Make a better first impression with AI Receptionist for Webex Calling

Summary: Phone calls still define trust, but legacy IVRs frustrate with menus and hold music. AI Receptionist for Webex Calling fixes this with natural, 24/7 call handling, intelligent routing, and consistent greetings. Managed in Control Hub, it improves customer satisfaction, reduces missed calls, and scales globally.

A website can look flawless. A social feed can hum with activity. But the moment a customer dials your number, none of that matters. The phone call is still the test of trust.

For too long, callers have been trapped in a cycle of frustration: endless loops of menu options, hold music that seems to go on forever, and robotic voices that never resolve the issue. It wears down trust and drives people to hang up. AI Receptionist for Webex Calling cuts through that noise.

Cisco has been an industry leader in AI from the outset, and its latest push is toward what it calls Connected Intelligence. The idea is simple but powerful: link human insight, AI-driven context, and secure collaboration so every interaction builds on the last. In Cisco’s vision, phone calls aren’t isolated moments. They tie directly into calendars, directories, analytics, and other systems, so conversations carry context wherever they go.

That’s the bigger picture. And Webex Calling is one of the clearest examples. Within it, AI Receptionist is a standout—bringing that vision of Connected Intelligence to the most familiar of business channels: the phone call. Acting as a virtual receptionist, AI Receptionist answers calls with consistency, never misses a call, and gives businesses a chance to project clarity and competence from the start. It reinforces a strong professional business identity and ensures the first experience a caller has is a positive one.

This blog explains what you need to know about AI Receptionist and how it transforms the front line of customer interaction. 

Why phones calls still matter more than you think

Digital channels keep multiplying, but the phone still decides how many customers measure a business. A live conversation carries weight—immediate, personal, and harder to fake than email or chat. In sectors like healthcare, finance, and legal services, that first call often determines whether a relationship takes root or ends before it begins.

Customers expect calls to be answered quickly and handled with consistency. A smooth greeting signals competence. A missed call or a confusing transfer suggests the opposite. When trust is fragile, the smallest lapse can push a customer toward a competitor.

The numbers back it up. A TransUnion survey found that nearly 80% of consumers still consider the phone an important channel for communicating with businesses. Most callers who land in voicemail won’t bother to leave a message. They hang up and dial elsewhere. In crowded markets, every missed or mishandled call is more than an inconvenience, it’s lost revenue. Businesses that treat call handling as central to customer satisfaction are the ones that stay ahead.

What is AI Receptionist for Webex Calling?

AI Receptionist for Webex Calling is an intelligent virtual receptionist built directly into the Webex Calling platform. Think of it as a virtual front desk or an automated system that greets callers, understands intent, and connects them to the right resource without delay.

It works natively inside Webex Calling, so businesses don’t need extra hardware, additional staff, or third‑party add‑ons. The AI receptionist runs within the same cloud phone system already in place, making adoption straightforward.

At its core, AI Receptionist relies on Cisco’s Webex AI Agent—the same technology behind Webex Contact Center’s voice agents. Key capabilities include:

• Speech recognition. Converts spoken words into text with high accuracy, even in noisy environments, so callers don’t have to repeat themselves.

• Natural language processing. Interprets meaning beyond keywords, identifying intent such as scheduling, billing, or support, and routing the call accordingly.

• Text-to-speech. Responds in natural, human-like voices that can be customized to match brand tone, avoiding the robotic feel of old IVR systems.

• Real-time processing. Handles interactions instantly, keeping the flow of conversation natural and eliminating the long pauses that frustrate callers.

The result is an AI receptionist that callers experience as approachable and efficient, while businesses gain reliability, speed, and scale.

Watch Cisco's Webex AI Agent in action ⬇️

How AI Receptionist for Webex Calling enhances caller experience

A good receptionist doesn’t just answer the phone—they set the tone for the conversation. AI Receptionist does the same, at a scale no human team can match. It makes every caller feel acknowledged and directed without delay.

• 24/7 availability - Calls are answered around the clock, removing the risk of missed opportunities after hours.

• Instant responses - Routine requests—like business hours, directions, or service details—are answered immediately.

• Customer service automation - The system can handle intake tasks, FAQs, and basic troubleshooting without human intervention.

• Consistent greetings - Every caller hears the same professional welcome, reinforcing brand identity.

• Operational efficiency - By filtering and resolving common requests, the system frees staff to focus on complex or high-value interactions.

What makes this different from traditional IVRs is the experience itself. Instead of pressing numbers or navigating menus, callers simply speak naturally. The system interprets intent, responds conversationally, and directs them where they need to go. It feels less like dealing with a machine and more like talking to a capable front desk assistant.

Here's how AI Receptionist for Webex Calling works ⬇️

Key features that improve call handling

Beyond setting the tone, AI Receptionist is built with capabilities that actively improve call outcomes. Each feature is designed to remove friction for the caller while improving efficiency for the business:

• Intelligent call routing - Directs callers based on intent, not just button-press menus, ensuring they reach the right department faster.

