Short answer
Setting up an AI receptionist takes about a week: review your calls, write the script and FAQ, set escalation rules, connect your calendar, test every language, then forward your calls. You keep your number, and forwarding takes about 15 minutes to turn on or off.What to have ready
Setup is less work than most owners expect. You don't need a new phone number, new hardware or anyone technical. It helps to have:
- A rough list of the calls you get and what should happen with each one.
- Your hours, fee ranges and the answers to common questions.
- Access to your Google Calendar or Outlook.
- Names and mobile numbers for whoever takes urgent calls.
New to all this? Start with what an AI receptionist is. Then here's the week.
Days 1 and 2, the script
Day 1 is a kickoff call. We walk through a normal week at your business. Who calls, when, and why? Which calls make you money, and which ones just eat time? We sort them into a few groups: new inquiries, existing clients, urgent calls, common questions, and calls you never want to take.
Day 2 is the script: your greeting, the questions for each type of call, and your approved answers. Two rules always apply. The AI answers only what you approve, and it never gives legal, immigration or financial advice. For a law firm that means intake questions. For a banquet hall it's date checks and tours.
Days 3 and 4, rules
Day 3 is escalation. We decide what counts as urgent, who gets those calls in and out of business hours, who the backup is, and whether a call transfers live or sends a text. For a property manager, this is the emergency list. Any caller can still ask for a person at any time.
Day 4 is the calendar. We connect Google or Outlook, set which meeting types Javelin can book, how long each one is, and the buffer between them. If a consult needs 30 minutes, not 20, this is when we catch it. We also train your industry's vocabulary, so it knows a PGWP from a PR card, or a sangeet from a mehndi.
Days 5 and 6, testing
We call it. A lot. We test every type of call in every language your callers use, from English and Punjabi to Mandarin and Tagalog. We try the awkward ones too: the caller who interrupts, the one who changes their mind, the one who asks for a person in the first five seconds. You listen to the recordings and tell us what to change. Nothing goes live until you're happy with it.
Day 7, go live
You forward your calls. You choose which: missed calls, busy calls, after hours, or everything. It takes about 15 minutes and you can undo it anytime. Your 14-day free pilot starts the day Javelin goes live and covers up to 100 minutes. We take a card up front and charge nothing if you cancel before day 14.
After that, you pick a plan. Starter is $149 a month for 300 minutes of after-hours and overflow answering. Pro is $249 a month for 600 minutes and answers your main line 24/7. Multi-location is $449 a month for 1,200 minutes. Setup is included ($299 value), it's month to month, and there's a 30-day money-back guarantee. Full details are on our pricing section.
In the first week live, we read the transcripts with you and tune the script. That's the part most people skip, and it's the part that makes it good.
Quick questions
Do I need a new phone number?
No. You keep your number and forward the calls you want Javelin to answer.
How long does setup take?
About a week, from the first call review to go-live.
What does the free pilot include?
The pilot runs 14 days from go-live and covers up to 100 minutes. Cancel before day 14 and you pay nothing.