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A good AI receptionist script says whose company this is, says it is an automated assistant, asks only the questions your office would ask, sends emergencies to a person, and always offers a human. Write the lines in short spoken sentences, define what counts as an emergency in your own terms, and test every path by calling it yourself before customers do.
Key takeaways
- Open with your company name and a plain statement that the caller has reached an automated assistant.
- Ask one question at a time, in the order your best office person asks them.
- Define emergencies in your own words and decide who gets the call, in what order, with what backup.
- Always offer a person. A caller who asks for one should never have to ask twice.
- Never let the script quote prices, diagnose problems or promise arrival times you cannot keep.
An AI receptionist is only as good as the script behind it. A thin script sounds generic and misses things; a good one sounds like your best office person on a calm day. Each item below is a use case, the wording to adapt, and a note on when it applies and what to change. The business in the examples is a fictional company, Example Heating & Air, with a (555) 010-xxxx number. Replace the brackets with your own details, and read every line aloud before you load it. Spoken lines are shorter than written ones. For how the technology works and where it falls short, see our AI receptionist guide, and if you are comparing providers, use the questions to ask a provider.
1. After-hours greeting
Thanks for calling Example Heating & Air. You've reached our automated assistant. The office is closed, but I can take down your request, check whether it's an emergency, and get you on the schedule. What's going on?
When to use it: every call that arrives outside office hours. It says who answered, what they are, and that the caller will get something done. Change: the company name, and the last question so it matches the kind of work you do.
2. Overflow greeting when the office is busy
Hi, this is the automated assistant at Example Heating & Air. Our team is on other calls right now. I can book you, take a message, or help with a quick question. How can I help?
When to use it: when your phone rings through to the assistant after a set number of rings. Tell callers in the greeting why they reached it, so they do not feel passed along. Change: the options, and only list the ones your setup can really finish.
3. Automated assistant disclosure
You're talking with an automated assistant for Example Heating & Air. If you'd rather speak with a person, just say so and I'll connect you or take a message for a callback.
When to use it: in the first ten seconds of every call. Callers who figure out later that they were talking to software feel misled. A few states have started to adopt disclosure rules for businesses that use AI to talk with customers, and the rules differ by state and keep changing, so ask a lawyer how they apply to your calls. Change: nothing about the honesty, only the phrasing to fit your voice.
4. Recording and transcription notice
This call may be recorded and transcribed so we can get your request right. Staying on the line means you're okay with that.
When to use it: right after the greeting, if your system records or transcribes calls. Recording consent laws differ by state, and some require every party's consent. Our guide on recording business calls explains the basics. Change: the wording to match what your lawyer approves, and your actual practice. Do not claim the call is not recorded if the provider stores it.
5. The intake question order
Can I get your name? ... What's the best number to reach you? ... What's the address, or the town, where you need service? ... What's going on with the system? ... Is anything unsafe right now, or is the house without heat or cooling?
When to use it: every non-emergency booking. Ask for the name and number first, because a dropped call still leaves you someone to call back. Ask one question at a time and let the assistant repeat back what it heard. Change: the order to match your best dispatcher, and cut any question you never use.
6. The emergency screening question
I want to make sure we handle this the right way. Is anyone in danger, is there a smell of gas, or is water coming into the house? If so, I'll flag this as an emergency right now.
When to use it: early in the call, before booking. List the situations that count as emergencies at your company, such as no heat in freezing weather for a vulnerable household or an active leak, and write them in your own words. Change: the list. Decide who gets the call, how many attempts to make, and who is the backup if the on-call person does not answer.
7. The life-safety line
If you or anyone else is in danger right now, please hang up and call 911. If you smell gas, leave the building and call your gas company's emergency number or 911 from outside.
When to use it: as soon as a caller mentions danger, smoke, a gas smell or an alarm. Your assistant should not try to diagnose, instruct or troubleshoot. Change: take the exact wording from your gas utility's safety page and local fire department, not from this page. After the caller has been pointed to safety, the assistant can alert your on-call person.
8. Escalating to the on-call person
Thanks, [first name]. I'm marking this as urgent and contacting our on-call technician now. If you don't hear back in [number] minutes, call this number again and say "urgent."
When to use it: after the emergency screen. The assistant should call or text the on-call phone, then a backup, and log each try. Change: the callback window to something you really meet. Never promise an arrival time the assistant cannot see on a calendar. If nobody picks up, the assistant should say so honestly and take a full message, rather than leaving the caller waiting.
9. Outside the service area
Thanks for calling. We don't currently serve [town]. We cover [list of counties or towns]. I'm sorry I can't help with this one, and I'd suggest a company closer to you.
