How Returning Customers Are Recognised
When a customer calls your AI receptionist, the system checks whether they've called before. If they have, the AI can greet them by name and tailor the experience. Here's how recognition works.
The recognition mechanism
Returning customers are identified by their phone number. When a call comes in, the system checks the calling number against your customer records.
If a match is found, the caller is considered a returning customer and:
- The returning customer greeting plays (if configured and enabled).
- The AI can use the customer's first name in the greeting.
- The AI may have context about past bookings, which can speed up the conversation.
What triggers recognition
Recognition happens if:
- A customer has called before (or was manually added to your customer records with a matching phone number).
- They're calling from the same phone number that's on record.
If the number doesn't match any record, the caller is treated as new.
The returning customer greeting
The returning customer greeting is a separate greeting configured in your AI Greetings settings. It can use the variable {{customer_first_name}} to address the caller by name, making the greeting feel personal.
For example: "Welcome back, {{customer_first_name}}! How can I help you today?"
If no returning customer greeting is configured, all callers hear the standard opening greeting.
New customers during the session
If a new customer calls and books — their name and number are captured as part of the booking. The next time they call from the same number, they'll be recognised as a returning customer.
💡 Tip: Configure a warm returning customer greeting with the caller's first name. Something as simple as "Welcome back, {{customer_first_name}}!" makes repeat callers feel valued and builds loyalty.
⚠️ Important: Returning customer recognition only works if the customer calls from the same number as their booking record. If they call from a different number or have a withheld number, they won't be recognised.