What to tell your answering service so it sounds like you
The setup details that make an AI answering service answer like a member of staff: services and prices, hours, service area, urgency words, on-call rules and tone.
Updated October 17, 2026
Give it your services and prices, hours, service area, the phrases that mean urgent, who is on call, and how you like to sound. Ten minutes of setup is the difference between a generic bot and a receptionist who knows the business.
Services and prices
List what you do with typical prices or ranges. The AI quotes exactly what you wrote and never invents a number.
Hours and service area
Hours decide when the AI transfers versus takes a message; the service area decides which addresses it books.
Urgency and on-call
Your urgency phrases plus on-call windows are the whole after-hours policy. Review them after the first week of real calls.
Tone
Pick a personality and a greeting. Many owners record the greeting text themselves so it sounds like the shop.