When to use it: when the address falls outside your list. Give the caller a clear no in a few seconds. Change: the service area, and your own rules for edge towns, such as sending those calls to a person during business hours. A graceful no costs less than an hour of drive time.
10. A service you do not offer
We don't work on [service]. We handle [short list of services]. If that's what you need, I can book you now.
When to use it: for calls about work you decline, such as duct cleaning, appliance repair, or commercial rooftop units. List exclusions in your setup, because the assistant cannot guess them. Change: the lists. If you want to refer these callers elsewhere, only name a company you have asked first.
11. The price question
The price depends on what we find at the house, so I won't guess. Our technician gives you a written quote before any work starts. I can book a visit and tell you what the visit fee is.
When to use it: any time a caller asks "how much." Let the assistant state your visit fee only if it is a fixed number you honor on every call. Change: the fee line. The assistant should not quote repair or replacement prices, diagnose over the phone, or compare your price with a competitor's.
12. When the caller asks for a person
Of course. Let me connect you with our team. If nobody's available, I'll take a message and someone will call you back by [time].
When to use it: every time, with no friction. If the person asks twice, the assistant should transfer or take the message immediately. Change: the callback promise to a time your team will keep. Count how often callers ask for a person in the first month. A high number means a script problem to fix, not a caller problem.
13. Fallback when the transfer fails
Sorry, nobody picked up. I've written down everything you told me and marked it for a callback. Can I confirm the best number to reach you, and the best time?
When to use it: when a transfer or on-call attempt rings out. Callers forgive a miss that is handled honestly. They do not forgive silence or a looping menu. Change: the closing lines so they promise a callback only if someone will actually make it. Review the unanswered transfers weekly.
14. Booking confirmation line
You're booked for [day] between [start] and [end] at [address]. A technician will text you when they're on the way. Is there anything else I should pass along, like a gate code or a pet in the house?
When to use it: at the end of every booking. The assistant should only offer windows it can see on a connected calendar. Change: the access questions to match your trade. Our AI reception service connects to the calendar so the slot is real, but any provider you pick needs that connection to avoid double-booking.
15. The upset caller handoff
I'm sorry this has been frustrating. I'm going to get a manager on this, not leave you with a recording. I have your number as [number]. Can I confirm that's the best one?
When to use it: when the assistant detects anger, a complaint, or words like "refund" or "lawyer." It should not argue, defend or offer credits. Change: the name of the person who takes complaints and how fast they call back. Flag these calls at the top of the daily summary so the owner sees them first.
16. The confirmation text after the call
Example Heating & Air: Thanks for calling, [first name]. We have you down for [service] on [day], [window]. Reply here with photos or questions. Reply STOP to opt out.
When to use it: right after a booking, from your business number. It is an informational text about a request the customer made, so keep promotions out of it. Business texting has carrier registration and consent expectations, covered in our SMS rules guide and 10DLC explainer. Change: the details, and keep the message short.
Test every line before customers hear it
Call your own number as a polite customer, a confused one, an angry one, a caller in a town you do not serve, and a caller with an emergency. Call at 2 a.m. Ask for a price. Ask for a person twice. Listen for the pause between the caller's last word and the assistant's reply, and for lines that sound written instead of spoken. Fix one thing at a time, then call again. Keep a short log of what broke and what you changed. A person should read the summaries weekly, because the assistant will misunderstand some callers and the script is where you fix that.
Where to start
If you write only three, write these:
- Script 3, the disclosure line. It sets the honest tone for the whole call.
- Scripts 6 and 7, the emergency screen and the life-safety line. They carry the most risk if they are wrong.
- Script 12, asking for a person. Callers must always be able to reach someone.
Then add the intake order from script 5 and the booking confirmation from script 14. Pair the scripts with a missed-call text back for the calls that never connect.
Frequently asked questions
How long should an AI receptionist greeting be?
Under ten seconds when spoken. Say the company name, that it is an automated assistant, and one question. Everything else belongs later in the call.
Should the assistant say it is an AI?
We recommend it. Callers who find out later feel misled, and a few states have adopted disclosure rules for businesses that use AI with customers. Ask a lawyer how they apply in your state.
Can the assistant give a price over the phone?
Only a fixed number you honor on every call, such as a visit fee. Repair and replacement prices should wait for a written quote after someone sees the job.
How often should I rewrite the script?
Read call summaries weekly for the first month, then monthly. Change a line whenever you see callers confused by it, and retest the full call each time.
General information for service-business owners, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules vary by state; check with a qualified professional for your situation.