Test an AI receptionist the way a customer will use it: call it, ask real questions, give it details, try to reach a person and then check what your team receives. Run every scenario below with made-up test identities, record what happened, and only forward customer calls once each one passes or you have accepted its limit. The checklist works for any product; the notes in each step explain how to check it in Sawy.
Before you start
- Finish setup: business details, services and prices, hours and timezone, FAQs, greeting and escalation number. See getting started and preparing your business information.
- Use synthetic details, for example "Test Caller, +1 202 555 0100", so test leads are easy to find and delete.
- Keep sensitive or regulated information, such as health details or card numbers, out of every test.
- Test in two places: Test chat in the dashboard first, then a real phone call to your Sawy number. Text chat does not show voice quality, speech recognition or transfers.
The checklist
Copy this table into a document or spreadsheet and fill in the last two columns for each run.
| # | Scenario | What to say | Pass if | Result | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hours | "Are you open on Saturday?" | Answer matches your configured hours and timezone | ||
| 2 | Price | "How much is [your service]?" | Quotes your price list, or says it will get a quote if no price is set | ||
| 3 | Unknown question | Ask something not in your details | Says it doesn't know and offers a message or a person; invents nothing | ||
| 4 | Contact capture | Give a name, number and email | Details appear correctly in Leads | ||
| 5 | Appointment request | "Can I come in Tuesday at 10?" | Collects details and says the team will confirm; does not promise the slot | ||
| 6 | Change request | "I need to move my appointment" | Takes a change request for staff; does not claim the change is done | ||
| 7 | Ask for a person | "Can I speak to someone?" | Call transfers to your escalation number (phone only) | ||
| 8 | Failed transfer | Repeat 7 and let the escalation phone ring out | Caller reaches that line's voicemail or is asked to leave a message for the team; note which | ||
| 9 | Urgent problem | Describe an urgent issue for your business | Responds as urgent, collects callback details, promises no arrival time; check whether the lead is marked urgent | ||
| 10 | After hours | Call outside your hours | Gives your after-hours information and takes a message | ||
| 11 | Hard to hear | Call from a noisy place or with a strong accent | Understands, or asks to repeat rather than guessing | ||
| 12 | "Are you a robot?" | Ask directly | Says it is an AI assistant | ||
| 13 | Follow-up | Open the dashboard after each call | Transcript in Calls, lead in Leads, request in Appointments, summary email received |
Scenarios 7 and 8 test your own phone setup as much as the receptionist. If the escalation number forwards back to the Sawy number, callers loop, so use a direct line. In scenario 9, Sawy marks a lead urgent only when the caller uses certain words such as "urgent", "emergency" or "leak", so review new leads promptly rather than relying on the flag alone.
How to read the results
- Wrong answer (scenarios 1–3): fix the business information or add an FAQ, then re-run the scenario. The receptionist answers from what you configure; it is not retrained.
- Missing or wrong details (4, 13): check the transcript to see whether the problem was recognition or the caller's wording. Speech recognition depends on the voice provider and call quality.
- Promised something it shouldn't (5, 6, 9): record the exact wording and contact support before going live.
- Transfer problems (7, 8): check the escalation number format and confirm the destination line answers or goes to voicemail.
Record the date, the phone you used and the result for every run. Repeat the checklist whenever you change hours, prices or escalation rules.
Run a limited pilot
Once the checklist passes, start with a slice of real calls rather than all of them:
- Pick the window. Forward calls only when nobody can answer, for example after hours or during a lunch break, or use busy/no-answer forwarding so your team still answers first. See keeping your number.
- Watch every enquiry for the first week. Read each transcript and lead the same day and call customers back as promised.
- Keep your fallback ready. Know how to turn forwarding off, and keep your previous voicemail or answering arrangement available.
- Widen coverage only when a week of real calls shows correct answers, captured details and working transfers.
Switching from a human answering service
If you already pay for a live answering service, plan the switch rather than cancelling first.
- Inventory what they do today. Collect their call script, the questions they answer, how they handle urgent calls and where messages go.
- Decide what stays human. Calls that need judgement, empathy or regulated advice may be better left with people. An AI receptionist can cover routine questions and capture the rest.
- Overlap the services. Keep the human service on the hours or call types you have not yet tested, and move one window at a time.
- Compare like with like. Use the same week's enquiries to compare missed details, callbacks needed and customer complaints.
- Cut over only after the pilot meets your pass criteria, and keep the old contract's notice period in mind.
For a cost and capability comparison, see Sawy vs. an answering service.
Limits to know in Sawy
- Appointment times are requests until your staff confirm them, or a connected Cal.com account accepts the booking.
- Transfers go to one escalation number; there is no department menu or call queue.
- SMS replies are not currently available.
- When your plan's included minutes run out, calls are not answered by the agent until the next billing period or an upgrade.
Try the demo to see a sample conversation, then create an account to run this checklist with your own details. Related: appointment requests and call routing.