The AI receptionist answers customers for your shop right away: questions, "starting at" prices and open times. It hands off to your team whenever it should. You set it up in one place: Settings → AI receptionist.
The AI receptionist is part of the Growth plan and up. On a lower plan the page shows a note saying so, and you can't turn it on.
Who can change it
Owners and admins can change these settings by default, as can anyone whose role has been given permission to manage integrations. Everyone else can look at the page and use Try it, but can't change anything. Click Save at the top right after making changes.
Where it answers
Website chat: a switch turns the AI on for the chat bubble on your website. When it's on, two more switches appear:
- Give "starting at" prices
- Offer open times from your booking calendar
When it's off, your team answers every chat. The chat bubble itself is set up under Settings → Website chat. See Adding a chat bubble to your own website.
After-hours texts: shows whether the AI replies to texts that come in after hours. Click Set up to change it. See Setting up the AI Receptionist (after-hours auto-reply).
Phone calls: the AI answers calls your team misses. See the Phone calls section below.
When it answers
Pick one:
- Always: answers right away, day or night.
- Only when you're closed: your team answers during business hours. Business hours come from your booking page hours.
This setting controls the website chat. If you pick Only when you're closed but haven't set business hours yet, the page warns you that it will answer all the time, with a Set hours link.
What it knows
It only answers from what you give it. It never makes things up.
- Use my SalesThumb data automatically: when on, it uses your current services and business hours, always up to date.
- A checklist shows what it has to work with: whether "About your shop" is filled in, how many approved answers are in your knowledge base, how many active services you have, and whether business hours are set.
- If the AI Assistant is turned off for your shop, the checklist says so. The receptionist won't answer until it's back on.
Click Edit answers & knowledge base to add answers to common questions (warranty, how long a job takes, legal tint and so on). See Teaching your AI Assistant your shop's voice and knowledge.
Handing off to your team
It hands off when a customer asks for a person, is upset, or asks something it can't answer. It goes quiet as soon as someone on your team replies.
- What it says when it hands off: up to 300 characters. Leave it empty to use the default.
- Always hand off when they mention: words that go straight to your team, such as manager, refund, complaint or insurance. Separate them with commas.
Try it
The Try it panel lets you chat with the receptionist the way a customer would. Nothing is sent or saved.
- Ask something like "How much for ceramic tint on a Model 3?" or "Can I come in Friday?"
- Offered times show as chips under its reply.
- A note shows when it would hand off ("Handed to your team"), including which hand-off word triggered it.
- If you picked Only when you're closed and you're open right now, a note says that on your website it would stay quiet and let your team answer.
- Changed a setting? Save first to try your changes. Click Start over to clear the chat.
Phone calls
You keep your phone number and phone system. Calls nobody picks up are forwarded to a SalesThumb number, and the AI answers them.
- Click Get my receptionist number. Your number appears with a Copy button.
- Under Forward your unanswered calls to it, pick your phone system: Zoom Phone, RingCentral, Dialpad or Cell or landline. Follow the steps shown.
- Use forwarding for calls that aren't answered, not all calls, so your team still gets the first chance to pick up.
- Test it: call your shop from another phone and let it ring. The AI should pick up.
On a call, the AI says it's the shop's virtual assistant and that the call is transcribed. It answers questions and gives "starting at" prices and open times.
After the call:
- The call shows on your Calls page with an AI receptionist tag, a transcript and a short summary.
- The caller is saved as a lead for your team to call back. It stays in Needs a reply until someone follows up.
The card also has:
- An on/off switch. When it's off, forwarded calls hear a short "we'll call you back".
- Minutes used this month, shown against your monthly minutes. Once they run out, callers get the same short message. The call is still saved as a missed call and a lead.
- Give back this number. Confirm with Give it back. The AI stops answering, and calls you forward to it won't go through. Remove the forwarding in your phone system first.
Frequently asked questions
Q: What plan do I need for the AI receptionist?
A: The Growth plan and up. On a lower plan the settings page shows a note, and the receptionist can't be turned on.
Q: Does Try it send anything to a customer?
A: No. Try it runs the real receptionist on a test chat, but nothing is sent or saved. Save your changes first if you want to test them.
Q: Do I have to change my phone number for the AI to answer calls?
A: No. You keep your number and phone system. Set your system to forward calls that aren't answered to your SalesThumb receptionist number.
Q: What happens to a call the AI answers?
A: It shows on the Calls page with a transcript and short summary, and the caller is saved as a lead your team can call back.
Q: How do I stop the AI from answering calls?
A: Turn off the switch on the Phone calls card. Forwarded calls then hear a short "we'll call you back". To stop for good, remove the forwarding and click Give back this number.