Call protocol library: scripts for answering phone calls, by industry

A sample script for answering phone calls

If you just need a phone answering script for yourself or your receptionist, this one works for most small businesses. Replace the words in capitals with your own.

1. Greeting

"Thank you for calling BUSINESS NAME, this is YOUR NAME. How can I help you?"

When our AI answers, that line becomes: "Thank you for calling BUSINESS NAME, this is AI Receptionist, the company’s AI assistant. How can I help you?" It always says it’s an AI.

2. Name, number and reason

"Can I get your name and the best number to reach you, in case we get cut off?"

"And what can we help you with today?"

3. The questions that sort the call

Two or three questions that tell you what kind of call it is. A plumber asks "Is water still running?" A dentist asks "Are you a current patient?" A contractor asks "What’s the address of the property?"

4. One of three next steps

• Transfer: "Let me put you through to SOMEONE."
• Booking: once it’s in the calendar, "You’re booked for DAY at TIME."
• Message: "I’ll pass this to SOMEONE, who will call you back."

5. Close

"Is there anything else I can help with? Thanks for calling BUSINESS NAME."

The three lines people get wrong

• Before a transfer: "May I tell SOMEONE who’s calling and what it’s about? One moment."
• Taking a message: "I’ll make sure SOMEONE gets this today. Is this the best number to call you back on?"
• When asked for a price: "I can’t quote that over the phone, but SOMEONE will confirm the price when they call you."

The last one is the rule behind every protocol here: never promise what the owner hasn’t approved. This receptionist answering phone calls script covers an ordinary call. Which calls are urgent, who gets woken up and what never to say are what the protocols above add.

Script, auto attendant or protocol?

Three things people call a phone script, and they’re not the same.

• An auto attendant script is the recording on a phone menu. Two typical examples: "Thank you for calling. For sales, press 1. For service, press 2." and "You’ve reached BUSINESS NAME. Our office is closed. For emergencies, press 1; to leave a message, press 2." It routes callers by keypress and doesn’t talk with them. If that’s what you’re replacing, see the auto attendant alternative.
• A phone answering script is what a person says: a greeting, a few questions, a close, like the sample above.
• A call protocol is a script plus the rules: the questions in the right order for your industry, when to transfer the call, what counts as urgent, what never to say and what you receive after every call. It’s what our AI receptionist follows.

What every protocol has in common

Whatever the industry, five rules sit underneath every protocol. The reasoning behind each one is on our method.

1. It asks what matters, in the order that gets to the answer fastest.
2. It knows when to hand over, to you, your team or a message.
3. It never promises what you don’t: no prices, dates or advice you haven’t approved.
4. It escalates real emergencies, and puts 911 first when someone is in danger.
5. You see every call: a summary in your inbox, with the recording and transcript in your dashboard.

We start from the protocol for your industry, adapt it to your hours, team, services and wording, and you approve every line before it answers a call. Setup is free, and the three setup steps are on how it works.