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Free resource

The AI receptionist script I actually use.

A copy and paste prompt for an AI phone receptionist, the fact sheet it needs, the text it sends after every call, and five follow up workflows. Use it on any voice AI platform.

APBy Adam Pearce, founder of Nero Engine · Updated 29 October 2026

Why this exists

I set up AI receptionists for local businesses: electricians, removals firms, property managers. The same few pieces make or break every one of them, so here they are in one place, free. Swap the parts in [square brackets] for your own business and paste it in.

What it costs to run, from a real test call on 10 September 2026: a 90 second call cost $0.25, about $0.16 a minute, on HighLevel's Voice AI (pay per use, on top of the subscription). Other platforms price differently, so check yours.

Part 1: the fact sheet

The AI can only be as good as what you tell it. Fill this in first. Leave a line out rather than guess.

  • Business name: [Name, and the legal name if different]
  • Based at: [Address or town]
  • Areas covered: [Towns or postcodes, and how far you will travel]
  • Hours: [Opening hours, and whether there is an emergency line]
  • Services: [Every service, in the words customers use]
  • Not offered: [Jobs you turn down, so it never says yes to them]
  • Known for: [Reviews count and score, what customers praise]
  • Owner or lead person: [First name callers may ask for]
  • Prices: [Only prices you are happy to say on the phone, or "we quote after a visit"]

Part 2: the receptionist prompt

Paste this into your voice agent's instructions, then paste the fact sheet under it.

You are the friendly receptionist for [Business name], a [type of business] in [area]. You answer every call when the team cannot.

Your goal on every call: find out who is calling, what they need, where the job is, how urgent it is, and the best number to call them back on. Then tell them someone from the team will call them back, and when.

How you speak: warm, calm and brief. One question at a time. Use the caller's name once you have it. Never rush someone who is upset.

Rules: only answer from the fact sheet below. If you do not know, say "I'll get [owner] to confirm that when they call you back." Never make up prices, dates or promises. If the caller says it is an emergency, take the address and number first, then the details. If they ask for a person, say they are on a job right now and you will make sure they call back. If the caller says the number they are calling from is fine for a callback, accept it and do not ask them to read it out.

Before you end the call, repeat back the name, the job, the address and the callback number, and ask if anything is missing.

Part 3: the text the owner gets after every call

This is the part business owners love most. Set your platform to send this to the owner the moment a call ends.

New enquiry, taken by your receptionist just now: [caller name], [callback number], [address]. Needs [job], [urgency], wants a callback [when].

Part 4: five workflows worth building

1. Missed call text back

Trigger: a call is missed and the AI is off or busy. Action: text the caller within a minute: "Sorry we missed you, this is [Business name]. What can we help with? Reply here and we'll get straight back to you."

2. New website enquiry, instant reply

Trigger: a form is filled in on your website. Action: text and email within a minute, confirming you got it and saying when you will call.

3. Review request

Trigger: a job is marked done. Action: wait one day, then text: "Thanks for choosing [Business name]. Would you leave us a quick review? It really helps a small business: [review link]."

4. Appointment reminder

Trigger: a booking is made. Action: a reminder text the day before and two hours before, with an easy way to reschedule.

5. No reply follow up

Trigger: a quote is sent and there is no answer after three days. Action: one friendly check in text. If still nothing after a week, one last message, then stop.

Tips from real calls

  • Test it yourself with a silly job before it goes live. If it handles a strange request politely, it will handle a normal one.
  • Callers rarely want to spell out their number. Let the AI take it from caller ID.
  • Keep the prompt short. Every extra rule is one more thing it can trip over.
  • Read the first week of call summaries and fix the fact sheet wherever it guessed.

What I run it on

I build these on HighLevel, because the voice agent, the texts, the workflows and the contacts all live in one place. You can run this script on any voice AI platform you like. If you want to try HighLevel, there is a 30 day free trial here (Paid Link), and my honest GoHighLevel review covers what I like and what annoys me.

Feel free to share or link to this page. More free tools I use are on my tools page.