How does the Receptionist answer my calls, take messages, and put callers through to my team when I can't pick up?
The Receptionist is your virtual front desk, answering in your business's name only when you can't pick up or you're already on another call. Your phone always rings first, for as long as you choose. If you don't answer, or you're busy, the Receptionist steps in. This is true whether you're a clinic manager with a patient, a real estate agent at a viewing, a lawyer in court, or an electrician on a job.
When it answers, the Receptionist greets callers with your chosen business name and greeting. It recognises existing contacts and greets them by name. The Receptionist can answer common questions about your business, ask up to five intake questions you set, and takes a proper message. It reads the caller's number back to confirm. If you allow, it can give price guides. For topics you want to handle yourself, like invoices or disputes, it simply takes a message.
If a caller needs to be put through, you decide who the Receptionist can connect them to. You can choose any Green Weka user by number, or anyone on your My Team list by name. Set the rule for putting callers through: never, urgent only, or whenever the caller asks. The Receptionist takes the caller's name and reason, then rings your teammate's Green Weka app. If they don't answer, the caller hears an apology and their message is still saved for you. If a team note says to always take a message for someone, that rule wins.
You'll find the Receptionist in the Unanswered calls page on your dashboard and in the mobile app. At the top, set how long your phone rings before the Receptionist answers, and flip the switch between Voicemail and Receptionist. The switch won't turn on until you've saved at least your business name.
Fill in the details cards: the name and voice you want it to use, greeting, about your business, services, hours, location, service area, price guide setting, how bookings work, what to do in an emergency, your team (with notes per person), up to five intake questions, topics to take a message on, who to put callers through to and when, and common questions and answers. Each card saves itself as you type. If you have a website, paste the address and Green Weka will fill in most details for you, just check and edit as needed.
Before you switch it on, you can try your receptionist with a test call from your browser or the app. This lets you hear exactly what callers will experience. Test calls aren't saved.
Callers are greeted in your business's name with your chosen voice and greeting. Known callers are recognised and not asked their name again. The Receptionist answers questions from your details, asks your intake questions, and takes a message. It reads the caller's number back to confirm. If you allow, it can give price guides, but will always take a message on topics you've marked as off-limits. If a caller asks to be put through and your rule allows it, the Receptionist connects them to the right person. If no one answers, the caller is told and their message is still saved.
You choose who the Receptionist can put callers through to: any Green Weka user by number or anyone on your My Team list by name. Set the rule for each person: never, urgent only, or whenever asked. The Receptionist takes the caller's name and reason, then rings your teammate's Green Weka app. If they don't answer, the caller hears an apology and their message is still saved. If a team note says to always take a message, that rule wins.
Receptionist calls show as a purple row on your calls dashboard, marked Receptionist, with a Transcript button. They also appear in your Unanswered inbox (with filters for All, Receptionist, or Voicemail) and in your Action Items as your own tasks (for example, "Call Dana back about the fence"). If a caller requests a specific time, a tentative calendar event titled "Requested: …" is created for you to accept or ignore. You'll get a push notification in the app, and unread Receptionist messages count in the app's badge alongside voicemails.
If you want teammates to ring with you before the Receptionist answers, use the Also ring card on the Unanswered calls page. This lets you pick up to six workmates to ring at the same time as you. See the voicemail topic for more.
Receptionist calls are never recorded: only the transcript is kept. The Receptionist doesn't play its own privacy notice; your usual privacy message setting applies before your phone rings.
The Receptionist is included at no extra cost on HeadRooster/AlphaHen plans and the Fledgeling trial. It's not available on Flock plans.
The Receptionist can't book appointments directly into your calendar yet, and it doesn't send text messages to callers. Both features are planned.
With the Receptionist, you never miss a lead or an important message, no matter how busy your day gets.