Ringing.io Setup: Your First After-Hours Campaign in 10 Minutes

Time Required: 10 minutes | Difficulty: Easy | No Technical Skills Needed

Stop losing leads tonight. This step-by-step guide walks you through setting up professional 24/7 after-hours answering that captures every opportunity. By the end of this tutorial, you'll have a fully operational AI receptionist ready to answer calls.

What You'll Accomplish

After completing this setup, your business will have:

• ✅ 24/7 professional call answering
• ✅ Automatic lead capture and qualification
• ✅ Instant email/SMS notifications for new leads
• ✅ Appointment booking via SMS links
• ✅ Custom greeting matching your brand
• ✅ Industry-specific knowledge base

Before You Start: Quick Checklist

Gather these items (5 minutes):

• Your business phone number
• Business hours and time zone
• Website URL or Google Business Profile
• Email for notifications
• Phone for SMS alerts (optional)
• Common customer questions (optional but helpful)

Step 1: Create Your Free Account (2 minutes)

A. Navigate to Signup

1. Go to ringing.io/start
2. Click "Start Free Trial"
3. No credit card required for first 25 minutes

B. Enter Basic Information

Email: your@business.com
Business Name: [Your Business Name]
Phone: [Your Mobile Number]
Password: [Create Strong Password]

C. Verify Your Email

• Check inbox for verification email
• Click the verification link
• You're now logged into your dashboard

Pro Tip: Use your business email, not personal. This helps with team access later.

Step 2: Train Your AI Receptionist (3 minutes)

A. Choose Training Method

Option 1: Google Business Profile (Recommended)

• Enter your business name
• Select from search results
• Ringing.io automatically imports:
  • Business hours
  • Services offered
  • Location details
  • Common questions

Option 2: Website Scan

• Enter your website URL
• System scans and extracts:
  • Service information
  • Pricing details
  • FAQ content
  • Contact information

Option 3: Manual Entry

• Fill in business details
• Add services manually
• Input hours of operation
• Create FAQ entries

B. Select Your Industry

Choose your primary industry for pre-trained responses:

• Home Services (Plumbing, HVAC, Electrical)
• Professional Services (Law, Accounting, Consulting)
• Healthcare (Medical, Dental, Therapy)
• Real Estate
• Retail/E-commerce
• Other (Custom training)

What This Does: Loads industry-specific knowledge so your AI understands terminology and common requests.

Step 3: Customize Your Receptionist (2 minutes)

A. Set Your Greeting

Default Template:

"Thank you for calling [Business Name], this is Sarah. 
How may I help you today?"

Customization Options:

• Change receptionist name
• Add tagline or slogan
• Include special offers
• Mention emergency availability

Example Customizations:

Home Services:

"Thanks for calling Johnson Plumbing, this is Sarah. 
Are you calling about a plumbing emergency or would 
you like to schedule service?"

Law Firm:

"Good [morning/afternoon/evening], you've reached 
Smith & Associates Law Firm. This is Sarah. 
How may I direct your call?"

B. Configure Message Taking

Essential Questions (Pre-configured):

1. May I have your name?
2. What's the best number to reach you?
3. What can we help you with?

Add Custom Questions:

• Property address (for service businesses)
• Preferred appointment times
• Budget range
• Urgency level
• How they heard about you

C. Set Business Hours

Configure when to use after-hours messaging:

Monday-Friday: 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday: 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Sunday: Closed
Time Zone: [Your Time Zone]

After-Hours Message:

"Thanks for calling after hours. I can take a 
detailed message and have someone return your 
call first thing in the morning, or I can send 
you a link to book an appointment online."

Step 4: Configure Notifications (1 minute)

A. Email Notifications

Immediate Alerts:

• New lead captured
• Urgent/emergency calls
• Appointment requests
• Missed call (if caller hangs up)

Daily Summaries:

• All calls received
• Leads captured
• Common questions asked

B. SMS Notifications

Enable text alerts for:

• Emergency calls only
• All new leads
• VIP customers (based on rules)

Notification Format:

NEW LEAD: John Smith
Phone: (555) 123-4567
Need: Emergency water leak
Called: 9:47 PM
Listen: [Recording Link]

C. Team Access

Add team members who should receive notifications:

Owner: All notifications
Manager: Urgent calls only
Sales: New leads only

Step 5: Set Up Call Forwarding (2 minutes)

A. Get Your Ringing.io Number

Your unique forwarding number:

(555) 789-0123

Copy this number - you'll need it next.

