Outfitter Learn · Front Desk · Question

What happens when Front Desk answers a call?

The short answer

When you don’t pick up, Front Desk answers, says it’s your company’s AI assistant and takes the message the way you would. It reads the message back once, then texts and emails you who called, what they want, the callback number and whether it’s urgent. Every call is logged with a transcript.

From Outfitter AI · Updated October 11, 2026

Who it’s for: Contractors whose phone rings while their hands are full: on a ladder, under a sink, behind the wheel.

What the caller hears and what you get

Your phone rings first. If you don’t answer, Front Desk picks up.
The caller hears a greeting that says it’s an AI assistant, in your cloned voice or a natural voice you picked.
It asks the questions you taught it and answers from what you told it. A homeowner, your sub and the inspector each get handled the way you said.
Before hanging up, it reads the message back so the caller knows it’s right.
A text and an email land on your phone. Urgent calls are marked urgent. You call back in the order you choose.

What it costs

35¢ a minute while Front Desk is on the phone with your callers, paid from your tokens. Calling your own line to hear your messages is free.

What it won’t do

It never states a visit time as confirmed. It pre-schedules and tells the caller you’ll confirm.
It never invents a price, a date or a policy.
Robocalls never reach you.

An example

It’s 7:05 on a weeknight. A homeowner calls about water in the basement after a storm and wants someone out this week. Front Desk tells him you’ll call tomorrow, takes the details and texts you at 7:09: name, number, what happened, marked urgent. Dinner stays dinner, and he never dials the next name on the list.

Common questions

What does the text from Front Desk include?

Who called, what they wanted in their own words, the callback number, and whether it's urgent. The same message comes by email.

What if a sub or my wife calls?

Front Desk handles them the way you told it to in the setup interview. A sub gets a message taken, and family gets a warm hello and no business talk.

Can I hear my messages by phone?

Yes. Call your own line from your phone and Front Desk reads your messages back, newest first, and skips what you've handled.

Is every call recorded somewhere?

Every call is logged in your workspace with a transcript and its outcome, so you can search it later.

See it for your business

Everything on this page is part of Outfitter. Free to join, no contracts, and you only pay for what runs.

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Keep reading

Front DeskWhat is Front Desk, Outfitter’s AI receptionist?Front DeskHow does Front Desk pre-schedule a job?Front DeskWhat happens to my after-hours calls?GuideHow to book more jobs from phone calls

Last updated October 11, 2026. Prices and features change; if something here is out of date, call or text (507) 628-0400 and we’ll fix it.