How an AI receptionist works

Set it up once. Then Sí Call picks up, takes the message and writes each call up.

Here is the whole path, in order: what you set up, what a caller hears, what lands in your dashboard afterwards, and which parts aren’t built yet. Each part says whether it works at launch or is coming soon.

Plans open at launch. Nothing can be bought yet, and features marked “Coming soon” aren’t built yet.

Join the Founding 50Try it in your browser
On this page

Four parts, in the order they happen.

  1. Set it up

    Fill in a short form, add the answers your callers ask for, and forward the number you already have.

    • The setup form
    • Your business info
    • Call forwarding

  2. On the call

    Callers hear that they’re talking to an AI. Then it answers from your info, or takes a message.

    • The AI and recording notice
    • Answers and messages
    • Booking, at launch

  3. After the call

    The call is filed with a transcript and a summary, and a caller who qualifies becomes a scored lead.

    • The call record
    • Leads and their scores
    • CSV export

  4. Not built yet

    One list of what’s coming soon, next to what works at launch.

    • Putting calls through
    • Spanish
    • Text and phone alerts
Set it up

Tell it about your business. Then send it your calls.

Setup is a form, not a project. You describe your business in your own words, add the answers callers need, and forward the number you already have. Plans open at launch, so this is how it will work then; nobody can sign up yet.

The setup form

Describe your business in about ten minutes.

At launch

The form asks for your business name, your industry, your time zone and opening hours, the services you offer, and the greeting callers hear after the AI notice. It takes about ten minutes, and you can change any of it later.

The industries you can choose are general business, restaurant, real estate, legal, home services and property management. We don’t take calls for dental or medical offices yet.

Example · Fictional business
The setup form, filled in for a fictional plumbing business. Example setup form for Cedar & Main Plumbing, a fictional business: business name, industry (home services), time zone (Pacific), hours (Monday to Friday 7 AM to 6 PM, Saturday 8 AM to 1 PM, closed Sunday), four services, the greeting callers hear after the AI notice, and a website address whose page is read into the notes, up to 4,000 characters.

Your business info

Add the answers your callers ask for.

Add your prices, your policies and the answers to the questions you hear most: parking, deposits, how soon you can come out. On a call, Sí Call answers from those entries. When a question goes beyond them, it’s built to take a message instead of improvising.

Edit an entry when something changes, or switch it off for a while without deleting it. To get you started, setup can read one page of your website, up to 4,000 characters, into your notes.

Coming soonImporting from your Google Business Profile or your whole website, with a draft for you to check.

Coming soon · Illustrative

Step 1 of 3

Teach Sí Call your business

Find your business listing. Sí Call drafts your hours, services and common answers for you to check.

Google Business Profile

Cedar & Main Plumbing

Draft from your listing

Ready to review

Cedar & Main Plumbing

Plumber · Mission District, San Francisco

Hours
Mon–Fri7 AM – 6 PMSat8 AM – 2 PMSunClosed
Services
  • Leak repair
  • Water heaters
  • Drain cleaning
  • Repiping
  • Fixture installs
Answers

Do you give estimates?Yes, free estimates on installs and replacements.

Which areas do you cover?San Francisco and Daly City.

Read-only: importing doesn’t change your listing.

What happens next?

You check each answer, fix anything that’s off, and switch entries on or off. Sí Call answers callers from what you keep.

A planned setup step: pick your listing, then check the draft it fills in. Not built yet. Illustration of a planned onboarding step called “Teach Sí Call your business”. The owner types Cedar & Main into a business listing search, picks Cedar & Main Plumbing, a fictional business, from the suggestions, and a draft fills in: opening hours, five services and two common answers, ready for the owner to review before continuing.

Your number

Keep your number. Forward your calls.

At launch

You forward the business number you already have, so your number and your carrier stay the same and nothing is ported. Forward all of your calls, or only the ones you don’t pick up because you’re busy or away from the phone.

The second suits an owner who still answers when free. Taps on a Google listing’s Call button cluster on weekdays: about 19 in 20 come Monday to Friday, peaking between 10 a.m. and noon.1 That’s when you’re busiest, so you answer the calls you can and Sí Call takes the rest.

Coming soonStep-by-step forwarding instructions for your carrier, a test call to check it works, and a phone number from Sí Call for a business that wants a new one.

