What is the Virtual Receptionist
The virtual receptionist (AI receptionist) answers calls when you’re unavailable. It greets callers, collects information, answers questions about your business, and takes messages. Available exclusively on the Business plan. Key benefits:- Answers calls 24/7 automatically
- Customizable voice and tone
- Knows your business information
- Collects caller details
- Integrates with business hours
AI Receptionist requires the Business plan ($45/month). Not available on Starter plan.
Video setup
Steps
1
Open Allo app
Navigate to Settings in the app
2
Select AI Receptionist
Tap AI Receptionist from the settings menu
3
Choose voice and tone
Select from available voice options:
- Friendly - Warm and conversational
- Professional - Business formal tone
4
Set reply detail level
Choose how much detail the AI provides in responses:
- Brief - Short, direct answers
- Detailed - Comprehensive responses
5
Add business information
Provide up to 5 website links or upload a PDF with:
- Business hours
- Services offered
- Pricing information
- Common questions and answers
- Important policies
6
Customize welcome message
Write the greeting callers hear first. Make it clear they’re speaking with AI.Example: “Hello, you’ve reached Acme Corp’s AI assistant. I’m here to help you. How can I assist you today?”
7
Customize closing message
Write the message played when calls end.Example: “Thank you for calling. We’ll get back to you soon. Have a great day.”
8
Configure information collection
Specify what information to collect from callers:
- Name
- Phone number
- Email address
- Reason for calling
- Preferred callback time
- Custom questions
9
Test and publish
Make a test call to hear how your AI Receptionist sounds. Adjust settings as needed, then activate.
For best results, use the AI Assistant GPT to help configure your receptionist: Allo Assistant GPT
Configuration options
Voice settings
Voice selection
Choose from multiple voice options with different accents and genders
Tone adjustment
Set the formality level from casual to professional
Reply detail
Control response length and depth
Speaking pace
Adjust how fast the AI speaks
Business knowledge
Website links:Add up to 5 URLs. The AI reads and learns from these pages to answer questions accurately. PDF upload:
Upload documents with detailed business information, FAQs, or product catalogs. Additional information:
Enter up to 2000 characters of custom text for specific instructions or information not on your website.
Custom instructions
You can add specific instructions for how the AI should behave:- “Always offer to schedule a callback”
- “Mention our 30-day guarantee when discussing pricing”
- “If asked about technical support, collect the product serial number”
- “Transfer urgent matters to the on-call manager”
Welcome and closing messages
Welcome message best practices:- Clearly state it’s an AI assistant
- Mention your business name
- Set expectations (“I can answer questions about…”)
- Be friendly and professional
- Thank the caller
- Confirm next steps
- Provide alternative contact methods if needed
How it works
Call flow
- Caller dials your number
- AI greets the caller with your custom welcome message
- Caller asks questions or states their reason for calling
- AI responds based on your business information
- AI collects information according to your settings
- Call ends with your closing message
- You receive summary with transcript and collected information
Integration with business hours
AI Receptionist works seamlessly with Business Hours:- Activates automatically outside business hours
- Can be set as the primary call handler during business hours
- Customizable per time period
Voicemail integration
You can choose between AI Receptionist and voicemail. Both can’t be active simultaneously. Recommendation:Use AI Receptionist for better caller experience. It can answer questions that voicemail can’t.
What callers experience
When a caller reaches your AI Receptionist:- Professional greeting - Hears your custom welcome message
- Natural conversation - Can ask questions in their own words
- Immediate answers - Gets responses based on your business info
- Information collection - Provides their details when needed
- Clear next steps - Understands what happens after the call
- Some callers may not realize they’re speaking with AI
- Your welcome message should clearly state it’s an AI assistant
- The AI sounds natural and professional
After the call
You receive:- AI summary - Key points from the conversation
- Full transcript - Complete text of what was said
- Collected information - Name, phone, email, and custom fields
- Call recording - Audio file of the entire conversation
- Recommended actions - Suggested follow-up based on the conversation
Best practices
Configuration tips
Keep it focused:Provide clear, specific information. Don’t overload with too much content. Update regularly:
Keep business information current, especially hours and pricing. Test frequently:
Call your own number to hear how the AI responds. Adjust as needed. Be transparent:
Always inform callers they’re speaking with an AI assistant.
Common use cases
After-hours support:- Answer common questions 24/7
- Collect callback requests
- Provide basic troubleshooting
- Collect preferred times
- Gather contact information
- Confirm appointment types
- Ask qualifying questions
- Collect budget information
- Identify urgent vs. routine inquiries
- Collect order numbers
- Provide shipping information
- Route to appropriate department
Troubleshooting
AI not answering calls
AI not answering calls
Check these settings:
- AI Receptionist is activated (toggle is on)
- Not conflicting with IVR or voicemail settings
- Business hours configured correctly if using time-based routing
AI giving incorrect information
AI giving incorrect information
Common causes:
- Outdated business information
- Conflicting information across sources
- Website content changed since connection
- Review and update your business information
- Remove outdated website links
- Add corrections in the “Additional information” field
- Make a test call to verify improvements
AI not collecting required information
AI not collecting required information
Verify settings:
- Information collection fields are enabled
- Custom questions are properly formatted
- AI has instructions to collect this data
Callers complaining about AI experience
Callers complaining about AI experience
Consider these adjustments:
- Simplify your welcome message
- Reduce reply detail level
- Make the AI more conversational (friendly tone)
- Offer callback option earlier in the conversation
AI speaking too fast or slow
AI speaking too fast or slow
Adjust speaking pace: Go to Settings > AI Receptionist > Advanced Settings > Speaking PaceTest different speeds to find what sounds natural.
Need to modify configuration
Need to modify configuration
You can update AI Receptionist settings anytime:
- Go to Settings > AI Receptionist
- Make your changes
- Click Save
- Changes take effect immediately
Limitations
What AI Receptionist can do:- Answer questions about your business
- Collect information from callers
- Provide basic troubleshooting
- Schedule callbacks
- Route calls based on responses
- Process payments
- Access customer accounts without prior setup
- Make decisions requiring human judgment
- Transfer calls mid-conversation
- Send SMS or email directly
