What is an AI receptionist, and how does it work?

1. 1

   It answers with your greeting

   In a natural voice, introducing itself as your AI receptionist.

2. 2

   It works out what the caller needs

   A booking, a quote, an answer, or a person.

3. 3

   It acts on it

   Books into your calendar, answers from your business knowledge, takes details, or transfers the call under your rules.

4. 4

   It tells you what happened

   You get a summary and the full conversation for every call.

• Answer every call, 24/7, and several at once on the Pro and Scale plans
• Book, move and cancel appointments in Outlook or a built-in calendar (Google Calendar coming soon)
• Answer questions about your services, hours, areas and — if you allow it — prices
• Capture caller details: name, number, address and what they need
• Transfer urgent calls, or callers asking for a named person, to the right phone
• Text booking confirmations and reminders, if you switch texts on

• Make up answers — it uses the knowledge you give it, and takes a message when it doesn't know
• Promise things you haven't allowed, like prices or availability you haven't set
• Replace your judgement on complex or sensitive calls — those can come straight to you

1. 1

   Tell it about your business

   Services, hours, areas and the questions customers ask. Nimble can read your website to get started.

2. 2

   Choose what it can do

   Bookings, texts, email and call transfers — each can be switched on or off.

3. 3

   Point your calls at it

   Use a new number, or keep yours and forward calls. Our call forwarding guide explains how.

4. 4

   Test it

   Make test calls and adjust before it answers real customers.

It suits businesses that miss calls while busy, on the tools or closed, and that can describe how they want calls handled. Trades, salons, restaurants and agencies all use AI receptionists for this — see how it works for your industry.