Illustrative
Your number(415) 555-0142

Forward all callsYour phone doesn’t ring. The call goes straight to Sí Call.

  1. A caller dials your number
  2. Your carrier forwards the call
  3. Sí Call answers

Forward only the calls you missYou answer when you can; Sí Call takes the rest.

  1. A caller dials your number
  2. Your phone rings first
  3. Busy, or no answer
  4. Sí Call answers

Same number, same carrier. Nothing is ported.

How forwarding reaches Sí Call. You set it on your phone or with your carrier.
On the call

The notice comes first. Then your business.

Callers are told they’re talking to an AI in the opening words of each call. Then Sí Call answers from the details you added, takes a message when it can’t help and, at launch, books appointments.

The notice

What callers hear first.

With the default settings, a call opens with one sentence before your greeting: the caller is speaking with an AI assistant, and the call is recorded and transcribed. The AI part is always on. If your own greeting already says it’s an AI, that part isn’t repeated, and if a caller asks mid-call, it’s instructed to say plainly that it’s an AI.

The recording part has two settings. Record calls is the default: the call is recorded and transcribed, and the default notice says so. With Don’t record calls, no audio is recorded, and no transcript is saved to your call history. The call is still transcribed as it happens so Sí Call can answer, and the default notice says “This call is transcribed in real time.” instead. Neither setting goes by state: a notice plays wherever you and your caller are.

Illustrative
The recording noticeAI notice always on

  • Record callsDefault

    Audio recording on

    What callers hear first (default wording)

    “You’re speaking with an AI assistant, and this call is recorded and transcribed.”

    Opens each call, before your greeting. The call is recorded and transcribed.

  • Don’t record calls

    Audio recording off

    What callers hear first (default wording)

    “You’re speaking with an AI assistant, and this call is transcribed in real time.”

    Opens each call, before your greeting. No audio is recorded, and no transcript is saved to your call history. The call is still transcribed as it happens so Sí Call can answer.

Which setting fits your business is a legal question. Ask your own counsel.

The two recording settings, and what each one means for a caller.

The answer

Then it answers from what you added.

It asks what a good front desk would ask: who’s calling, a number to reach them and what they need. It answers from your business info, and when it can’t help, it takes a message and files it with the call. Choose an example below to see what the caller hears beside what gets saved.

At launchIf the caller wants an appointment, it offers your open times, books the slot they pick on a connected Google Calendar or Sí Call’s built-in calendar, and reads it back before they hang up.

Example · Fictional business

The call, as a transcript

Marcus Webb(415) 555-0163

Call44 s

  1. Sí Call0:00

    AI notice, before the greetingYou're speaking with an AI assistant, and this call is recorded and transcribed.

    Thanks for calling Cedar & Main Plumbing. How can I help?

  2. Marcus0:07

    Hi, my kitchen sink won’t drain. Can someone come out this week?

  3. Sí Call0:12

    I can book a visit for that. Can I get your name?

  4. Marcus0:16

    Marcus Webb.

  5. Sí Call0:19

    Thanks, Marcus. I have Tuesday at 9 AM or Wednesday at 1 PM. Which works better?

  6. Marcus0:27

    Tuesday at 9.

  7. Sí Call0:30

    I have you down for Tuesday at 9. Is that right?

  8. Marcus0:34

    Yes, that’s right.

  9. Sí Call0:36

    You’re booked for Tuesday at 9. Thanks for calling, Marcus.

What gets saved

Saved 2:31 PM

Caller
Marcus Webb(415) 555-0163
Reason
Kitchen sink won’t drain
Summary
Booked a visit for a slow kitchen drain on Tuesday at 9 AM. Read back and confirmed.
Outcome
Booked
Booking
Tue 15, 9:00–10:00 AM, on your calendar

Transcript and summary filed with the call, time-stamped.

When a call qualifies, a separate lead is filed in Leads with a score from 0 to 100.

It asks for a name, offers your open times, books the slot the caller picks, and reads it back before the call ends. At launch

Example: a homeowner with a slow kitchen drain books Tuesday at 9 and hears the booking read back.

The call, as a transcript

Tom Alvarez(415) 555-0114

Call38 s

  1. Sí Call0:00

    AI notice, before the greetingYou're speaking with an AI assistant, and this call is recorded and transcribed.

