A solicitor is in a meeting, an accountant is on a client call and a consultant is on a site visit. The phone rings, nobody answers and a prospective client moves on to the next name. Professional firms rarely have a full-time receptionist, so missed enquiries are common and invisible.
An AI receptionist is one way to close that gap. It is useful, but only if you are clear about what it is for.
What it handles well
- Answering every call or message, day and night, in a calm and consistent way.
- Explaining what the firm does, where it works, how first meetings run and what documents to bring.
- Capturing the details of a new enquiry: who they are, what they need, how urgent it is and how to reach them.
- Booking a consultation into your calendar and sending a confirmation.
- Passing urgent or sensitive matters to a named person straight away.
What it should not do
- Give legal, tax, financial or other professional advice.
- Quote fees beyond the ranges you have approved.
- Make promises about outcomes or timelines.
- Handle complaints or distressed callers without a quick route to a person.
In regulated professions, these limits are not optional. The assistant is the front door, not the adviser.
Confidentiality comes first
Callers often share sensitive facts the moment someone picks up. Decide in advance what the assistant may collect, where recordings and transcripts are stored, who can read them and how long they are kept. Tell callers they are speaking to an automated assistant and give them an easy way to reach a person. Check the data rules that apply to you, such as GDPR in Europe.
How to introduce it without upsetting clients
- Start with after-hours and overflow calls, so no existing client loses a human answer.
- Write the answers you want given to your most common questions.
- Read the first few weeks of transcripts and correct anything that sounds off.
- Only then extend it to busy daytime periods.
Is it right for you?
If you regularly lose enquiries to voicemail, or your best people spend the day answering the same questions, it is worth a trial. If most of your work comes from a handful of referral relationships, you may need it less. Our guide to AI chatbots and agents for small businesses explains how to choose between chat, voice and agents, and how to start safely.