This guide walks you through building an AI Receptionist from scratch using the New Assistant wizard. It takes about five minutes. You can change anything later, so don't worry about getting every detail perfect on the first pass.
Before you start
- You need a ReliaRing calling plan with the AI Receptionist add-on enabled.
- It helps to have a phone number ready to assign to the assistant, but you can add that afterwards.
Open the wizard
- In the portal, go to AI Receptionist → My Assistants.
- Click New Assistant (if you already have assistants, this is the button at the top of the list).
The wizard has five steps, shown as a progress bar across the top.
Step 1: Basic Info
Give your assistant a name that describes its job, such as Main Reception or Sales Assistant. This name is only for you — callers never hear it. If your plan includes more than one tier, you'll also pick a tier here; a higher tier offers more voice choices.
Step 2: Voice & Language
Choose the language your assistant speaks and the voice it uses. You can preview any voice before you pick it by clicking the play button next to it, so you can hear exactly how your callers will be greeted. For help deciding, see Choosing a Voice for Your AI Assistant.
Step 3: Messages
Write the words your assistant says:
- Greeting Message — the first thing every caller hears, for example: "Thanks for calling Acme Plumbing. How can I help you today?"
- A fallback message for when the assistant doesn't understand a request.
- An after-hours message if you want it to say something different outside business hours.
Keep greetings short, friendly, and specific to your business.
Step 4: Capabilities
Choose what your assistant is allowed to do. Each one is a simple on/off switch:
- Transfer Calls — route callers to team members or departments. (On by default.)
- Take Messages — record and pass along messages when no one is available. (On by default.)
- Schedule Appointments — collect the details to book a meeting or callback. (Off by default.)
- Qualify Leads — gather information and note potential customers. (Off by default.)
You can turn any of these on later, so start with what you need now.
Step 5: Review
Check your choices and click Create. Your new assistant appears in My Assistants, switched off for now — it won't answer any calls until you turn it on.
What to do next
After creating your assistant, finish setting it up:
- Assign a phone number so callers can reach it.
- Add knowledge base content so it can answer questions.
- Configure transfer destinations (if you turned on transfers).
- Set up lead qualification questions (if you turned on lead capture).
A faster start: build from your website
Short on time? On the My Assistants page choose the import from website option instead of the blank wizard. Point it at your business website and it drafts a starter assistant — greeting and knowledge included — from your existing content. Review and edit everything before you turn it on.
Your assistant is created but still off. Next, teach it about your business: Teaching Your AI Assistant About Your Business, then Connecting Your AI Assistant to Your Calls.