    Thanks for calling Cedar & Main Plumbing. How can I help?

  2. Tom0:07

    Do you work on tankless water heaters?

  3. Sí Call0:10

    Yes. We install and repair tankless water heaters.

  4. Tom0:14

    Are you open on Saturdays?

  5. Sí Call0:16

    Yes, Saturdays from 8 AM to 2 PM.

  6. Tom0:20

    Is there a charge to come out?

  7. Sí Call0:23

    There’s an $89 service call fee, and it goes toward the repair if you go ahead.

  8. Tom0:30

    Great, that’s all I needed.

  9. Sí Call0:32

    Glad to help. Thanks for calling Cedar & Main Plumbing.

What gets saved

Saved 11:08 AM

Caller
Tom Alvarez(415) 555-0114
Reason
Questions about tankless water heaters
Summary
Asked questions about tankless water heater repair, Saturday hours and the service call fee. Answered from the business info.
Outcome
Resolved

Transcript and summary filed with the call, time-stamped.

When a call qualifies, a separate lead is filed in Leads with a score from 0 to 100.

It answers from what you’ve added: your hours, services, prices and common questions. When a question goes beyond that, it’s built to take a message instead of improvising.

Example: a caller asks about tankless heaters, Saturday hours and the service call fee, and hears the answers you wrote.

The call, as a transcript

Dana Reyes(415) 555-0188

Call52 s

  1. Sí Call0:00

    AI notice, before the greetingYou're speaking with an AI assistant, and this call is recorded and transcribed.

    Thanks for calling Cedar & Main Plumbing. How can I help?

  2. Dana0:07

    My water heater is leaking all over the garage floor. Can someone come today?

  3. Sí Call0:13

    I’m sorry to hear that. I can’t confirm a same-day visit, but I can take a message so the team can call you back. What’s your name?

  4. Dana0:22

    Dana Reyes.

  5. Sí Call0:25

    Thanks, Dana. Is (415) 555-0188 the right number for a callback?

  6. Dana0:30

    Yes, that’s my cell.

  7. Sí Call0:32

    What should I tell the team?

  8. Dana0:35

    It’s leaking at the base. I’m home weekday mornings.

  9. Sí Call0:41

    Got it. I’ve taken your message, and the team will call you back.

What gets saved

Saved 2:15 PM

Caller
Dana Reyes(415) 555-0188
Reason
Water heater leaking
Summary
The water heater in Dana’s garage is leaking at the base. Wants a service visit soon; home weekday mornings.
Outcome
Follow-up needed
Next step
Follow up within 24–48 hours

Transcript and summary filed with the call, time-stamped.

When a call qualifies, a separate lead is filed in Leads with a score from 0 to 100.

When the caller needs something only your team can decide, it takes a message: who called, their number and what they need, filed with the call.

Example: a leaking water heater. It doesn’t promise a same-day visit; it takes the details for your callback.

Three example calls to Cedar & Main Plumbing, a fictional business. Each tab shows the call as a transcript, which opens with the AI notice the caller hears, and beside it what gets saved to the call record. A note under the record says that when a call qualifies, a separate lead is filed in Leads with a score from 0 to 100.

The edges

What happens when a call goes off the script.

A second caller, a request it can’t answer, a caller who wants a person. Here is what it does in each case at launch, and what is still coming.

  • Calls at once, set by your plan.

    1 call at a time on Starter, up to 6 on Scale. Past that, an extra caller hears that the lines are busy and to try again in a few minutes.

    At launch

  • A second caller sent to your phone: not yet.

    Instead of hearing that the lines are busy, the extra caller will ring your own phone.

    Coming soon

  • A message when it can’t help.

    Who called, their number and what they need, filed with the call so your team can ring back.

  • Appointments, read back.

    It offers your open times, books the one the caller picks and reads it back before they hang up.

    At launch

  • Spanish: not yet.

    Sí Call answers in English today. Spanish is coming soon, and we won’t present it as working until it is.

    Coming soon

  • Putting a caller through: not yet.

    Passing a call to someone on your team is coming soon. Until then, it takes a message.

    Coming soon

  • Changing a booking by phone: not yet.

    Callers can’t move or cancel an appointment by phone yet. It takes a message so your team can call back.

