How to Set Up an AI Receptionist
No technical skills. No complex integrations. No new phone numbers. Just three simple steps from sign-up to live calls. This guide walks you through every click, every setting, and every decision, so you can start answering every call.
Three Steps to a Fully Operational AI Receptionist
The entire process from sign-up to answering your first call. You can often complete all three steps in a single sitting.
Sign Up and Choose Your Plan
Create your account, select the plan that matches your business size and call volume, and enter your business details.
Configure Your Greeting and Call Flows
Customise how the AI greets callers, what questions it asks, what information it provides, and how it handles different call types.
Forward Your Phone Number
Set up call forwarding from your existing business number to the AI receptionist. One call to your phone provider or a quick setting change in your phone system.
Sign Up and Choose Your Plan
Start by creating your account at ai-reception.au/pricing. You will need to provide:
- Business name: The name the AI will use when answering calls (e.g., "Good morning, thank you for calling Smith Family Dental")
- Your name and email: For your admin account and notifications
- Business type: Select your industry: medical, dental, legal, real estate, trades, professional services, or other. This loads an industry-specific template with pre-configured settings.
- Plan selection: Choose based on your expected call minutes, the hours you need covered and the features you need. Starter covers business hours; after hours, overnight and weekends are on Professional. You can upgrade or downgrade at any time.
Which plan should you choose? If you are unsure, start with the Professional plan ($599 a month plus GST, one-off $999 setup). It includes 24/7 answering, appointment booking, CRM integration and 1,500 minutes a month. You can move to Starter ($299 a month plus GST, business hours) if your needs are simpler, or ask for a Custom quote if you have 20 or more staff or need custom integrations. Plans are month to month with 30 days notice and no penalties.
Configure Your Greeting and Call Flows
This is where you teach the AI about your business. The configuration dashboard walks you through each setting with clear explanations and examples. Here is what you will configure:
Greeting & Voice
Choose how the AI greets callers. Select from multiple Australian voice options (male, female, different ages and tones). Customise the greeting text, for example "Good morning, thank you for calling [Business Name]. You are speaking with our AI assistant. How can I help you today?"
Business Hours
Set your opening hours for each day of the week. The AI automatically adjusts its greeting and behaviour based on whether the caller is ringing during or outside business hours. Different hours for different days are fully supported.
Appointment Types
Define the appointment types you offer (consultation, check-up, initial meeting, etc.) with duration and any specific requirements. Connect your calendar (Google Calendar or Outlook) for real-time availability checking; a Cliniko or other practice system connection is not part of Starter or Professional and can be scoped as custom work on a quote.
FAQ Responses
Add answers to your most common phone questions: "What are your fees?", "Do you accept [health fund/payment method]?", "What areas do you service?", "How do I get to your office?". Start with 3-5 questions and add more over time.
Call Routing Rules
Define how different call types are handled. New enquiries go to voicemail or get booked. Existing clients are transferred to their contact person. Emergency calls trigger your escalation pathway. Each rule is configured in plain English.
Emergency Escalation
Set the criteria for what constitutes an urgent call and who should be notified. Provide your on-call phone number and backup contacts. Choose between call transfer, SMS alert, email notification, or a combination.
Forward Your Phone Number
The final step connects your existing business phone number to the AI receptionist. You have three forwarding options:
- Forward all calls: Every incoming call goes to the AI. Best for businesses that want full AI coverage or do not have a dedicated receptionist.
- Forward on busy / no answer: Calls only go to the AI when your line is busy or you do not answer within a set number of rings. Best for businesses that want to answer calls when they can, with the AI as backup.
- Forward after hours only: Calls go to the AI outside your configured business hours. During business hours, your phone rings normally. Best for businesses with front desk staff during the day who want after-hours coverage.
How to set up forwarding: The exact process depends on your phone provider. For most Australian providers (Telstra, Optus, Vodafone, TPG, and VoIP providers), it involves either dialling a code from your phone or changing a setting in your online account portal. We provide step-by-step forwarding instructions for every major Australian phone provider in your setup dashboard.
For businesses using a PBX or VoIP system (3CX, Asterisk, FreePBX, Microsoft Teams), forwarding is typically configured in your system's admin panel. Our support team can assist with PBX forwarding configuration if needed.
