What Happens When a Customer Calls

From the moment a customer dials your AI receptionist's phone number to the moment the call ends, here's what happens step by step.

1. The call connects

The customer dials the phone number assigned to your AI receptionist. Speako answers the call and the AI begins processing audio immediately.

Your phone number must be forwarded to the Speako number for this to work. If call forwarding isn't set up, Speako never receives the call.

2. The AI plays a greeting

The first thing the caller hears is your configured greeting. Which greeting plays depends on the time of day and whether the caller is a returning customer:

  • Business hours greeting — plays when the call comes in during your configured operating hours.
  • After-hours greeting — plays when the call comes in outside your operating hours.
  • Returning customer greeting — plays if the caller has called before and the AI recognises their number, replacing the standard opening.

3. The AI listens and understands the caller

After the greeting, the AI listens to what the caller says. It interprets the request using conversational AI — it can understand natural speech, not just specific commands.

Common requests the AI handles:

  • Making a new booking
  • Modifying an existing booking
  • Cancelling a booking
  • Asking about business hours, address, or services
  • Asking general questions about the business (handled using your knowledge base)
  • Requesting a call transfer to a human

4. The AI acts on the request

Based on what the caller wants, the AI takes the appropriate action:

  • If the caller wants to book, the AI checks availability and walks them through the booking.
  • If the caller wants to modify or cancel, the AI looks up their booking and makes the change.
  • If the caller has a general question, the AI answers from your knowledge base.
  • If the caller wants to speak to a person, the AI transfers the call to your configured transfer number.

The AI may also offer to send the caller an SMS with a booking confirmation link, directions, or an order page link.

5. The call ends

When the request is handled, the AI wraps up the conversation and ends the call. If a booking was made or changed, it appears in your dashboard immediately.

💡 Tip: Test the full call flow before going live. Call your AI receptionist number directly and try booking, asking a question, and requesting a transfer. This is the best way to catch any issues before real customers call.