Introduction

Your assistant is the voice callers meet in Receptionist mode, and the name the front desk uses in every mode. Out of the box she is called Nora, sounds like Marin, and knows nothing about you. This guide walks through everything you can change.

Where the settings live

Shield settings page

How calls are handled and what the front desk says:

  • Mode: Open, Do not disturb, Receptionist
  • Assistant name
  • Voice: Marin or Cedar
  • Greeting and message prompt
  • Favorites, contacts and block lists

AI profile

How your assistant thinks and what she knows:

  • Name and instructions
  • Personality
  • Language and speech speed
  • Knowledge
  • Conditional responses

Name, voice and speech speed

On Shield settings, give your assistant a name and choose her voice. In the AI profile, set the language she speaks and how fast.

Name

Nora is the default. Callers hear it in the greeting and when she introduces herself; your notifications use it too. Pick something short that you would be happy to say out loud: “Nora”, “Sam”, “the office”.

Voice

Two voices are available:

  • Marin: clear and even; the default
  • Cedar: warmer and a little lower

The front desk greeting is pre-rendered in the voice you pick, so it sounds the same every time.

Language and speech speed

Set the language she speaks and adjust the speed. Slightly slower than normal conversation works well on the phone, especially for older callers or anyone on a bad line.

SlowNormalFast

Greeting and message prompt

Both are on Shield settings. The greeting is the first thing every non-favorite caller hears; the message prompt is what they hear when a message is about to be taken.

Examples

Greeting, personal line

“Hi, you’ve reached Lena’s phone. This is Nora. Can I get your name and what it’s about?”

Greeting, business line

“Thanks for calling Harbor Dental, this is Nora at the front desk. Who’s calling, and how can we help?”

Message prompt

“Lena can’t take this right now. Tell me what you need and the best number to reach you, and I’ll pass it on.”

Personality and instructions

In the AI profile, pick a personality and write instructions. The personality sets the tone; the instructions tell her what to do.

Friendly

Warm and conversational. Puts callers at ease and makes a good first impression for a personal line.

Professional

Formal and articulate. Sounds like the front desk of an established business.

Efficient

Direct and brief. Gets the reason for the call and the callback number without small talk.

Supportive

Patient and reassuring. Good for callers who may be anxious, older, or unsure why they were asked to explain themselves.

Instructions

Plain sentences work. Say who you are, who should be put through, what to collect, and what never to do:

“You answer for Harbor Dental. Existing patients with pain or a broken appliance should be connected to me. New patients: get their name, number and what they need, and say we’ll call back within the hour. Never quote prices; say the office will confirm. Insurance and billing questions: take a message.”

“You answer Lena’s personal phone. Family and the school are on her favorites list already. Anyone selling anything: say she isn’t interested and end the call. Deliveries and tradespeople: take a message with a callback number. Be brief and friendly.”

What your assistant does on a call

In Receptionist mode she speaks first and already knows why the caller said they were calling at the front desk. From there she can:

Connect the caller to you

When the call is worth an interruption, she rings you in the PhoneShield app, with the caller's name on the screen. If you do not pick up, she takes a message instead.

Save a structured message

Caller name, callback number and what they need, saved to your Messages feed and delivered to your channels. The whole conversation is kept with it.

Flag spam and end the call

If the call turns out to be a pitch or a scam, she says so, ends it politely, and the call is recorded with that reason. She hangs up after the goodbye on every call; nobody is left on the line.

A call, start to finish

  1. The caller dials your number, which forwards to PhoneShield
  2. Not blocked, not a favorite, so they meet the front desk and say who they are and why
  3. The intent is classified and, in Receptionist mode, your assistant picks up the conversation
  4. She connects them to you, answers from her knowledge, or saves a message
  5. She says goodbye and hangs up; the call appears in call history as ASSISTANT with the reason, and any message lands in your feed and channels

Knowledge and conditional responses

Knowledge

Facts she can answer from without bothering you:

  • Opening hours and address
  • What you do and do not do
  • Prices, if you want them given out
  • The two or three questions callers always ask
  • Who is who, if more than one person works with you

Conditional responses

Fixed answers for particular situations:

IF the caller asks about parking THEN “There’s free parking behind the building; the entrance is on Elm Street.”
IF the caller says they are from the bank or a government agency THEN “I can’t verify that on this line. Please send a letter or leave a case number and we’ll call the published number back.”

Testing your assistant

After saving, call yourself and listen:

  1. Set the mode to Receptionist and call your number from a phone that is not a favorite
  2. Listen to the greeting: the name, the voice, the speed
  3. Try a few callers:
    • Ask something covered by her knowledge
    • Ask to speak to you, to test that the app rings
    • Leave a message, then read it in the Messages feed
    • Say something that should trigger a conditional response
  4. Open the call in call history and read the conversation
  5. Adjust the instructions and try again