets the tone for the entire call. A good greeting:
Identifies who the caller has reached (your name or business)
Sets expectations ("I'm the AI assistant for...")
Invites the caller to speak ("How can I help you today?")
Example: "Hi, you've reached Bright Dental. I'm the AI assistant for Dr. Sarah Chen. How can I help you today?"
Keep it under 3 sentences. Callers want to get to the point quickly.
Test regularly and iterate
The best Receptionist setups are the ones that get tested and refined over time.
Use Try Receptionist after every change. Updated your FAQ? Changed your greeting? Added a new service? Test it immediately with a simulated call to hear how your Receptionist uses the new content.
Review your call summaries. After real calls, check the AI-generated summaries. If the Receptionist missed something or gave an inaccurate answer, go back to Knowledge and add the missing information.
Ask friends or colleagues to call. Having someone else test your Receptionist gives you a caller's perspective. Ask them to try common questions and edge cases.
Use scenarios for lead qualification
If your Receptionist handles different types of calls (new clients, existing clients, appointment requests), add Ask a Question rules in Scenarios. Each rule tells your Receptionist what to ask based on the caller's intent.
For example, a real estate agent might have:
Property inquiry rule: "What type of property are you looking for? What's your budget range? When are you looking to move?"
Appointment request rule: "Which property are you interested in viewing? What dates work for you?"
This turns your Receptionist from a simple message-taker into an active intake tool that captures the details you need before you even call back.
Match your voice to your brand
Your Receptionist's voice is the first thing callers hear. Make sure it matches your brand:
Clone your own voice if you want callers to feel like they're talking to you directly.
Choose a library voice that matches your brand's personality - supportive, enthusiastic, or professional.
Pick a bilingual voice if your callers speak multiple languages (Spanish, French, Portuguese, or Russian).
Set smart exclusions
Not every call should go through the Receptionist. Use contact exclusions strategically:
Exclude VIP clients so their calls always ring through to you.
Exclude family and friends so personal calls bypass the Receptionist.
Set scope to "unsaved numbers only" if you only want the Receptionist to handle new leads.
Quick optimization checklist
☐ Business name, hours, address, and website are filled in
☐ At least 5 FAQs with detailed answers added
☐ Products and services listed with descriptions
☐ Welcome greeting is short, clear, and professional
☐ Ending message tells callers what happens next
☐ Voice matches your brand tone
☐ Tested with Try Receptionist after setup
☐ VIP contacts and family excluded from Receptionist handling
☐ Calendar connected for appointment booking
☐ Transfer rules set up to route calls to the right person
FAQ
How long does it take to see improvement after updating Knowledge?
How long does it take to see improvement after updating Knowledge?
Changes take effect immediately. As soon as you save updated Knowledge, your Receptionist uses the new content on the very next call or text it handles.
Can I see how well my Receptionist is performing?
Can I see how well my Receptionist is performing?
Review your call summaries and transcripts in the app. They show exactly how the Receptionist handled each conversation, what it said, and what information it captured. If you notice patterns of inaccurate answers, update your Knowledge accordingly.
My Receptionist sounds too generic - how do I make it sound more like me?
My Receptionist sounds too generic - how do I make it sound more like me?
Three things help: write your Knowledge in the same tone you use with clients (formal, casual, etc.), clone your voice so the Receptionist sounds like you, and customize your welcome greeting with your exact phrasing. The Receptionist mirrors the tone and detail level of what you write.
Should I update my Knowledge regularly?
Should I update my Knowledge regularly?
Yes. Any time your business changes - new services, updated pricing, changed hours, seasonal offers - update your Knowledge. Outdated information is the most common reason Receptionist answers don't match what callers expect.