    Coming soon

  • Open right now? It can say.

    At launch, a caller who asks hears whether you’re open right now, from your hours and the days you’ve marked closed. A separate after-hours greeting is coming soon.

    At launch
After the call

Each call, written up. Callers who qualify become leads.

When a call ends, it’s filed in your dashboard with a transcript, a short summary and how it ended. A caller who qualifies goes into your leads list with a score from 0 to 100, built by rules you can read.

The call record

What each record holds.

  • The transcript, turn by turn, so you can check what was asked and how it was answered.
  • A summary of a few lines on who called and what they needed.
  • The time, the length and the outcome, with a suggested next step.

The outcome is a guess. When a booking was made on the call, it says so; otherwise it’s worked out from words in the conversation. Use it to sort your calls, and read the transcript when it matters.

Card numbers and Social Security numbers are removed from the transcript and the summary before they’re stored. The audio recording isn’t redacted. Filter past calls by status, outcome or date, and export the list to CSV.

Example · Fictional business

CallsToday

Saved 2:15 PM

Dana Reyes

(415) 555-0188Today, 2:14 PM · 52 s

Follow-up needed
Reason

Water heater leaking

Summary

The water heater in Dana’s garage is leaking at the base. Wants a service visit soon; home weekday mornings.

Suggested next stepFollow up within 24–48 hours

Transcript excerpt

  1. Sí Call0:00

    AI notice You're speaking with an AI assistant, and this call is recorded and transcribed. Thanks for calling Cedar & Main Plumbing. How can I help?

  2. Dana0:07

    My water heater is leaking all over the garage floor. Can someone come today?

  3. Sí Call0:13

    I’m sorry to hear that. I can’t confirm a same-day visit, but I can take a message so the team can call you back. What’s your name?

Card numbers and Social Security numbers are removed from the stored transcript and summary.

When a call qualifies, a separate lead is filed in Leads with a score from 0 to 100.

Example call record for Cedar & Main Plumbing, a fictional business. Caller Dana Reyes, (415) 555-0188, called today at 2:14 PM for 52 seconds about a leaking water heater. The record shows the reason, a two-line summary, the outcome (follow-up needed), the suggested next step (follow up within 24 to 48 hours) and the first lines of the transcript, which open with the AI notice. A note under the record says that when a call qualifies, a separate lead is filed in Leads with a score from 0 to 100.

Leads

Callers become leads, scored by rules you can read.

A completed call becomes a lead when it lasts 30 seconds or more, or includes a booking, a quote request, an urgent request or a qualified caller. Calls under 15 seconds don’t become leads.

Each lead starts at 50. A booking adds 30, a qualified caller 25, a quote request 20 and an urgent request 15. Longer calls add 5 to 15, and a few smaller signals, like a repeat caller, move it up or down. 80 and up is hot; 50 and up is warm.

Your newest leads open first, each with its score, and you can export them to CSV whenever you like.

  • HubSpot and SalesforcePlanned
  • Webhooks to your other toolsComing soon
See how lead capture works
Example · Fictional business
Leads · Cedar & Main Plumbing

Leads 6

A completed call becomes a lead when it lasts 30 seconds or more, or includes a quote request, an urgent request or a qualified caller.

Lead

Priya Nair

(415) 555-0127Quote/pricing inquiry

95Hot

Cold under 50Warm 50+Hot 80+

How this score was built

  1. Starts at50
  2. Booked an appointment (+30)not applied
  3. Call ended as a qualified lead (+25)not applied
  4. Asked for a quote or estimate (+20)+20
  5. Said it was urgent (+15)+15
  6. Call over 1, 2 or 5 min (+5, +10, +15)2 min 20 s+10
  7. Transcript wording, keyword check (+10 or −15)not applied
  8. Score, kept between 0 and 10095

Also added when they apply: an email on file +10, a repeat caller +10.

From the call summary

Needs an estimate to replace a corroded main shut-off valve, ASAP.

StageQualified

  • Mark contacted
  • Qualify (the current stage, so it is disabled)
  • Mark won
  • Mark lost
Example leads list for Cedar & Main Plumbing, a fictional business: six callers with their number, intent, a score from 0 to 100 marked hot, warm or cold, a stage (contacted, qualified, won or lost; a new lead shows its priority there instead) and when they were last contacted. A side panel shows how the selected lead's score was built from the scoring rules, the summary of the call it came from, and the buttons that move a lead to another stage. Choose a lead to see its score.

