Screened transfers · Autessa AI Receptionist
Whisper and press 1
Autessa AI Receptionist uses a whisper and press 1 on every transfer: before a teammate says hello, they hear who is calling, from where and why, and they press 1 to take the call, so their voicemail can never answer it. If nobody picks up within 20 seconds, the AI receptionist comes back on the line and takes a message.
2:07
Incoming transfer · SAMPLE
Dana Whitfield · Northwind Dental: charged twice for October. Press 1 to take the call.
Ringing your browser phone and cell, 20 seconds.
The problem it solves
Transferred straight into someone's voicemail
A blind transfer that lands in a personal voicemail box is worse than no transfer at all: the caller is stuck, and the message is lost outside your system. The whisper gives your teammate context, press 1 proves a person picked up, and the fallback keeps the caller with the receptionist.
What you get
- The whisper says the caller's name, company and reason, then "Press 1 to take the call."
- The browser phone shows "<Name> · <Company>: <reason>" on screen while it rings.
- Press 1 is required, so a cell phone's voicemail cannot accept the call.
- Browser phone and cell ring at the same time when both are on.
- Rings for 20 seconds; if nobody presses 1, the receptionist says "They're not available right now. I'll make sure they get your message." and takes one.
- After a transfer is answered, the receptionist leaves the call.
How it works
How does whisper and press 1 work?
The screener approves
The caller hears "Let me see if they're available."
Your teammate's phones ring
Their browser phone and, if on, their cell, both at once, for 20 seconds.
They hear the whisper
Who is calling, from which company, and why, then "Press 1 to take the call."
They press 1
The caller is connected and the receptionist drops off.
Or the receptionist takes a message
If nobody answers, the receptionist comes back to the caller and takes a message for them.
Every option
What happens on a transfer
| Option | What it does |
|---|---|
| Whisper | Caller name, company and reason, then "Press 1 to take the call." |
| On screen | The browser phone shows the caller, company and reason. |
| Press 1 to accept | Required on every transfer. |
| Where it rings | Browser phone, cell, or both at once, from each teammate's directory card. |
| Ring time | 20 seconds. |
| No answer | The receptionist resumes and takes a message. |
| Transfer type | Cold transfer with a whisper; the receptionist leaves once the teammate takes it. |
| Logged as | "Put through" and "Put through to <name>" on the call. |
Permissions
Who can do what?
| Who | Can |
|---|---|
| Each teammate (their own card) | Choose whether to take calls and where they ring. |
| Callers | Wait briefly while the teammate is rung, or leave a message if they are not available. |
Questions
Questions about whisper and press 1
What does my teammate hear before taking the call?
A whisper with the caller's name, company and reason, then "Press 1 to take the call." The browser phone shows the same details on screen.
Why press 1?
So a voicemail box can never accept the call. Only a person can press 1, which means the caller is never dropped into a stranger's voicemail.
What if they do not answer?
After 20 seconds the receptionist comes back to the caller, says the person is not available, and takes a message.
100% customizable, code and all
Make Autessa AI Receptionist fully your own.
Use it out of the box, then change anything. Ask Autobot, Autessa’s AI builder, for a new field, screen, report, workflow or agent and it builds it into your copy of the app. Or open the code and edit it yourself. Nothing is locked: the app, its data and its code are yours.
Start free and make it yours