In almost every conversation with local business owners, we hear a version of this:
“I like the idea… but what if it says the wrong thing and hurts my business?”
Totally fair. If your phone is your lifeline, you don’t want to experiment during peak hours. The good news: you don’t have to.
So here’s the approach we’ve been recommending (and building FrontSail AI around): Start with out-of-business-hours calls. Not during your busiest hours. Not on your highest-stakes customers. Just after-hours — where the alternative is usually voicemail.
Why after-hours is the perfect “low-risk” setup
When you’re closed, calls often turn into:
- voicemail (which many people hate),
- hang-ups,
- or “I’ll call someone else.”
After-hours coverage lets you capture leads you’d otherwise lose — without touching your daytime workflow.
The greeting is intentionally simple (and it’s more than enough)
One thing we’ve learned: you don’t need a complicated script to get real value.
A greeting like this does the job:
Thanks for calling. We’re currently closed — I’m FrontSail’s AI assistant. I can take a message or help you request a callback.
That’s it. And it works because it accomplishes three important things:
It sets expectations immediately
People aren’t wondering “is this a person?” or “why am I not getting through?” They instantly understand what’s happening and what they can do next.
It keeps the scope tight (which keeps things safe)
After-hours, your #1 goal is not to “solve everything.” It’s to capture intent and details so you can follow up efficiently.
It feels professional, not gimmicky
Customers don’t need a performance. They want a clear path forward. Simple beats clever.
Why we don’t want to “pretend to be human”
Some folks assume the AI should sound like a human receptionist. In practice, that’s usually the wrong move — especially early.
Here’s why we prefer to be transparent:
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Trust is the real conversion lever. If a customer realizes they’ve been “tricked,” it can create instant friction — even if the AI was helpful.
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Clarity reduces mistakes. When callers know they’re talking to an assistant, they naturally keep requests concise and goal-oriented (message / callback / basic info). That’s exactly what you want after-hours.
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It protects your brand. You’re not trying to pass a “Turing test.” You’re trying to deliver a reliable experience. Honest + helpful wins.
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It makes escalation feel normal. If the assistant says, “I can take a message and the team will follow up,” that’s a great outcome. No awkwardness.
Setup is intentionally simple (2 steps)
1) Set your greeting + expectations
FrontSail AI can start in “after-hours mode” with a clear message-taking / callback flow.
2) Get notified + follow up when you’re ready
You’ll receive notifications when calls come in and messages are left. You call back when you have time, with context.
”But what if it says the wrong thing?”
That’s the elephant in the room.
Starting after-hours makes this safe because:
- the alternative is typically voicemail (low conversion anyway),
- you can limit the assistant’s job to capturing details, not making promises,
- and you can review what happened and tighten it over time.
Bonus: you get visibility you probably never had
Later, you’ll be able to review each call (audio + transcript), and FrontSail AI will also show trends over time:
- when people typically call (days/times),
- what they ask about most,
- what issues come up repeatedly.
That gives you a clearer picture of customer demand — and helps you tune both your business and the assistant.
By the way…
If your phone provider can’t easily do time-based forwarding rules, that’s okay. FrontSail AI can handle business-hours logic directly: you set your hours in the platform and the receptionist takes care of the rest. (Nice-to-have — but the big win is still the low-risk after-hours rollout.)