AI Receptionist Setup Checklist: Everything You Need

An AI receptionist can answer calls, book appointments, handle FAQs, and qualify leads around the clock — but only if it's set up correctly. A poorly configured AI receptionist frustrates callers and damages your reputation. This checklist ensures your implementation goes smoothly from planning through launch.

Phase 1: Planning and Preparation

Audit Your Current Call Volume

Before setting up an AI receptionist, understand what you're working with. Track your inbound calls for at least one week. How many calls per day? What times are busiest? How many calls go to voicemail? What percentage of calls are booking requests vs. general inquiries vs. existing client questions?

This baseline tells you where the AI will have the biggest impact and helps you measure ROI after launch.

Document Your Most Common Interactions

List the top 20 questions callers ask. For most service businesses, these fall into predictable categories: business hours and location, service descriptions and pricing, availability and booking, cancellation and rescheduling policies, insurance or payment questions, and directions or parking information.

Write clear, concise answers for each. These become the knowledge base your AI receptionist draws from.

Define Your Escalation Rules

Not every call should be handled by AI. Decide which scenarios should transfer to a human: emergencies, complex complaints, high-value consultations that need a personal touch, or existing clients with account-specific issues. Clear escalation rules prevent the AI from frustrating callers on sensitive matters.

Map Your Service Menu

Your AI receptionist needs to know exactly what you offer. For each service, define the official name and common variations ("cleaning" vs. "house cleaning" vs. "maid service"), duration, price or price range, which team members provide it, and any prerequisites or preparation instructions.

Phase 2: Configuration

Set Up Your Business Profile

Configure your business name, address, phone number, hours of operation, and website. Include seasonal variations — if your hours change in summer or during holidays, set those schedules in advance.

Configure the AI Personality and Tone

Your AI receptionist represents your brand on every call. Choose a tone that matches your business: warm and casual for a yoga studio, professional and reassuring for a medical practice, friendly and efficient for a home services company. Write a greeting script and test how it sounds when spoken aloud.

Build the Knowledge Base

Upload or enter all the FAQ answers you documented in the planning phase. Include your service descriptions, pricing details, policies, and any other information callers commonly need. The more thorough your knowledge base, the fewer calls require human intervention.

Connect Your Calendar and Booking System

Integrate your booking system so the AI can check real-time availability and create appointments during calls. This is the most critical integration — callers expect to book immediately, not receive a callback. Connect your Google Calendar, Outlook, or scheduling platform through the available integrations.

Set Up Call Routing

Configure how calls flow: does the AI answer immediately, or after a set number of rings? What happens when the AI needs to transfer — does it go to a specific person, a general line, or voicemail? Set up after-hours routing separately if your daytime and evening flows differ.

Configure Notification Preferences

Decide how you want to be notified about AI-handled interactions. Options typically include real-time SMS or email for new bookings, daily summary of all calls handled, immediate alerts for escalated or unresolved calls, and weekly performance reports.

Phase 3: Testing

Test Basic Call Handling

Call your number and ask the top 10 most common questions. Does the AI answer accurately? Does it sound natural? Is the pacing right — not too fast, not too slow? Note any responses that feel robotic or inaccurate and refine them.

Test Booking Scenarios

Call and request an appointment. Try different phrasings: "I need to schedule a cleaning" vs. "Do you have anything available Thursday?" vs. "I want to book with Sarah next week." Verify the AI handles all variations and creates correct calendar entries.

Test Edge Cases

Try scenarios that are outside the norm: asking for a service you don't offer, requesting an appointment outside business hours, speaking unclearly or changing your mind mid-conversation, asking to speak with a specific person, and calling about an existing appointment. The AI should handle each gracefully — either resolving it or escalating to a human.

Test Escalation and Transfer

Trigger your escalation rules and verify calls transfer correctly. Does the human receiving the transfer get context about the conversation? Is the handoff smooth, or does the caller need to repeat everything?

Get Outside Feedback

Have 3–5 people who aren't involved in the setup call and give honest feedback. They'll catch issues you've become blind to: confusing menu options, awkward phrasing, or flows that feel like dead ends.

Phase 4: Team Training

Train Staff on the Dashboard

Your team needs to know how to review AI-handled calls, check booking confirmations, update the knowledge base, and handle escalated calls with context. Schedule a 30-minute training session and create a quick-reference guide.

Establish Monitoring Responsibilities

Assign someone to review AI performance daily for the first two weeks, then weekly. They should check for calls the AI couldn't handle, incorrect bookings, customer complaints about the AI experience, and new questions the knowledge base doesn't cover.

Create an Update Process

Your business changes — new services, new team members, price updates, policy changes. Define a process for keeping the AI receptionist updated. A monthly review works well: check the knowledge base, update availability, and add answers for any new common questions.

Phase 5: Launch

Start with After-Hours Only

The safest launch strategy is to run the AI receptionist after hours first. This lets you catch issues when call volume is lower and stakes are lower. Monitor closely for one week, fix any problems, and then expand to full-time coverage.

Announce to Existing Clients

Let your clients know about the new system. A simple message works: "We've upgraded our phone system so you can book appointments and get answers 24/7 — even when we're closed." This sets expectations and drives adoption.

Monitor the First 30 Days

Track call handling rate (what percentage of calls does the AI resolve without transfer?), booking conversion (how many callers who want to book actually complete a booking?), customer satisfaction, average call duration, and escalation rate. Use these metrics to continuously improve the system.

Common Implementation Pitfalls

Skimpy knowledge base. If the AI doesn't know the answer, it either makes something up or transfers the call. Invest time in a thorough knowledge base upfront.

No escalation path. Callers who can't reach a human when they need one will leave angry reviews. Always provide a clear path to a real person.

Forgetting to update. An AI receptionist quoting last year's prices or offering services you've discontinued is worse than no AI at all. Keep it current.

Ignoring analytics. Your AI receptionist generates valuable data about what customers ask, when they call, and what services they want. Use this data to improve your business, not just the AI.

Ready to implement? Explore AI receptionist features, or learn how an AI voice agent handles complex phone conversations. Check pricing plans to find the right fit for your call volume.