How to set up an AI front desk: what to expect
The steps from a two-minute form to going live, what to have ready, what we never do, and how to judge the first weeks. No downloads, no guesswork.
By Viravance Editorial · Updated · 5 min read
Setting up an AI front desk isn't a download and a prayer. A good setup is a short conversation about your business, a few connections, and a real test before any customer sees it. Here's what to expect, and what to have ready.
The steps
- Tell us about your business, what you sell, what your website runs on, and what you want the assistant to do. The first form takes about two minutes.
- A short setup call goes through the details that matter: your products and prices, hours, shipping and tax, returns, who to alert, and what the assistant should never say.
- We connect it to your tools: your store or catalog, your payment account and your calendar. You sign in to your own accounts, so we never take passwords or keys by email.
- It learns from your website and from what you tell it.
- We place a real test order, end to end, before any customer sees it.
- The chat goes on your site, usually one line of code, and the phone line is set up if you want one.
- You go live, and we watch the first conversations with you.
What to have ready
- Your product list or services, with prices and options.
- Your hours, shipping rules, tax settings and returns policy, in plain words.
- Access to whoever can add a line of code to your website, or your developer's contact.
- Your payment account (Stripe or Square) and calendar, if you book appointments.
- Who should be alerted when the assistant needs a person.
How long it takes
It depends on the connections. A site where you can add a script and a calendar can be quick. A custom-built site, a large catalog or a store that needs orders placed in its own system takes longer. You get a date on the setup call, not a guess.
What we don't do
- We never take card numbers. Customers pay on the payment processor's hosted page.
- We don't ask for your passwords or keys by email or chat.
- We don't turn ordering on until a test order works.
After you go live
Read the first conversations in your inbox and the hand-offs, and teach the assistant what it didn't know. Your dashboard shows the sales it landed, so you can judge it on results.
How to choose an AI receptionist: 9 questions to ask first.
Common questions
Do I need a developer?
Often not. You need someone who can add a line of code to your site. If that's a developer or agency, we'll work with them.
Is the first month really free?
Yes, every new account starts with a free first month and no card is needed to start.
Can I try it before I connect anything?
Yes. The live demo shows how it answers and takes an order, with no signup.
See the AI front desk in action
Try the live demo, then we'll plug it into your own site — behind your brand, curated to your business.