Turn on calls from your AI
- 1Click AI receptionist in the menu, then the Calls & messages tab.
- 2Scroll to Calls your AI makes.
- 3Turn on Call back missed callers, Call new website leads, or both. Each switch saves straight away; there's no Save button.
Takes about 1 minute. To stop, turn the switch off: nobody else is called from then on.
If a yellow note shows under the title instead, the switches can't run yet. The note says why, and the fixes are under Troubleshooting below.
Call back missed callers
When a call is missed (the caller hung up before your AI answered, said nothing, or the AI couldn't answer), your AI calls the person back once, 5 to 30 minutes later, and only while you're open.
It opens with: "Hi, this is Audrey, the AI assistant for (your business). I'm returning your call from a few minutes ago. How can I help you?" Then it helps them like on any call: it answers questions, books appointments and passes them to your team when needed.
A missed call more than 30 minutes old is never called back. So calls missed while you're closed aren't returned the next morning; your team sees them under Calls.
Call new website leads
When someone in your website chat (typed or by voice) gives their phone number and hasn't booked, your AI asks once whether a quick call would help, but only while you're open. If they say yes, it calls them once, usually within 3 to 10 minutes. People who are called within minutes are much more likely to book.
The call opens with their first name and what they asked about, for example: "Hi Sam, this is Audrey, the AI assistant for Acme Cooling. You got in touch on our website about AC repair, so I'm giving you a quick call to help. Is now a good time?" Your AI already knows what they asked in the chat, so it doesn't ask everything again.
Nobody is called just for leaving a number: only people who said yes to a call.
Call leads from your own web form
If your own website form sends leads to Frontivo.io with the API (POST /api/v1/leads, for example from a Zapier, Make or n8n step), add callConsent: true to the lead only when the person ticked a box like "OK to call me". With it, also send consentText (the exact words they agreed to) and consentSourceUrl (the web address of the form). Your AI then calls them within minutes, the same way as a website chat lead.
Leads sent without callConsent: true are never called. To keep calls to people who asked for them, your AI calls at most 10 leads sent in this way a day, and never a number that was already on an older lead. How to send leads in with an API key is in API keys.
Who your AI never calls
- Hidden, withheld, blocked and spam numbers.
- Numbers outside your business's country (the US and Canada count as one).
- Anyone who told your AI "don't call me again", and anyone who texted STOP to you.
- The same number twice in a day, or the same person twice for one missed call or one enquiry.
- People you're already in touch with: since then they called, texted, chatted or booked, or your team replied or took over the conversation.
- Missed calls already passed to your team (the caller left a voicemail, or a transfer nobody picked up), because your team was asked to call back.
- Website visitors who didn't say yes to a call, test chats, and leads from calls, texts, WhatsApp, social messages, email or ones your team added.
- Anyone while you're closed, your AI receptionist is paused or turned off for calls, or your plan's call minutes have run out.
What the person hears
- Your AI says right away that it's your AI assistant, with your business name.
- Their phone shows your Frontivo.io number. If they call it back, your AI answers.
- The first line is in your AI receptionist's language (English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese or Filipino; other languages start in English). After that your AI replies in the language they speak.
- If voicemail answers, your AI leaves a short message with your number and hangs up.
- If they want a person, your AI puts the call through to your team, the same as on any call (on plans with live call transfer), or takes a message for your team.
- If it isn't a good time, your AI tells them they can call your number back any time, or takes a message so your team can call them later, and wraps up politely.
When someone says "don't call me again"
If the person says "don't call me again", "stop calling me" or the same in another language, your AI apologises, says goodbye and ends the call. Their number goes on your do-not-call list and your AI never calls it again. A note shows in that conversation in your Inbox.
They can still call you, and your AI answers as usual. Your team can still call them from your own phone.
- 1Only if they ask to be called again: click AI receptionist in the menu, then the Calls & messages tab.
- 2Under Calls your AI makes, find them in Asked not to be called and click Allow again.
Cost and plans
Calls from your AI come with every plan that has phone answering: Phone Only, Starter and Growth. There's no extra fee: each call uses your plan's call minutes, like a call your AI answers. A call nobody picks up costs nothing.
In some countries a call minute counts as 2 or 3 (see Phone numbers by country). In a few countries where calling a mobile costs more than receiving a call, for example Japan and Switzerland, each minute of your AI's own calls counts as 2. Calls stop when your minutes run out.
They aren't part of the free trial, because trials don't include a phone number. You can still talk to your AI by voice in your browser on the Test tab.
See the calls your AI made
Every call shows under Calls with an outgoing arrow, and in your Inbox with the full transcript and a short summary, like any call. If you record calls, the recording is there too.
When your AI calls a website lead, the lead's history under Leads says "Your AI receptionist called them about their enquiry".
Hear it yourself: Call me now
- 1Click AI receptionist in the menu, then the Test tab.
- 2Under Call me now, check the number we'll call (your team's mobile number), or type your mobile number. It must be a number in your business's country.
- 3Click Call me now and answer the call. Talk to your AI like a customer would.
This test call uses your normal greeting, so you hear exactly what your callers hear. It's marked as a test and doesn't count toward your minutes. You can make 3 an hour. More in Test your AI.
The rules where you work
Calling customers is regulated in many countries. Frontivo.io only calls people who contacted you first, says it's an AI right away, calls only during your opening hours and between 8 AM and 9 PM where the person is, and keeps a do-not-call list. You're still responsible for following the rules where you work, for example consent and do-not-call lists.
In the US, for example, calls made with an AI voice generally need the person's consent, which is why website leads are only called after they say yes. If you're not sure, check with an adviser before you turn these calls on.
Troubleshooting
The card says "This needs your own Frontivo.io phone number"
Your AI calls from your own Frontivo.io number. Get one under Integrations > Phone calls; once it shows as active, the switches work. During the free trial there's no number, so use the voice test on the Test tab instead.
It says "Your plan doesn't include phone answering"
Calls from your AI come with the plans that include phone answering: Phone Only, Starter and Growth. Add phone answering on the Plan & Billing page.
It says your AI is paused, turned off for calls, or asks you to confirm your email
Press Resume at the top of the AI receptionist page, turn your AI back on under Integrations > Phone calls, or click the link in the email we sent you. The switches work again straight away.
It says "Calls from your AI aren't available right now"
This is on our side. Try again in a few minutes. If it stays, tell us on the Support page.
My AI didn't call back a missed caller
Check Who your AI never calls above. Most often you were closed (it only calls during the opening hours in Settings > Hours), the call was more than 30 minutes old by then, the number was hidden or from another country, the caller texted or called again, or the call was passed to your team as a voicemail.
My AI didn't call a website lead
Only people who said yes to a quick call are called, and your AI only offers one while you're open. Open the conversation in your Inbox to see whether they said yes. Leads who booked, or whom your team already replied to, aren't called either.
Customers say the call showed as "Spam Likely"
Mobile carriers sometimes label calls from business numbers they don't know yet. Your AI says who it is right away and leaves a voicemail with your number. Tell us on the Support page and we'll check your number's caller registration.
Someone asked not to be called by mistake
Go to AI receptionist > Calls & messages > Calls your AI makes, find them under Asked not to be called and click Allow again. On plans with the Customers page, you can also open the customer and click Allow AI calls again.