How does an AI receptionist work?

An AI receptionist is software that answers a phone call, talks with the caller in plain speech and takes action, such as taking a message or passing the call on. Here is how ours works, step by step.

Behind the voice are three parts: speech recognition turns what the caller says into text, a language model decides what to say next by following a written script and your practice facts, and a synthetic voice says it back. Rules in the script, such as sending emergencies to 911, come before anything else.

1. The call is forwarded: Calls your team can't pick up, or that come in after hours, forward to the AI. You keep your number and phones.

2. It says what it is: Every call opens by saying it is an AI, that the call may be recorded, and to call 911 in an emergency.

3. It listens and asks: It understands the caller's words and asks one question at a time: who is calling, what they need, when.

4. It answers from your facts: Hours, address and insurance plans come only from what your practice gave us. If it doesn't know, it says the team will follow up.

5. It takes the message: After the call, the details are sorted into fields: name, number, request type, urgency, language.

6. Your team gets it: The message lands in your inbox, urgent calls first, and staff get an alert with no patient details in it.

Your own receptionist: Knows your patients and can book, reschedule and judge. Can only take one call at a time and goes home at night.

Staffed answering service: A person answers, often from a script, and can reason through an unusual call. Usually priced per minute or per call.

AI receptionist: Can answer several calls at once, at any hour, the same way each time, at a flat price. Follows its script and never improvises clinical advice.

Where they fit together: Most practices keep their own staff for the calls they can pick up and use an AI or a service for the overflow.