An AI receptionist that answers the studio phone and books the session

What it does on a call

Answers when you choose. Set working hours so it picks up after hours, at weekends and on holidays. During opening hours your phone rings as usual, and it can be set up as a backup that answers when nobody picks up before the ring timeout.

Answers questions from your studio’s information. Session types, prices, what to wear, where you are, how long a session takes. It answers from the price list, FAQs and policies you give it.

Books the session. It offers real openings from your Allio calendar, respects buffers and minimum notice, asks for the details you need, such as an email address, and confirms the booking. Your calendar’s usual booking confirmation goes out, as long as notifications are switched on for that calendar.

Hands over to a person. If a caller needs you, it can transfer the call or take a message and create a task for your team.

Leaves a full record. Recording, transcript and summary can be saved in your call log, and you can get a summary by email after each call.

Calls it can make, too

The same AI can also be set up to make calls, such as confirming tomorrow’s sessions or following up a consultation the client asked about. Treat these as automated calls. In the US, AI voice calls generally need the client’s prior consent, and marketing calls need prior express written consent. In Australia, marketing calls have set calling hours and Do Not Call rules. Allio limits AI calls to 8am to 8pm in the client’s time zone and one call per number per day, but that’s a product limit, not a legal calling window, so check the rules where you work before you switch it on.

Why a studio uses one

Plenty of portrait clients still pick up the phone. A call that rings out often becomes a booking with another studio. The missed call text back catches some of them. An AI receptionist catches the conversation itself.

It does more than an answering service. A traditional answering service takes a message. The AI answers the question and books the session.

It works for a one person studio. You don’t need a front desk to need a receptionist. If you’re the photographer, the editor and the bookkeeper, it covers the calls you can’t take.

It’s built into your phone system. The AI answers your Allio studio number, part of the studio phone system already in your plan. If clients call a different number, forward it to your Allio number. Prefer text? See AI enquiry replies.

Setting it up

1. Add your studio information: session types, prices, location, policies and common questions.
2. Choose when it answers: after hours, weekends or holidays.
3. Pick the calendar it books into, and the details it should collect.
4. Write a short greeting in your studio’s voice. Say it’s the studio’s AI assistant and that calls are recorded, and switch on the recording message in your phone settings, because it’s a setting, not automatic. Before you switch on recording or transcription, set up the notice and consent your clients’ locations require. A recording announcement alone may not be enough.
5. Test it by calling your own number, then switch it on.

Setup note: the AI receptionist uses your Allio studio number. If you’re new to Allio, calling works as soon as your number is live.