Staying in the loop

Your dashboard, and an email after each call.

Calls, summaries and leads show up in your dashboard, where you can catch up between jobs. A lead stays under the New filter until you mark it, so you can see who is still waiting to hear back.

At launchAn email to you after each call, with a link to the call in your dashboard.

Coming soonAn alert by text or as a phone notification, and a mobile app to read it in.

Coming soonA dated follow-up on each lead, with a list of the overdue ones.

Example · Coming soon
Sí Callnow

New call · Cedar & Main Plumbing

Dana Reyes · (415) 555-0188 · 52 s

Reason

Water heater leaking

Summary

The water heater in the garage is leaking at the base. Dana is home weekday mornings.

Next stepFollow up within 24–48 hours
A call alert, opened on a lock screen. Phone alerts like this are coming soon; at launch, an email after each call links to the call in your dashboard. Example of a phone lock screen showing a “New call” alert from Sí Call for Cedar & Main Plumbing, a fictional business. The alert opens into the call summary: the caller, the reason (water heater leaking), a two-sentence summary, and the suggested next step, follow up within 24 to 48 hours.
Status

What it doesn’t do yet. In one list.

Everything this page calls coming soon, next to what works at launch, so you can see where the line falls. Where our pricing catalog lists a feature, its label is read from that catalog, so it changes here the day the feature ships.

Status by capability

  • 19 at launch
  • 22 coming soon
  • 1 planned

Setting up

The form, your business info and your number.

  • The setup form, in about ten minutesAt launch
  • Reading one page of your website into your notesAt launchUp to 4,000 characters.
  • Importing your Google Business Profile or your whole websiteComing soon
  • Keeping your number and forwarding itAt launchAll calls, or only the ones you miss.
  • Forwarding instructions for your carrier, and a test callComing soon
  • A phone number from Sí CallComing soon
  • A 30-minute onboarding callAt launchFrom Growth.
  • Done-for-you setupAt launchFrom Pro.

On the call

What a caller gets when Sí Call picks up.

  • The AI notice and the recording noticeAt launchTwo recording settings, and a notice with either. The AI notice stays on.
  • Answers from your business infoAt launch
  • Takes a message when it can’t helpAt launch
  • Books on Google Calendar or the built-in calendarAt launchIt reads the booking back.
  • Booking through CalendlyComing soon
  • Booking through AcuityComing soon
  • Calls at once, set by your planAt launch1 call at a time on Starter, up to 6 on Scale.
  • Moving or cancelling a booking by phoneComing soonIt takes a message instead.
  • A second caller sent to your phoneComing soonUntil then, an extra caller hears that the lines are busy.
  • Putting a caller through to your teamComing soon
  • Routing by business hours and reason for callingComing soonFrom Growth.
  • Tells a caller who asks whether you’re open right nowAt launchFrom your hours and the days you’ve marked closed.
  • A separate after-hours greetingComing soon
  • SpanishComing soonEnglish today.

After the call

What you see once the call is filed.

  • Transcript and summary in your dashboardAt launch
  • Leads scored from 0 to 100At launch
  • Marking a lead contacted, qualified, won or lostAt launch
  • Dated next steps and overdue follow-upsComing soon
  • Proposal, negotiation and nurturing stagesAt launchOn the leads board.
  • Exporting your calls and leads to CSVAt launch
  • An email to you after each callAt launchWith a link to the call in your dashboard.
  • An alert after each call by text or phone notificationComing soon
  • A mobile appComing soon
  • Texts to callers, like booking confirmationsComing soonFrom Growth.
  • Sending calls and leads to your other toolsComing soonFrom Pro.
  • HubSpot and SalesforcePlanned

Plans and billing

How plans bill, and the extras still on the way.

  • No setup feeAt launch
  • Each call rounded up to the whole minuteAt launch
  • Spam, robocalls and silent calls under 15 seconds not billedComing soon
  • A monthly spend cap you chooseComing soon
  • More than one location on a planComing soonFrom Pro.
  • A texting add-onComing soon
  • Phone support in business hoursComing soonFrom Pro.
  • A premium voice and AI model add-onComing soon

At launch means it works once plans open; nothing can be bought yet. Coming soon means it isn’t built or isn’t switched on. Planned means it’s on the roadmap and not started.

