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The Rules section is where you define the decision-making logic your receptionist follows on every call. Rules are plain-language instructions — you describe a situation and tell the receptionist what to do. For example, you might write a rule that says callers who mention a water leak should be transferred immediately, or that after-hours callers should be offered a callback instead of a live transfer. Rules sit alongside your knowledge base entries and give your receptionist the judgment it needs to handle calls the way you would.

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What you can configure with rules

Rules cover four main scenarios:
  • Escalation and transfers — when to warm-transfer a caller to your team and under what conditions
  • After-hours behavior — what to say and do when your business is closed
  • Fallback handling — what happens when the receptionist cannot answer a question
  • Urgency thresholds — how to recognize and respond to high-priority situations
You can add as many rules as your business needs. Write each rule as a clear, specific instruction the receptionist can follow without ambiguity.

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Escalation and urgent call handoffs

When a caller’s situation requires a human, your receptionist performs a warm transfer to the phone number you set in Basic Settings. The receptionist stays on the line until the transfer is connected, so the caller is never dropped into silence. To define when transfers happen, add a rule that describes the trigger. For example:
“If the caller mentions a medical emergency, injury, or urgent safety concern, transfer the call immediately.”
“If the caller asks to speak with the owner or manager by name, transfer the call.”
Callers can always ask to speak with a human, regardless of your rules. Your receptionist will honor that request and either transfer the call or — if no transfer number is configured — offer to take a message or schedule a callback.

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After-hours behavior

Your receptionist answers calls around the clock. Use a rule to tell it how to handle callers who reach out when your business is closed:
“Between 6 PM and 8 AM, and on weekends, let the caller know we are closed and offer to take a message for next-business-day follow-up.”
You can be as specific as you need — different rules for weekends versus weekdays, holiday closures, or reduced-hours periods.

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Fallback behavior

When your receptionist encounters a question it cannot confidently answer from your knowledge base, it does not guess. Instead, it falls back to the behavior you define. Common fallback rules include:
  • Take a message with the caller’s name, number, and question, then promise a follow-up
  • Offer to schedule a callback at a time that works for the caller
  • Transfer to a team member if one is available
Add a fallback rule that matches how you would want your staff to respond in the same situation.
A good fallback rule acknowledges that the receptionist does not have the answer, thanks the caller for their patience, and gives them a clear next step. Callers respond well to transparency.

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Recording and transcripts

Call recording is optional. When enabled, recordings and full transcripts are stored in your dashboard and available for review after each call. You control how long recordings are retained. To enable recording, go to Receptionist → Call handling rules in your dashboard and turn on call recording. Transcripts are always generated for every call, regardless of whether audio recording is on.