AI receptionist

What the AI receptionist does

The AI receptionist is a voice-based assistant that answers calls on behalf of your business. It uses natural, conversational speech powered by a real-time AI model. Callers hear a professional greeting, are asked for their details, and get a smooth handoff experience, as though they are speaking to a real receptionist.

What callers experience

When someone calls your Tideflow number (or a forwarded number), this is what happens:

1. Greeting— The receptionist answers with your business name and a friendly opening.
2. Caller identification— It asks for the caller's name and collects their phone number if not already available from caller ID.
3. Reason for calling— It asks why they are calling and listens to their response.
4. Wrap-up— The receptionist confirms it has everything, thanks the caller, and ends the conversation naturally.

The entire interaction typically lasts under two minutes and produces a structured call record that you can review immediately.

What happens after the call

Once the call ends, Tideflow creates a record that includes:

• Caller name and phone number
• A summary of the caller's reason for calling
• A full recording and transcription
• Timestamps and call duration

If you have integrations like Slack or webhooks configured, notifications are sent automatically after the call is processed.

When to use the AI receptionist

The AI receptionist works best when:

• You want every caller to have a conversational, professional experience
• You need structured details (name, reason, contact) captured consistently
• You miss calls regularly and cannot rely on voicemail alone
• You want call summaries that are ready to act on without listening to recordings

AI receptionist vs voicemail

Switching modes

You can switch between AI receptionist and voicemail mode at any time from your workspace settings. The change takes effect on the next incoming call. See voicemail mode for details on the alternative.