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AI Receptionist Self-Serve Onboarding

AI Receptionist Self-Serve Onboarding guides you through the initial setup required for Abby to begin answering and handling calls for your business.

Updated over 3 weeks ago

The onboarding process walks you through five steps:

  1. Set up your business information

  2. Add FAQs

  3. Configure contacts

  4. Set up call handling

  5. Activate your service by forwarding calls

You can start onboarding at any time by expanding AI Receptionist Flow and selecting AI Receptionist Onboarding in your portal.

Step 1: Set Up Your Business Info

This step defines how Abby introduces and represents your business to callers.

You will be asked to provide the following information:

Hours of Operation

Choose one of the following:

  • 24/7 availability

  • Custom hours by day

These hours help Abby answer questions about when your business is open.

Company Information

Enter:

  • Company name

  • Phone number

  • Website (optional)

Address and Directions

You may include:

  • Your business address

  • Spoken directions (for example, “down the street from the corner store”)

Providing an address is optional.

About Your Business

This section allows you to describe your business in a short paragraph. Write this in first person so Abby can speak naturally during calls.

Example:

“We’re a family-owned HVAC company serving the Austin area. We specialize in residential repairs and same-day service.”

Keep descriptions simple and conversational.

Step 2: Add FAQs

FAQs act as the AI Receptionist’s knowledge base. Abby uses this information to answer common caller questions during conversations.

You can access FAQs under:

Account → FAQs

You can add FAQs in two ways:

Suggested FAQs

The system may provide suggested questions related to common business topics such as:

  • Pricing

  • Services offered

  • Service areas

You can edit these suggestions to match your business.

Create Your Own FAQs

You can add your own questions and answers at any time.

There is no limit to the number of FAQs you can create.

If callers may ask the same question in different ways, you can combine them into one FAQ.

Example:

“What is your address?”
“Where are you located?”

or

“How much is a consultation?”
“Do you offer free consultations?”

The AI Receptionist can understand variations in wording, so it is not necessary to create every possible phrasing.

Tips for Writing FAQ Answers

  • Write responses as you would say them aloud

  • Use “we” language

  • Spell out numbers and prices when possible

Example:

Instead of $1500, use "Fifteen hundred dollars"

Step 3: Set Up Contacts

Contacts are the people Abby can transfer calls to, message, or schedule appointments for.

You can manage contacts under:

  • Account → Contacts
    or

  • Onboarding Module - Page 3

You may add as many contacts as needed.

Primary Contact Notice

If the primary contact does not have a phone number listed, the portal will display a notification prompting you to add one.

This ensures Abby can properly route calls when needed.

Editing a Contact

Each contact contains two main sections.

Details

Use this section to:

  • Update name, phone number, and email

  • Manage message notifications

Email notifications are enabled by default.

You can also add text message notifications by selecting Add Phone.

Contact Handling

  • Add additional phone numbers Abby can use for transfers

  • Transfer type (warm vs blind) is managed outside onboarding, in the Contacts menu

You can add as many contacts as needed.

Step 4: Call Handling

This step determines how Abby handles different types of calls.

Greeting

The greeting defines how Abby answers incoming calls.

You can edit the greeting to match your preferred introduction.

Example:

“Thank you for calling Peak Comfort HVAC. This is Abby, how may I assist you?”

Call Types

Call types allow Abby to handle different types of callers differently.

Default call types include:

  • New Client

  • Existing Client

  • Solicitors

  • Call for a Specific Person

  • All Else / Other

Each call type includes two configuration areas.

Questions

Select the information Abby should collect from callers.

Examples include:

  • Name

  • Phone number

  • Reason for the call

Actions

Define what Abby should do after gathering information.

Available actions may include:

  • Sending a message

  • Transferring the call

  • Scheduling an appointment

This simplified setup allows you to configure call handling quickly during onboarding.

Advanced Settings (After Onboarding)

Some configuration options are available only in the Advanced Call Handling Diagram, including:

  • Say Scripts

  • Dropdown questions

  • Native integrations

  • Advanced routing logic

If a call type uses advanced features, you will see a notice linking to the diagram editor.

Step 5: Go Live (Forward Calls)

The final step is enabling calls to reach your AI Receptionist.

You can do this in one of two ways.

Use Your Abby Number

You may use the Abby-assigned number as your public business number.

Callers will dial this number directly to reach your AI Receptionist.

Forward Calls from Your Existing Number

If you prefer to keep your current business number, you can forward calls to your Abby number.

During onboarding you can:

  • View your Abby number

  • Select your phone carrier to see forwarding instructions

  • Enter the number you are forwarding from

  • Run a test call to confirm forwarding is working

Once forwarding is confirmed, your AI Receptionist will begin answering calls.

After Onboarding

After completing onboarding, you will be redirected to the Call Handling section.

From there you can:

  • Adjust call handling rules

  • Access the Advanced Setup Diagram

  • Continue refining how Abby handles calls.


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