There is no app to install and nothing to learn. You forward a number; your receptionist answers it; the call becomes one sentence where you already work.
Dial the code for your carrier, then your The Front Desk Company number. "No answer" forwarding is the usual choice: your phone still rings first.
| Carrier | Forward always | Forward when no answer | Turn off |
|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T | *21*<number># | *61*<number># | #21# / #61# |
| Verizon | *72 <number> | *71 <number> | *73 |
| T-Mobile | **21*<number># | **61*<number># | ##21# / ##61# |
| Landline (most) | *72 <number> | *92 <number> | *73 / *93 |
| VoIP / office phone system | Settings → Call forwarding → Always | Settings → Call forwarding → No answer / busy | Turn the rule off |
Your number is shown in the dashboard the moment your trial starts, with these codes filled in.
"Thanks for calling your business, this is the front desk. I'll take your name, number and a note for the team." — with her own name. Then she listens: the name, the callback number, what they need in your trade's words. She reads the number back once and says you will call back. She never quotes, books, texts or transfers.
The caller becomes a contact (or matches the one you have), the company is matched from the number, and the call is one line on the record. The same line is emailed to you. Your callback list is the CRM.
No recording is made and no transcript is stored on the Starter plans. The sentence is the record. If you want to hear the calls — and have her text, book and follow up — that is the AI Front Desk at $397, one rung up, same number, same CRM.