What is an AI phone receptionist?
An AI phone receptionist answers your business calls with a conversational voice, asks the questions you would ask, and sends you a written summary. No apps for your customers, no menus to press — it is a normal phone call, answered when you cannot pick up.
What an AI phone receptionist does
Think of it as a reliable answer point for your business line. It picks up, greets the caller with your business name, finds out what they need, records the details, and passes them to you. It does not sell, negotiate or commit you to anything.
- Answers calls you cannot take — on a job, on another call, driving, or after hours.
- Asks a set list of questions so every enquiry is recorded the same way.
- Answers simple, factual questions such as your service area and business hours.
- Sends you the details straight away by SMS and email.
- Keeps a record of every call in one place.
How it answers calls
Your existing business number is diverted to Kaelo — either all the time, only when you do not answer within a set number of rings, or only outside business hours. Customers keep calling the same number they always have.
When a call comes through, the AI speaks and listens in real time. The caller talks normally; there is no keypad menu. It uses the information you set up during configuration — your services, suburbs you cover, hours, and anything you want it to say or avoid saying — to keep the conversation on track. You can see the setup steps on the how it works page.
What details it can capture
- Caller name and best contact number.
- Service address or suburb.
- What the job is, in the caller's own words.
- How urgent it is and when the problem started.
- Property type and whether the caller is the owner, tenant or agent.
- Preferred days and times for an inspection or booking.
- How they found your business.
- Any custom question you want asked on every call.
Configure it once
The question list is yours. If you always need to know whether there is roof access, or whether a switchboard has been upgraded, add it — and it will be asked on every call from then on.
How call summaries work
After each call you receive a short written summary — who called, what they need, how urgent it is, and their contact details — by SMS and email. The same summary is stored in your dashboard alongside every other enquiry.
The point of the summary is to make follow-up a 20-second decision rather than a listen-back-to-voicemail exercise. Because the structure is the same every time, you can scan a week of enquiries and see patterns: which suburbs, which job types, which sources.
How bookings and follow-ups can be supported
Callers can be asked for the times that suit them, and that preference is captured with the enquiry so you can confirm a slot that fits your run sheet. Calendar booking integration is included on all Kaelo plans, so appointment requests can flow into your calendar rather than living on a scrap of paper.
Follow-up still benefits from a simple process on your side — confirming the booking, sending a reminder, and checking in after the job. Our guide on following up enquiries faster covers what that looks like in practice.
What business owners stay responsible for
An AI receptionist is an answer point, not a manager. You remain responsible for:
- Deciding which jobs to accept and what to charge.
- Calling customers back and confirming attendance times.
- Quoting, scope of works and any advice about the job itself.
- Compliance, licensing and safety obligations for your trade.
- Keeping your service area, hours and services up to date in your Kaelo setup.
- Handling complaints and anything that needs your personal judgement.
Kaelo does not dispatch tradespeople or guarantee response times. It makes sure the enquiry reaches you with enough information to act.
How to get started with Kaelo
- Pick a plan based on your expected call minutes — see the plans and included minutes on the pricing page.
- Complete the online sign-up with your business details, services and service area.
- Set up your greeting, question list and notification preferences.
- Divert your business number — always, on no-answer, or after hours only.
- Test it by calling your own number and reviewing the summary that arrives.
- Adjust the questions after the first week, once you have seen real enquiries.
More on how it fits a small service business is on the AI receptionist for small business page, and plan details are on pricing.
Want to hear it for yourself?
Book a demo, or set up your AI phone receptionist online in a few steps.