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Knowledge base

The AI receptionist knowledge base

Plain-language guides to answering calls, booking appointments and running the front desk with voice AI — written by the team that builds Sonorch, from what we see on real calls.

In-depth guides
6
Minutes of reading
34
Last updated
13 September 2026

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Six topics, each with a guide that goes all the way down — kept current as the product and the phone networks change.

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What is an AI receptionist? How it works, what it handles, and what it costs

An AI receptionist answers your business phone in natural conversation and acts on what callers ask. How it works, what it handles well, where it falls short, and how to judge the price.

Read the guide7 min read
  • An AI receptionist is only as useful as what it is connected to. One that cannot see your live calendar can take a message, but it cannot book.
  • The hard part is not the voice. It is hearing a service name correctly on a bad line, and knowing when the caller has finished talking.
  • Prices come per minute, per call or flat monthly. Compare them on your busiest month, not your average one.
  • Test one with the calls that go wrong: a change of mind mid-sentence, a vague time like “afternoon”, a regular who asks for “the usual”.

Quick answers

The first question each guide answers, in a few sentences — with the whole guide a click away.

What is an AI receptionist?An AI receptionist is software that answers a business phone in natural conversation and acts on what the caller asks, such as booking, rescheduling or cancelling an appointment, or answering questions about hours and prices. The useful ones are connected to the business’s scheduling system, so they book into the live calendar instead of taking a message.Read the guide
How do I forward calls to another number?Dial your carrier’s forwarding code from the phone you want to forward: *72 followed by the 10-digit number on Verizon, or **21* followed by the number and # on AT&T and T-Mobile. Wait for the confirmation, then test by calling from a different phone.Read the guide
What is a call flow?A call flow is the set of rules that decides what happens to each incoming call: who or what answers, what the caller can do without waiting, when the call is handed to a person, and what happens if nobody is available.Read the guide
How much does a missed call cost a business?Multiply your missed calls by the share that were trying to book, the share that then booked elsewhere, and your average visit value. A salon missing 20 calls a week with a $65 average visit, where half were bookings and half of those went elsewhere, loses about $325 a week.Read the guide
What is double booking?Double booking is when two confirmed appointments need the same person, room or resource at the same time. It usually happens when bookings are taken from more than one copy of the calendar, or when services are entered shorter than they really take.Read the guide
What is voice AI?Voice AI is software that understands spoken language and replies in speech. On a phone call it combines speech recognition, a language model that decides what to say or do, and speech synthesis, plus timing logic that decides when to speak.Read the guide

More ways to get answers

Help centerHow to do it in SonorchStep-by-step setup: your phone number, hours, services, payments and your account.Visit the help center
InsightsWriting for the people running the floorNo-shows, commission, staffing and the phone, with the arithmetic shown.Read the latest
FAQWhat owners ask firstShort answers on the receptionist, the register, pricing, setup and your data.See the answers

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