• Smart transfers - Provides smooth, context-aware handoffs to live agents, passing along notes or transcripts so customers don’t have to repeat themselves.

• Automated FAQ responses - Answers common questions instantly using a company-fed knowledge base—covering hours, policies, and service details.

• Appointment scheduling - Allows callers to book, confirm, or adjust appointments directly, with planned integrations into Outlook, Google, and Webex calendars.

• Multilingual support - Handles calls in multiple languages and accents, extending accessibility for global or diverse customer bases.

• Knowledge base integration -Lets businesses feed the AI with FAQs, product info, and documents so answers remain specific, accurate, and on-brand.

• Webex Control Hub setup - Managed through Cisco’s central dashboard, where administrators assign numbers, customize greetings, and fine-tune routing in one place.

These features shift the role of the receptionist from reactive call handler to proactive problem solver, making the phone a smarter and more reliable channel for business communication.

Benefits for organizations

The advantages of AI Receptionist go beyond call handling. They translate directly into measurable business value:

• Improved customer experience. Every call is answered and guided to the right outcome, reducing frustration and building trust.

• Fewer missed calls. With 24/7 coverage, businesses don’t lose opportunities to voicemail or off-hours silence.

• Higher staff productivity. Front desk and support teams spend less time on repetitive tasks and more time on meaningful work.

• Stronger customer satisfaction. Faster resolutions and consistent service improve loyalty and retention.

• Scalable operations. Whether handling dozens or thousands of calls a day, the system adapts to demand without adding headcount.

• Clear ROI. Cisco reports that in some deployments, AI agents can resolve or contain up to 66% of inbound calls without human intervention—a direct cost saving that compounds as call volumes rise.

For organizations under pressure to do more with less, the return is clear: fewer missed opportunities, lower operating costs, and better customer outcomes.

How to deploy AI Receptionist in Webex Calling

Getting started doesn’t require a major IT overhaul. Deployment happens inside the existing Webex Control Hub and follows a clear path:

1. Set up in Webex Control Hub. Assign the AI Receptionist a number or extension, and configure it like any other endpoint.

2. Build a knowledge base. Upload FAQs, policy documents, or website links so the system can answer accurately with company-specific information.

3. Configure call routing by intent. Define rules for sales, service, billing, or urgent cases, and let the AI direct calls accordingly.

4. Personalize voice and language. Select voices and languages that reflect the company’s brand and customer base.

5. Connect multiple locations. Route calls intelligently across offices or regions to create a unified front desk.

6. Hybrid support. For companies running Cisco UCM or BroadWorks, calls can still be routed through the AI Receptionist via the Webex cloud.

The process is designed to be straightforward for IT teams while delivering an immediate improvement in caller experience.

Legacy IVR vs. AI Receptionist

Legacy phone systems relied on IVR menus—press 1 for sales, press 2 for service. Callers were forced to fit into rigid pathways, often leading to endless loops, robotic voices, and long hold times. The burden was on the customer to navigate the system correctly.

AI Receptionist turns that model inside out. Instead of navigating menus, callers simply speak naturally. The system understands intent, provides immediate answers, and routes calls intelligently.

The result is a front desk experience that feels modern, human, and efficient—delivering clarity for the customer and efficiency for the business.

Cloud Connect and enabling Webex Calling

AI Receptionist is only as powerful as the voice network that back it up. Cloud Connect for Webex Calling allows enterprises to choose certified global carriers for PSTN connectivity directly through the Webex platform. This means businesses can extend calling across regions with enterprise-grade reliability, without juggling multiple vendors.

As a Cloud Connect partner, Pure IP delivers global voice services fully integrated with Webex Calling. They handle the carrier side - porting numbers, ensuring compliance, and managing connectivity - so IT teams can focus on configuration in Control Hub. For multinational businesses, this simplifies what was once a complex patchwork of contracts and providers into a single, streamlined setup.

With Webex Calling, Cloud Connect, and Pure IP, organizations gain a complete foundation for deploying AI Receptionist with consistency across offices, regions, and customer touchpoints.

For a deeper dive, take a look at our Complete Guide to Webex Calling.

From IVR to AI: The new front of house

The first call a customer makes to your business still sets the tone. Legacy IVRs turned that moment into a source of friction—confusing menus, endless hold music, and missed opportunities. AI Receptionist for Webex Calling resets the standard. It works as a true virtual receptionist: always available, always consistent, and always projecting competence from the very first word.

The technology is here, but success depends on the right setup. With Cloud Connect partners like Pure IP, enterprises can extend Webex Calling globally with the reliability and reach customers expect.

If you’re ready to modernize your phone experience, speak to Pure IP about Webex Calling and AI Receptionist today.