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Guide ยท AI voice assistant

How to build an AI receptionist

The five steps and the exact wiring behind an assistant that answers your calls and makes outbound ones.

See the 5 stepsFree 13-page playbook
Cover: How to build an AI receptionist, with the tools it runs on

Five steps, start to finish

From an empty account to a receptionist that picks up, transfers, takes messages and follows up.

Step 1

Set up the front desk

Tell it who you are and what you sell.

  • Add your business detailsWho you are and what you do.
  • Fill in your KnowledgeServices, prices, availability.
  • Add your departmentsWho gets which call, with number and hours.
  • Give it the timeIt takes a message when you are closed.

The AI only says what you wrote down. Nothing invented.

Step 2

Pick the voice

It should sound like part of your team.

  • Choose a natural voiceCalm, clear and in your style.
  • Set the language per countryEnglish, Arabic and more.
  • Fix how it says your nameWe write Anqor, it says Anchor.
  • End calls politelyIt hangs up after goodbye, with a spend cap.

Say your brand name out loud. Voices mangle names.

Step 3

Connect a phone line

A real number that people can call.

  • Attach a phone numberTwilio, or a local carrier over SIP.
  • Publish itEvery caller to that number reaches the AI.
  • One line per countryEach country keeps its own settings.
  • Take it offline anytimeOne button gives the line back to you.

Test with your own phone first.

Step 4

Let it handle the call

What happens before, during and after.

  • Transfers to the right personSpoken handover, or takes a message.
  • Spots voicemailIt hangs up. It never pitches a mailbox.
  • Books a callbackWhen the person asks for one.
  • Labels it, sends it to your CRMOutcome, name, email, phone.

Every call keeps a transcript you can read.

Step 5

Run outbound calls safely

Upload a list and let it dial within limits.

  • Upload your lead listCSV or Excel, cleaned and de-duplicated.
  • Calls only in working hoursSet per country, weekends off.
  • Respects the rulesOne call a day. Opt-outs never called again.
  • Budget cap and STOP ALLOne click halts all new calls.

Start in test mode: it only dials your own number.

How it is wired

One system for inbound calls, outbound calls and what happens after every call.

Inbound

CALLERsomeone dials your number
PHONE LINETwilio or SIP carrier
VOICE AIhears, thinks, speaks
FRONT DESKKnowledge + departments
AnswersTransfersTakes a message

Outbound

LEAD LISTCSV, Excel or your CRM
CAMPAIGNdials the list in batches
GUARDShours, opt-outs, budget
VOICE AIcalls the person
STOP ALL halts new calls

After Every Call

TRANSCRIPTsaved for every call
CLAUDElabels it, captures the lead
DASHBOARDcall sheet and insights
YOUR CRMsigned and retried

Built with real tools

What the receptionist runs on.

  • vapiVAPIthe voice engine
  • twilioTwiliothe phone number
  • Deepgramspeech and voice
  • Claudereads every call
  • FastAPIthe server
  • Reactthe dashboard
  • SQLitecall history

The full playbook

13 pages with the detail behind each step. Free to download.

  • What it does and what it will not do
  • Everything to gather before you start, and a rough cost
  • Each step in detail, with tables to fill in
  • The exact wiring and what each piece does
  • A copy-and-paste front-desk prompt
  • A 13-call test plan and a launch checklist
  • The mistakes we already made, so you skip them
Download the playbook (PDF)

Download the sheets

Post-ready images (1080 x 1350). Tap one to download the full-size PNG.

Download all of them as one PDF

Want this set up for your business?

Tell us about your calls and we will show you how it would work for you.

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