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Solution

AI appointment booking that happens on the phone call

When a customer calls to book, they want a time, not a callback. If the phone rings out while you are on a job, many people simply try the next business. AI appointment booking lets a voice assistant answer, check your real calendar and put the visit on the schedule while the caller is still on the line. This page covers what missed booking calls cost, how to set up phone booking that works, and how Dheed's AI receptionist that books appointments actually does it, including what it does not do.

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What a missed booking call costs

A booking call is the warmest lead you will get. The person has already decided to hire someone. If nobody answers, they rarely leave a voicemail and wait.

Example: an HVAC company gets a call at 6:30 PM on a hot evening about an air conditioner blowing warm air. The office closed at 5. The caller tries a second company, which answers and books 8 AM. The first company never knew the call happened, apart from a missed call in the log.

How to book appointments by phone without a front desk

  1. Define your services with real lengths and travel time, so slots are realistic.
  2. Set your rules: start times, minimum notice, how far ahead people can book.
  3. Know your service area so you do not book a visit you cannot reach.
  4. Decide what auto confirms and what needs your approval.
  5. Mark true emergencies and what should happen with them.
  6. Confirm and remind every booking.

How Dheed handles AI appointment booking

Dheed's AI Receptionist is an add-on for the Pro and Business plans. It answers calls on your business's Dheed number with your business name, and it knows your services, hours and service area. While the caller is talking, it checks open times in your Dheed calendar, places a short hold on a slot so nobody else takes it, and books. Dheed rechecks the slot before saving, which is designed to stop the same time from being booked twice.

Your booking rules decide the outcome. The visit is confirmed right away, or it arrives as a request for you to approve. Callers outside your service area by ZIP code, ZIP prefix or city are caught before anything is booked. Services marked as emergencies can be booked any time, which makes after hours appointment booking possible for urgent work, and urgent calls are flagged and texted to you. The receptionist can also reschedule or cancel a caller's own appointment. Every call is saved on the customer with a summary, transcript and recording. Details on calls, scripts and minutes live on the AI receptionist for small business page.

What it does not do

Dheed does not have a self service online booking page today. AI appointment booking happens over the phone, by the AI Receptionist, into open times on your calendar. Your team can also book from the calendar or a contact page.

Setting it up in Dheed

  1. Choose Pro or Business and request the AI Receptionist. Setup takes a few days, and test calls are made with you first.
  2. Add services with lengths, buffers and prices, and mark emergencies.
  3. Set staff schedules, closures and your service area.
  4. Choose auto confirm or approval for bookings.
  5. Forward your current number to the Dheed number when you want calls answered.
  6. Turn on confirmations and appointment reminders so every AI booking gets a follow up.

Tips and mistakes to avoid

  • Keep service lengths honest. AI phone booking can only fill the calendar you give it.
  • Start with approval mode for big jobs, and auto confirm for simple visits.
  • Read call summaries for the first two weeks and fix any service names callers use that the AI does not know.
  • Watch your minutes. Dheed alerts you at 70%, 90% and 100% of your monthly minutes.
  • Seasonal trades get rush periods. HVAC companies in a heat wave and pest control businesses in spring both see call spikes that a person alone cannot answer.

AI appointment booking works well inside the all-in-one business platform, where the call, the calendar and the customer share one record. See plans and pricing, or start free and add the receptionist on Pro or Business.

Frequently asked questions

Can an AI receptionist book appointments into my calendar?

Yes. Dheed's AI Receptionist checks open times in your Dheed calendar while the caller is on the line, holds a slot, and books it. Depending on your settings the booking is confirmed right away or sent to you as a request to approve.

Does Dheed have an online booking page for customers?

Not today. Customers book by calling, where the AI Receptionist or your team takes the booking. Customers with a portal account can send a request for a new service or a reschedule, which your team then books.

How much does AI appointment booking cost with Dheed?

The AI Receptionist is an add-on for the Pro plan ($79 a month) and Business ($149 a month). It costs $250 a month with 500 minutes, plus $50 per extra 50 minutes and a one time setup fee of $299 on Pro or $149 on Business.

Can the AI book emergency calls after hours?

Yes, for services you mark as emergencies, which can be booked any time. You edit the emergency script, and urgent calls are flagged and texted to you right away.

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