See which plan includes what
Questions

Questions, answered.

Short answers on setup, the notice callers hear and what happens after a call.

Can I set Sí Call up today?

Not yet. Plans open at launch, and nothing can be bought before then. Until then you can talk to it in your browser for up to a minute, and pledge a Founding 50 spot. Pledging is free, needs no card, and you can withdraw any time.

How long does setup take?

The setup form takes about ten minutes: your business name, industry, hours, services and greeting. Adding the answers to the questions your callers ask takes longer, and it’s worth doing, because those entries are what Sí Call answers from. At launch, Growth includes a 30-minute onboarding call, and Pro adds done-for-you setup.

Do I need a new phone number?

No. At launch you forward the number you already have, so your number and your carrier stay the same and nothing is ported. Forward all of your calls, or only the ones you don’t pick up. Forwarding instructions for your carrier with a test call, and phone numbers from Sí Call for businesses that want a new line, are coming soon.

Does it tell callers it’s an AI?

Yes. The opening words of each call tell the caller they’re speaking with an AI assistant, and that can’t be switched off. If your greeting already says so, it isn’t repeated. If a caller asks partway through, it’s instructed to say plainly that it’s an AI.

Are calls recorded, and are callers told?

By default, calls are recorded and the notice says so. Choose “Don’t record calls” and no audio is recorded, and no transcript is saved to your call history. The call is still transcribed live so Sí Call can answer, and the default notice says “This call is transcribed in real time.” Either way a notice plays, wherever you and your caller are. Ask your own counsel which setting fits.

What if it doesn’t know the answer?

It’s built to take a message rather than improvise: who called, their number and what they need, filed with the call. Putting the caller through to someone on your team is coming soon. The more of your answers you add, the fewer calls end in a message.

What happens if two people call at once?

At launch, each plan will answer a set number of calls at once, from 1 on Starter to 6 on Scale. Past that, the extra caller will hear “All of our lines are busy right now. Please try again in a few minutes.” Sending that caller to your own phone instead is coming soon.

What about a caller with an urgent problem?

It takes their details and files the call, and an urgent request raises the lead’s score. It doesn’t judge how serious a situation is, and it can’t put the call through to anyone yet. Put your after-hours instructions in your business info, and it answers from them like any other entry.

How reliable is the outcome on each call?

Treat it as a sorting aid. When a booking was made on the call, the outcome says so. Otherwise it’s worked out from words in the conversation, so it can be wrong. The transcript is the full record of what was said; read it when the outcome matters.

Does it speak Spanish?

Not yet in a way we can promise. Sí Call answers in English today, and Spanish is coming soon. We’d rather say so plainly than have a caller find out halfway through a call. When Spanish works on real calls, this answer and the labels on this page will change.

Keep reading

Go deeper on the part you need.

Each of these pages takes one part of this one further, with its own examples and its own status list.

  • Solution

    Overflow answering

    Sí Call picks up while you’re on a job or already on another call.

  • Solution

    After-hours answering

    At launch: nights and weekends, answered from your info and filed for the morning.

  • Solution

    Lead capture

    How callers become scored leads, and where those leads can go.

  • Resource

    Trust center

    Security, the notice callers hear, how data is handled, and what we don’t have yet.

Get started

Let Sí Call pick up. Plans open at launch.

Pledge a Founding 50 spot to hold 20% off Starter, Growth or Pro for 12 consecutive months, or talk to it in your browser first. Pledging is free and needs no card.

Join the Founding 50Try it in your browser
  • PricingPlans from $75 a monthMinutes, calls at once and overage for each plan, what is coming soon, and how billing works.
  • Founding 50Hold 20% off before launch50 spots. Free to pledge, no card, withdraw any time. Confirmed pledgers are invited in pledge order when plans open.

Sources

  1. 1BrightLocal (local-SEO software vendor), “Google My Business Insights Study,” July 2019. Taps on a Google listing’s Call button across about 45,000 business listings in the US, Canada, UK and Australia, Sep 2017 to Dec 2018. Figures are medians for a typical listing. ↩

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