Testing Your AI Receptionist
Before going live, test thoroughly. Here is a testing checklist that covers the most important scenarios.
Call and ask to book an appointment, verify it appears in your calendar
Call and ask a common FAQ, verify the answer is accurate and helpful
Call and request to speak with a specific person, verify the transfer works
Call outside business hours: verify the after-hours greeting activates
Call and describe an emergency scenario, verify escalation triggers correctly
Call and give a complex name and phone number, verify the message is accurate
Call and ask something the AI does not know, verify it handles gracefully
Check your morning summary email, verify all test calls are captured
Tips for Getting the Best Results
Practical advice from businesses that have already set up AI reception, the things they wish they had known on day one.
Start Simple, Then Refine
Do not try to configure everything on day one. Start with a basic greeting, 3-5 FAQ answers, and simple appointment booking. Review the call summaries after your first week and add detail where the AI needs it.
Review Your First Week's Calls
The call summaries and analytics from your first week are the best guide. They show you exactly what callers ask, where the AI handles well, and where it needs additional configuration. Set a calendar reminder to review after 7 days.
Tell Your Team
Make sure your staff know the AI receptionist is active and how it works. They should know where to find messages, how escalation works, and who to contact if they notice an issue. A 5-minute briefing prevents confusion.
Use Industry Templates
If your industry has a template (medical, dental, legal, trades, real estate), use it as your starting point. These templates include pre-built FAQ answers, appointment types, and call flows built for common calls in your industry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about setting up an AI receptionist for your business.
Do I need any technical skills to set up an AI receptionist?
No. The setup process is designed for business owners, not technicians. If you can fill in a web form and call your phone provider to set up call forwarding, you have all the skills needed. The configuration dashboard uses plain English, no coding, no API knowledge, no technical jargon. Most small business owners can do it without IT support.
How long does the initial setup actually take?
It depends on scope. The core setup covers business details, greeting, basic call flow and phone forwarding. Calendar integration, detailed FAQ responses, industry-specific workflows, practice management software integration or multi-location routing all add work, and our support team assists with those. We confirm a realistic timeline in your written quote.
Can I change my configuration after going live?
Yes, and you should. Your initial configuration is a starting point. After your first week of live calls, review the call summaries and analytics to identify areas for refinement. Expect to make a few adjustments in the first two weeks: tweaking the greeting, adding FAQ responses for questions they did not anticipate, or adjusting the urgency escalation criteria. All changes take effect immediately, no redeployment or downtime required.
What information do I need to have ready before starting setup?
Have the following ready: (1) Your business name and a brief description of your services, (2) Your operating hours for each day of the week, (3) The services or appointment types you want the AI to offer, (4) Any FAQ answers you want the AI to handle (3-5 common questions is a great start), (5) Your escalation contact for urgent calls, and (6) Your phone provider details for setting up call forwarding. You do not need all of this on day one. You can add and refine over time.
Do I need to change my business phone number?
No. You keep your existing phone number. The AI receptionist works via call forwarding, when a call comes into your existing number, it forwards to the AI system. Your customers, your Google Business listing, your business cards, and your website all keep the same number. The forwarding is invisible to callers. You can configure forwarding for all calls, overflow only (when you are already on a call), or after-hours only.
How do I test the AI receptionist before going live?
We provide a dedicated test number that connects to your configured AI receptionist. Call the test number from your mobile, pretend to be a customer, and run through common scenarios: booking an appointment, asking about your services, requesting a callback, and testing emergency escalation. Listen to how the AI handles each scenario and adjust your configuration based on what you hear. Run 5 to 10 test calls before going live.
What if I need help during setup?
Our setup support team is available via live chat and phone during Australian business hours. For Professional and Custom plan customers, we offer a guided setup call where a team member walks you through the entire configuration on a shared screen. Many industry-specific templates (medical, dental, legal, trades) are pre-configured with common settings, FAQ responses, and call flows, so you are not starting from a blank slate.
Ready to Set Up Your AI Receptionist?
Follow the three steps above to go from sign-up to live calls. No technical skills, no lock-in, no risk. Get started today and see the difference an AI receptionist makes for your business.
Sources and further reading
- Cliniko practice management software (Cliniko)