AI Receptionist Scripts and Prompts for Setting Up a Phone Agent

Before choosing or configuring any AI receptionist.

I run [BUSINESS TYPE] and want to set up an AI receptionist. Here is what callers usually want: [LIST CALL REASONS AND ROUGH SHARE OF CALLS]. Group these into call types, and for each one say whether an AI agent can fully handle it, handle it then pass to a human, or should always go straight to a human. Explain your reasoning and flag anything sensitive.

When you are loading facts into the agent.

Turn this information into a clean knowledge base for an AI phone receptionist at [BUSINESS NAME]: [PASTE HOURS, ADDRESS, PARKING, SERVICES, PRICES, POLICIES, FAQS]. Organize it under clear headings, write each fact as a short standalone sentence the agent can read aloud, remove anything contradictory, and list missing information callers will probably ask about.

To decide exactly how every common call should go.

Design the call flow for an AI receptionist at [BUSINESS NAME]. Call types: [CALL TYPES]. For each, list the steps: greeting, identifying what the caller needs, questions to ask, what to do (answer, book, take a message, or transfer), and how to end the call. Present it as a simple numbered flow I can give to my AI receptionist provider.

So messages and leads come through complete.

For an AI receptionist at a [BUSINESS TYPE], list the details it should collect for each call type: [CALL TYPES, E.G. NEW BOOKING, QUOTE REQUEST, COMPLAINT]. Keep the list to the minimum we actually need, mark which are required, and suggest a natural way to ask for each one on the phone. Note anything we should not collect by phone, such as full card numbers.

So urgent and sensitive calls reach a human.

Write clear escalation rules for the AI receptionist at [BUSINESS NAME]. Transfer to [PERSON OR NUMBER] when: [SITUATIONS]. Take a message and promise a callback within [TIME] when: [SITUATIONS]. Always tell callers to hang up and dial [EMERGENCY NUMBER] when: [EMERGENCY SITUATIONS]. Write each rule as one plain sentence the agent can follow.

For evenings, weekends, and holidays.

Write instructions for how our AI receptionist should handle calls outside business hours ([HOURS]). It should explain when we reopen, answer simple questions from the knowledge base, offer to [BOOK, TAKE A MESSAGE, OR TEXT A LINK], and handle urgent matters this way: [URGENT PROCESS]. Keep the caller experience warm, short, and clear.

The core prompt most AI receptionist tools ask for.

Write the main instructions for an AI phone receptionist for [BUSINESS NAME], a [BUSINESS TYPE] in [CITY]. Personality: [TONE, E.G. WARM, CALM, EFFICIENT]. It answers using only this knowledge base: [PASTE OR REFERENCE]. Its jobs: [JOBS]. It must never guess prices or availability, never give [MEDICAL, LEGAL OR FINANCIAL] advice, keep answers under two sentences, and transfer or take a message when unsure.

For the first thing every caller hears.

Write five phone greetings for the AI receptionist at [BUSINESS NAME]. Each should be under 15 words, say the business name, and invite the caller to say what they need. Include versions that mention the caller is speaking with a virtual assistant, and versions for [SPECIAL SITUATIONS, E.G. HOLIDAY HOURS, BUSY SEASON]. They must sound natural when spoken aloud.

So the agent sounds like your business, not a robot.

Write voice and speaking rules for our AI receptionist. Include: speaking pace, how to confirm details back (spelling names, reading numbers in pairs), how to handle silence, how to apologize when it did not understand, words to avoid, how to pronounce [TRICKY NAMES OR TERMS], and how to sound friendly without being chatty. Base the tone on [BRAND DESCRIPTION].

To make sure callers leave knowing what happens next.

Write instructions for how the AI receptionist at [BUSINESS NAME] ends calls. It should recap what was agreed (booking time, message, or next step), confirm the best callback number, tell the caller what happens next and when, and close with a short sign off. Give example closings for a booking, a message, and a transfer.

For honesty with callers and to meet disclosure rules where they apply.

Write three short, friendly ways for our AI receptionist to tell callers they are speaking with an AI assistant, plus one line for when a caller asks Am I talking to a real person? and one for when they ask to speak to a human. Keep each under 25 words and reassuring. Our human contact option is: [OPTION].

Before turning on recordings or transcripts.

Write a short call recording and transcription notice for our AI receptionist to say at the start of calls in [STATE OR COUNTRY], explaining that calls may be recorded for quality and to help us respond. Keep it under 20 words and natural. Remind me to confirm the consent rules that apply where we and our callers are located.

For businesses serving callers in more than one language.

