What's the best script customization for an AI virtual receptionist?

With more and more small businesses turning to AI receptionists for answering phone calls, people wonder how to put together a good script that sounds natural and accomplishes what they want from a phone call.

In this guide, we’ll show you why customizing a "script" is a bit different than one that you would use for a human receptionist and present smart ways to customize it so your callers have a better experience. We’ll cover simple changes that can help you book more appointments and reduce mistakes, plus give you ready-to-use templates and helpful tools.

Here’s what you’ll find: script packs for different industries, templates for common call scenarios, and simple stats to help you measure what’s working. We’ll also walk you through setting everything up in Upfirst, step by step.

What script customization means for AI receptionists

Putting together a script for an AI receptionist isn't exactly giving it lines and having it follow the template word-for-word. It's more so giving it a prompt, or instructions on what to do or say when handling different types of inquiries.

Example: "If a caller isn't a current client and wants to book an appointment, first ask them what type of service they are looking for."

Customizing your AI receptionist script means giving it clear instructions and the right business info, so it can handle calls the way you want. This includes what your receptionist should say, what questions to ask, and when to bring in a real person.

• Prompts set the AI’s goal for each call, tells it how to handle specific types of calls and inquiries, and guide its tone.
• Knowledge is where you store your business details and prompts—hours, services, prices, call handling instructions, and more.
• Questions are the pieces of information you need to collect, like the caller’s name, phone number, or type of service.
• Transfer rules tell the AI who to send the call to (for example, which team handles which kind of request).

Prompting might be similar, but interface will differ between AI platforms

Before diving even deeper, you should know that the way you customize scripts will differ between AI answering services, but the idea of prompting instructions remains the same. 

One AI receptionist platform might have you customize scripts in a workflow builder or phone tree, while another might actually have you upload a script. 

When it comes to setting up an AI receptionist with Upfirst, creating and uploading a whole carefully worded script isn't necessary.

All you need to do is add information about your business in the AI's Knowledge base, the custom questions you want to ask callers (like for lead qualification or message intake), and any instructions for call transfers you may need. Your Upfirst agent will take care of the rest.

We find that it's simpler this way because it gives you more control in an easy-to-use interface over customizations of your AI receptionist. So, this guide will explain scripts and prompts for how it's typically done with Upfirst.

Core customizations that make a difference

A great AI virtual receptionist script starts by collecting six key details on every call:

• Who: The caller’s name and callback number
• What: A quick summary of why they’re calling
• When: Their preferred dates, times, or deadlines
• Where: ZIP code, city, or address (if it matters):
• Urgency: Is this an emergency, does it need same-day attention, or is it flexible?
• Contact method: Do they want a call back, text, or email?

You can also add some quick qualifying questions. For example, asking “Have we helped you before?” helps separate new and returning clients. For new callers, offer a brief menu: “Are you calling about maintenance, a new lease, or something else?”

If you have qualifying questions that you need your receptionist to ask, Upfirst makes it easy to add into the AI's script, shown in the video below.

If you're a property manager or even a roofer working in a turbulent weather conditions, then setting up call routing may be important to incorporate in your script. Some examples:

• Use clear instructions to send callers to the right person or team
• Route by keyword: if someone says “electrical panel,” send the call to your electrical experts
• If the AI isn’t sure, send the call to a general intake line

Example prompt for transferring in emergencies: "Transfer the call if the caller is experiencing a home emergency, like a roof collapse or rapid ceiling leaks."

Example prompt for real estate agents: "Transfer the call to our on-call agent if the caller says they are looking to sell their home or property as soon as possible."

Do you see the idea? If you're a frequent ChatGPT or Claude user, prompting a script for an AI receptionist will come easy for you since this is very similar.

When I help a client set up their AI, my goal for setting up scripts is to make the prompts as simple and instructionally clear as possible.

Industry-specific script templates

Property management

Calls usually fall into three groups: maintenance, leasing, or owner questions. Start by asking, “Are you a current resident, an owner, or calling about a new lease?”

For maintenance, safety is always first: “Is anyone in danger, or is there an active leak, gas smell, or exposed wiring?” If yes, you can transfer immediately to the on-call maintenance team or send a call notification to the most appropriate person. Either way depends on your workflow and how you'd like to handle the situation.

For regular maintenance, collect:

• Property name, address, and unit number
• What the issue is and how urgent it is
• Best time for a service visit

Example prompt/script:

Greeting: Hi, this is Green Meadows Apartments. I'm the company's virtual receptionist, and I can help schedule appointments, file maintenance requests, or send a direct message. Are you a current resident, an owner, or calling about a new lease?

Call transfer prompt: Transfer the call to our maintenance team if the caller is experiencing a serious maintenance issue.

For asking questions for regular maintenance: 

• Address details: For regular maintenance requests, ask the caller for property name, address, and unit number.
• Issue description: For regular maintenance requests, ask the caller what the issue is and how urgent it is.
• Best time for visit: For regular maintenance requests, ask the caller what the best time is for a service visit.

Legal practice

Calls for law firms usually fall into two categories: is the caller current client, or are they a potential client who is seeking a consultation?

