A complete walkthrough of setting up your AI receptionist — from choosing a voice to handling your first real call. No technical experience required.

Before you start: You'll need your business name, hours, a brief description of your services, and (optionally) access to your calendar to enable automatic booking. That's it.

Step 1: Create Your Account

Head to ringdesk.net/plans and start a 3-day free trial. Payment setup required.

You'll be asked for your email and a password. Verify your email, and you're in the setup wizard.

Step 2: Name and Describe Your Business

Your AI receptionist needs to know who it's representing. In the setup wizard:

Enter your business name exactly as you want it spoken on the phone
Add your business type (e.g., “dental practice”, “HVAC company”, “law firm”)
Add your address and phone number for the AI to share if asked
List your core services

Tip: Write your services the way customers describe them — not the technical terms you use internally. “tooth fillings” not “amalgam restorations”. The AI will answer questions using your language.

Step 3: Set Your Business Hours

Configure your actual opening hours. The AI uses these to:

Tell callers when you're open
Adjust its greeting (“Good morning”, “We're currently closed, but I can help you...”)
Route emergency calls differently after hours

The AI continues answering outside these hours — it just adjusts its messaging. This is when it captures after-hours leads that would otherwise go to voicemail.

Step 4: Choose Your Voice

RingDesk AI offers multiple voice options across different accents and styles. Things to consider:

Match your marketA London medical practice should sound British. A Paris restaurant should sound French. Match the local accent.

Professional toneLaw firms and medical practices benefit from a calm, professional voice. Restaurants can be warmer and more casual.

Gender matchSome businesses prefer to match the gender of their existing receptionist. Both options are available.

LanguageIf your customers are primarily in another language, set that as the primary language and English as secondary.

Step 5: Configure the AI Script

This is where you tell the AI what to say and how to handle different situations. The key sections:

Greeting

The opening line the AI says when answering. Example: “Thank you for calling [Business Name]. This is the AI assistant — how can I help you today?” Keep it short and welcoming.

Common Questions (FAQ Training)

Add answers to the questions your business gets most often:

What are your hours?
Where are you located / how do I get there?
Do you accept [insurance / NHS / specific payment]?
How much does [service] cost?
How long does [appointment type] take?
Do you have availability this week?

Emergency Escalation Keywords

Define the words or phrases that trigger immediate escalation to your mobile. Examples by industry:

Dental"tooth pain", "swelling", "bleeding", "knocked out"

Legal"arrest", "court tomorrow", "bail", "eviction"

HVAC"no heat", "gas smell", "flooding", "emergency"

Step 6: Get Your Phone Number

Choose how you want calls to reach your AI:

Get a new numberChoose a local or national number in your country. Best for new businesses or if you want a dedicated AI line.

Forward your existing numberKeep your current number and forward it to the AI number. Takes 2–3 minutes in your phone provider settings. Zero disruption.

Port your numberTransfer your current number to RingDesk AI completely. Takes 3–7 business days but means you don't need to change any marketing materials.

Step 7: Connect Your Calendar (Optional but Recommended)

Connecting your calendar is the step that transforms your AI from a message-taker into a booking engine.

RingDesk AI integrates with Google Calendar, Outlook, and major calendar and practice management systems. Once connected, the AI checks live availability and books appointments directly — no callbacks, no double-bookings.

Step 8: Test Before Going Live

Before switching your main number, test with these calls:

✓

Basic greeting testCall and say nothing — confirm the AI handles silence correctly

✓

FAQ test"What are your hours?" and "How much does [service] cost?"

✓

Booking test"I'd like to book an appointment" — confirm the AI offers available slots

✓

Emergency testUse one of your emergency keywords — confirm escalation triggers

✓

Language testIf multilingual, call in your second language — confirm correct handling

Step 9: Go Live

Activate call forwarding from your main business number. Your AI is now answering every call.

After each call, you'll receive a notification with:

Caller's name and number
Summary of what they wanted
What action the AI took (booked appointment, took message, escalated)
Full call transcript

Ongoing Optimization

The first week of live calls will reveal patterns. Check your call transcripts and look for:

Questions the AI couldn't answer — add them to your FAQ training
Unexpected callers (wrong number, spam) — configure call filtering
High-value callers who needed escalation — adjust your trigger keywords
Common appointment requests — optimize your calendar availability

Most businesses see their AI performing at 95%+ satisfaction within 2–3 weeks of live use and minor adjustments.

The setup takes 10 minutes. The value — every call answered, every lead captured, every appointment booked — runs 24/7 from day one.

AI Receptionist Setup Guide — Go Live in 10 Minutes