Our callers often speak [LANGUAGE 2] as well as [LANGUAGE 1]. Write instructions for the AI receptionist to detect the caller's language and switch, a greeting in both languages under 20 words, translations of our 10 most important knowledge base facts: [PASTE FACTS], and a rule for what to do if it cannot understand the caller.

For salons, clinics, studios, and service businesses.

Write the AI receptionist script for booking an appointment at [BUSINESS NAME]. Services and durations: [SERVICES]. Rules: [BOOKING RULES, E.G. DEPOSITS, NEW CLIENT FORMS, CANCELLATION POLICY]. It should find out the service, preferred time, name, and phone, check availability through [BOOKING SYSTEM], offer two options, confirm the details, and explain the cancellation policy in one sentence.

For trades, home services, and custom work.

Write the script for when a caller asks how much [SERVICE] costs at [BUSINESS NAME]. Pricing facts: [PRICES OR RANGES AND WHAT CHANGES THEM]. The agent should give the range if we have one, explain what affects the final price, collect [JOB DETAILS NEEDED], and book a [VISIT, CALL OR QUOTE] rather than guess an exact number.

For calls the agent cannot resolve itself.

Write the AI receptionist script for taking a message for [PERSON OR DEPARTMENT]. It should collect the caller's name, number, reason for calling, urgency, and best time to call back, read it all back to confirm, and tell the caller when to expect a reply ([TIMEFRAME]). Then write the format for the message summary sent to [EMAIL OR TEXT].

So complaints are handled kindly and reach a person fast.

Write instructions for how the AI receptionist at [BUSINESS NAME] handles an angry or upset caller. It should stay calm, acknowledge the frustration in one sentence, not argue or make promises, collect the key details of the complaint, and offer [TRANSFER OR PRIORITY CALLBACK WITHIN TIME]. Include three example responses it can adapt.

To keep your calendar full when plans change.

Write the script for callers who want to reschedule or cancel at [BUSINESS NAME]. Policy: [CANCELLATION POLICY AND FEES]. The agent should find the booking using [IDENTIFIERS], offer new times first, explain any fee politely if the caller is inside the notice period, and confirm the change. Include what to say if it cannot find the booking.

So owners stop being interrupted by solicitors.

Write instructions for the AI receptionist to handle sales pitches, vendor calls, and robocalls at [BUSINESS NAME]. It should politely identify the purpose, take a short message for [PERSON] only if it is relevant to [TOPICS WE CARE ABOUT], decline everything else, and end the call quickly without being rude.

For one of the most common calls any location gets.

Write the AI receptionist responses for questions about finding [BUSINESS NAME]. Address: [ADDRESS]. Landmarks: [LANDMARKS]. Parking: [PARKING DETAILS]. Public transport: [TRANSIT]. Accessibility: [ACCESS INFO]. Write short spoken answers of no more than two sentences each, and offer to text the address and a map link if our system supports it.

Before going live and after every change.

Write 15 test call scenarios for our AI receptionist at [BUSINESS NAME], covering easy questions, bookings, unclear requests, a caller who changes their mind, an angry caller, a caller with a strong accent or background noise, an emergency, and someone asking for something we do not offer. For each, give what the caller says and what a good outcome looks like.

Weekly in the first month, then monthly.

Here are transcripts of calls handled by our AI receptionist, with caller details removed: [PASTE TRANSCRIPTS]. Find where it gave wrong or made up information, misunderstood the caller, failed to transfer when it should have, or sounded unnatural. Suggest specific changes to its instructions or knowledge base for each problem.

To make the agent smarter over time.

Here is a list of questions callers asked that our AI receptionist could not answer: [PASTE QUESTIONS]. Group them by topic, write a short spoken answer for each that I can add to the knowledge base (marking anything I need to confirm with [CHECK]), and suggest which questions should be transferred instead of answered.

So your team knows how to work alongside the AI agent.

Write a one page guide for staff at [BUSINESS NAME] explaining how our AI receptionist works: which calls it handles, how messages and bookings reach us ([CHANNELS]), how quickly we must call back, how to correct a booking it made, and who to tell when it gets something wrong.

To hear from callers about how the agent is doing.

Write a short text message sent after calls handled by our AI receptionist asking callers to rate the experience from 1 to 5 and reply with any comments. Under 160 characters, friendly, and clear that a real person reads replies. Include an opt out line if required in [STATE OR COUNTRY].

Before signing up for a service.

I am choosing an AI receptionist for [BUSINESS NAME], a [BUSINESS TYPE] getting about [NUMBER] calls a week. Must haves: [MUST HAVES, E.G. BOOKING INTEGRATION WITH TOOL, CALL TRANSFER, BILINGUAL, TEXT SUMMARIES]. Write a checklist of questions to ask each provider about features, setup, pricing model, data privacy, call recording, and support, and a simple table to compare their answers.