Managed Agents at Previously $0.06 $0.03/minManaged Agents are Previously $0.06 $0.03/min.

ServiceNow#1 on EVA-Bench

Artificial Analysis#1 on Speech Agent Arena

Automated phone system agents that answer your main number.

Answer hours and common questions, check stock, and take voicemail after close.

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Trusted by leading teams

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Ranked #1

on EVA-Bench and Speech Agent Arena

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Answer every call to your main number, open or closed

Callers get an answer, the right desk or a saved voicemail, and the agent follows your hours and rules.

The agent answers questions on hours, key cutting, delivery windows and returns from your sheet, and holiday hours from your calendar.

Automated phone system basics, and where a voice agent fits

What is an automated phone system?

An automated phone system answers your main number without a person picking up. Older setups, often called an automated attendant or IVR, play a keypad menu. Newer ones use a voice agent that talks with callers, and that's what this is.

  • Check store hours
  • Check item in stock
  • Save voicemail
  • Transfer to pro desk

Why can't a phone menu tell me what's in stock?

"Press 3 for hardware" tells nobody what's on the shelf. Juniper Hardware's phone asks the same things all day, and staff answer from the register while a customer waits. The agent checks your inventory through a tool and reports what it returns.

Do you have 3-inch deck screws?

check_item_in_stock350-ct box: in stock, Main St

The system shows boxes of 350 in stock at Main Street.

What happens to a call after closing?

Mac transfers contractor accounts to the pro desk only while it's open. After close it takes a voicemail, reads the number back and saves it with a transcript. Mark a snow day on your hours calendar and the next caller hears about it.

  • Sunday hours and key cutting0:36
  • Deck screws in stock0:52
  • Contractor account, to pro desk1:09

Do I need a new PBX for an automated phone system for business?

No. The agent sits in front of what you have, so phones, extensions and staff stay put, and you forward your number or connect your provider. An automated phone system for doctors offices handles different calls, so start from the medical answering service page instead.

Call ended with a next step

Did the call end with an answer, a completed transfer, or a saved voicemail with a callback number?

Fewer interruptions at the counter

An automated phone answering system for small business earns its keep on boring calls. Here's what comes off your staff's plate, and what stays on it.

Routine questions stop at the agent

Sunday hours, the price of a duplicate key and your returns policy all get answered from your sheet, without anyone leaving a customer.

Stock checks without a walk down the aisle

The agent asks your inventory and reports what it returns, like boxes of 350 in stock at Main Street. Callers show up knowing it's there.

Transfers only reach open desks

Today's hours get read before each transfer, so a contractor at 6 p.m. gets a voicemail for the pro desk and not ten rings of nothing.

Snow days change in one place

Update your hours calendar and the agent tells the next caller you're closed and when you reopen. No re-recording the greeting from home.

Voicemail arrives as text

Messages reach your inbox with a transcript and a callback number that was read back, so a mumbled number doesn't cost you the order.

Your phones and your people stay put

This won't rewire your office or take special orders. Hardware and extensions stay, and anything needing an account goes to a person.

A main line that talks like the shop it answers for

A business automated phone answering system has one job on most calls. Callers want a quick fact, and Cartesia's speech models let them ask in one breath and get off the phone.

  • $0.03per minute
  • #1on Speech Agent Arena and EVA-Bench
  • 24/7answers every call, at any hour

Gets "3-inch deck screws" the first time

People rattle off sizes and half-remembered product names, then change their mind. The agent lets them finish and asks one question if it needs to.

Sheet, stock and hours in one call

Choose the LLM, then give it the tools that check store hours, check an item in stock, save a voicemail and transfer to the pro desk.

Friendly enough for the regulars

Someone at your counter is the benchmark. Try voice library options until the main line stops feeling like a machine in a closet.

Voice agent or keypad menu on your main line

Automated phone system software usually comes down to these choices. Staff picking up in person remains the fair baseline, and the one customers like most.

Cartesia agentPress-1 phone menuStaff at the counter
How callers askIn their own wordsListen to options, press a keyIn their own words
"Do you have this in stock?"Checks your inventory on the callNo, it routes the callYes, after a walk to the aisle
Closures and holidaysRead from your hours calendarUsually a new recordingWhoever is in tells callers
An odd or complicated requestTransfers it or takes a voicemailCaller hunts for a menu optionYes, people handle this best
Rush hour at the storeCalls run at the same timeMenu answers, then callers queuePhone rings while customers wait
SetupWrite a sheet, connect your toolsUsually record prompts and build the treeTraining for each hire
How you payPer call minute, plus LLM usage and telephonyUsually bundled with a phone planWages, and time off the floor

See which calls ended with an answer

Every call is recorded and transcribed. See which callers got an answer, a transfer or a saved voicemail, and which hung up without one.

Launch an automated phone system in three steps

Start building

  1. Clone the main line

    Copy this agent, then replace Juniper's hours and FAQ sheet with your own answers and desks.

  2. Connect stock, hours and your number

    Link your inventory and hours calendar, choose an inbox for voicemail, set your transfer line, then forward the main number.

  3. Phone in like a customer

    Ask about hours, an item in stock and the pro desk after close. Go live once each call ends with a right answer or a saved voicemail.

Enterprise-grade security

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    HIPAA compliant

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Phone system FAQs

What is an automated phone system?

An automated phone answering system that puts a voice agent on your main number. It talks with callers, checks your systems, takes voicemail and transfers calls to the lines you set.

Is there an automated phone system for small business?

Yes. The sample agent answers for a single hardware store: hours, key cutting, delivery windows and returns from your sheet, stock from your inventory, and voicemail after close. For a business that also books visits, see AI receptionist for small business.

Is it the same as an automated attendant phone system?

It does the same job with a voice agent in place of a keypad menu. Callers say what they need, and the agent answers, checks your systems or transfers them to the right line. The AI auto attendant page covers routing callers by name or department.

Can I keep my current phone number with an automated phone system?

Yes. Forward the number to the agent's number, or connect your own phone provider directly.

What does an automated phone system do when nobody can answer?

The agent takes a voicemail, reads the callback number back and saves it to an inbox you connect.

Does an automated phone system replace my phone hardware or my staff?

No. It answers the main number and transfers calls to the lines you set. Your phone hardware, extensions and staff stay in place.

Can the agent transfer a caller to a person?

Yes. A webhook reads today's hours before the agent transfers, so a caller never rings an empty desk. After close, the agent takes a voicemail instead.

How do I set up an automated phone system?

Start by listing what people call about. Clone the sample agent, paste your hours and answers into its sheet, and connect the tools it needs, such as stock and voicemail. Set your transfer lines, then forward your main number or connect your own phone provider. Test it as a customer would before real callers reach it.

What do you call the automated phone system?

The usual names are auto attendant, automated attendant and IVR, which stands for interactive voice response. An auto attendant routes callers, while an IVR can also read information back. This one is a voice agent that does both by conversation. See the AI IVR page for how it replaces a keypad menu.

Is there an automated phone system for a doctor's office?

Yes, though it needs a different setup than a store. The medical office answering service page shows the agent set up for a practice. It sends refill requests to staff, books care team callbacks and reads your 911 script for urgent symptoms. It doesn't give medical advice.

How much does an automated phone system cost?

There's no hardware to buy for the agent. You pay $0.03 per minute of call time, so a store full of quick hours questions runs on short calls. LLM usage is billed separately. A Cartesia phone number adds $0.014 per minute, or nothing if you bring your own Twilio account or SIP trunk. The free plan includes $1 of agent calls a month, so you can test the main line before you pay. See pricing.

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