Collect the case type, location, how urgent it is, and the basics like name and phone.

If it’s a criminal case with a court date in the next 48 hours, transfer quickly to your on-call attorney. Otherwise, guide the caller to book an appointment or let them know that someone from your team will follow up with them soon.

Example prompt/script:

Greeting: Hi, you've reached Redwood Legal Group. I can help schedule consultations or send a direct message to our attorney. How can I help you today?

Call transfer prompt: Transfer the call to our on-call attorney if the caller has a court date or a deadline that's due in the next 48 hours.

For basic legal intake: 

• Name: If the caller wants to schedule a consultation, ask them for their name.
• Service needed: If the caller wants to schedule a consultation, ask them what service they need.
• Best time for consultation: If the caller wants to schedule a consultation, ask them what is the best time for them to meet.

Home services

Home services businesses usually want a simple intake to take a message or schedule appointments.

Instruct your AI to collect name, phone, and preferred appointment time. If you can, have the AI software integrate with your calendar tools directly, so that it can book appointments right into your calendar. 

Example prompt/script:

Greeting: Hi, this is MK Roofing. I can help schedule an appointment or send a direct message to our team. How can I help you today?

Call transfer prompt: Transfer the call to the office if the caller is experiencing a home emergency, like a rapid roof leak or roof falling in.

For appointment scheduling: 

• Name: If the caller wants to schedule an appointment, ask them for their name.
• Phone: If the caller wants to schedule an appointment, ask them for their phone.
• Service needed: If the caller wants to schedule an appointment, ask them what service they need.
• Preferred appointment time: If the caller wants to schedule an appointment, ask them what is the best time for them.

Scenario-based customizations

After-hours calls: Start with a safety disclaimer—“If this is a life-threatening emergency, please call 911.” Then confirm if the issue is urgent or if it can wait until morning. Collect the important details, like name, phone, and reason for the call.

Example prompt: If the caller is calling after our business hours, collect their name, phone, and reason for call. After collecting the info, let them know that someone will follow up with them the next business day.

Multilingual support: Offer a language greeting at the start: “Hi, thanks for calling ABC Company. Hola, has llamado a ABC Company. Si deseas continuar en español, solo házmelo saber.”

AI receptionists can switch back-and-forth between languages on the spot, so all you need to do is let the caller know if they'd like to continue the conversation in their preferred language that they can just let the receptionist know what language they'd prefer.

Testing and measuring your script

Test how your receptionist answers calls every week for the best results. Change just one thing at a time, like the greeting, a qualifying question, a knowledge base item, or how transfers work. Track these stats:

• Booking rate: How many calls book an appointment?
• Transfer accuracy: Are calls getting to the right person?
• Intake completeness: Are all the required questions answered?
• First-call resolution: How many calls are fully handled the first time?

How to set up custom scripts in Upfirst

Upfirst’s dashboard has seven main areas to help you customize:

• Greeting/Goodbye: Set the opening and closing lines
• Knowledge: Store your business facts, details, and other call handling instructions
• Ask Questions: Decide which questions to ask and in what order
• Call Transfer: Set up who gets which calls and escalation paths
• Scheduling: Connect your Google, Outlook, or other calendars and let your receptionist book appointments for you
• Sent texts: Let your receptionist send texts to your customers during the call. This is handy for sending booking links or other business information
• Blocklists: Block spam numbers

Common issues and how to fix them

AI gives wrong answers: If your AI is making things up, tighten your knowledge base. You most likely forgot to add the answer in there. Only include verified info. Add a default fallback: “I don’t have that information, but I can pass your question to the team.”

Too many transfers: If calls are getting transferred too often, review your escalation rules. Only transfer for real urgency or VIP cases. Add an extra qualifying question before transferring.

Missed emergencies: Make sure your safety screening questions come first, with clear yes/no options.

Not collecting all info: If you’re missing info, double-check that you've added a prompt for your receptionist to ask all your questions. At the end of each call, you can have the AI repeat what it collected for confirmation.

Getting started with your custom script

Customizing your script helps you route calls correctly, book appointments faster, and stay compliant. Start with the templates for your industry, and continue making adjustments that work for you.

Try one small change at a time and test lots of calls. Even small improvements in how you collect info and route calls will add up quickly.

Ready to see the difference? Start your Upfirst trial and import these script/prompt templates to start improving your caller experience right away.

FAQ about AI virtual receptionist script customization

What makes a good AI receptionist script?

A good script, or prompt, is clear, collects all the important details, and routes calls to the right person when needed. It should have clear and simple instructions for your AI receptionist to follow with no problem. If your AI receptionist is struggling to follow your exact directions, it likely means you have a bad script that is unclear, misses key info, or sends calls to the wrong place.

A good rule of thumb is to make the prompts as clear and straightforward as possible.

How long does it take to customize a script?

With Upfirst, most people can get setup within an hour to less than a day. The AI is already geared to be a receptionist, you just need to add information about your business and any special instructions for handling calls.

How often should I update my scripts?

Only as needed or as your business changes. If your hours change, make sure to update the info in your knowledge base.