B. Configure Your Phone System

For Most Phone Providers:

1. Always Forward (All calls go to Ringing.io):

   • Dial: *72 + Ringing.io number
   • To disable: Dial *73

2. Busy/No Answer (Backup only):

   • Dial: *71 + Ringing.io number
   • To disable: Dial *71

3. After-Hours Only (Recommended):

   • Set up through your phone system
   • Schedule based on business hours
   • Automatic switching

Provider-Specific Instructions:

Verizon:

1. Log into My Verizon
2. Manage Features > Call Forwarding
3. Enter Ringing.io number
4. Set schedule (optional)

AT&T:

1. Access Call Forwarding settings
2. Add forwarding number
3. Choose conditional forwarding
4. Set active hours

Google Voice:

1. Settings > Calls
2. Add forwarding number
3. Verify with code
4. Set forwarding rules

C. Test Your Setup

1. Call your business number from another phone
2. Verify Ringing.io answers
3. Leave a test message
4. Check notification received
5. Review transcript accuracy

Step 6: Advanced Configuration (Optional)

A. SMS Link Sending

Enable automatic link sending for:

• Appointment booking
• Payment links
• Service information
• Directions to location

Setup:

Booking URL: [your-booking-system.com]
Payment URL: [your-payment-portal.com]
Info URL: [your-website.com/services]

Customer Experience:

AI: "I can send you a link to book online right now. 
     What's your mobile number?"
Customer: "555-123-4567"
AI: "Perfect! I've sent the booking link. You should 
     receive it within seconds."
[SMS sent automatically]

B. Qualification Rules

Set up lead scoring:

High Priority (Immediate notification):

• Emergency keywords
• High-value services
• Existing customers

Standard (Normal notification):

• General inquiries
• Price shopping
• Information requests

Low Priority (Daily summary):

• Spam indicators
• Out-of-area calls
• Solicitations

C. Language Settings

Configure multilingual support:

• English (Primary)
• Spanish (¿Habla español?)
• French (Parlez-vous français?)

Auto-Detection: AI recognizes language and responds accordingly.

Testing Your Setup: Quality Assurance Checklist

Test Scenario 1: After-Hours Lead

1. Call after business hours
2. Request service appointment
3. Provide contact information
4. Verify notification received
5. Check message accuracy

Test Scenario 2: Emergency Call

1. Mention "emergency" or "urgent"
2. Verify priority handling
3. Check immediate notification
4. Confirm SMS link sent

Test Scenario 3: Information Request

1. Ask about services/pricing
2. Verify accurate responses
3. Test FAQ handling
4. Check call transcript

Test Scenario 4: Spanish Speaker

1. Start conversation in Spanish
2. Verify language switch
3. Complete message in Spanish
4. Check transcript quality

Common Setup Issues and Solutions

Issue 1: Calls Not Forwarding

Solution:

• Verify forwarding number correct
• Check forwarding active (*72 confirmation)
• Test from different phone
• Contact carrier if needed

Issue 2: Incorrect Business Information

Solution:

• Dashboard > Business Profile > Edit
• Update information
• Save changes
• Test with new call

Issue 3: Not Receiving Notifications

Solution:

• Check spam folder
• Verify email/phone correct
• Test notification settings
• Add ringing.io to contacts

Issue 4: AI Giving Wrong Answers

Solution:

• Add FAQ entries for common questions
• Update business information
• Report specific issues to support
• AI learns and improves over time

Optimization Tips for Maximum Results

Week 1: Foundation

• Monitor all calls closely
• Add FAQs based on actual questions
• Adjust greeting if needed
• Fine-tune notification settings

Week 2: Refinement

• Review conversion rates
• Update qualification questions
• Test different greetings
• Add team members

Week 3: Expansion

• Enable additional hours
• Add SMS automation
• Create urgency rules
• Set up reporting

Ongoing: Optimization

• Monthly FAQ updates
• Quarterly greeting refresh
• Regular team training
• Performance tracking

Measuring Success: Key Metrics

Track These Numbers:

1. Calls Answered: Should be 100%
2. Lead Capture Rate: Target 85%+
3. Response Time: Under 2 seconds
4. Message Accuracy: 95%+ target
5. Customer Satisfaction: Via follow-up

ROI Calculation:

Before Ringing.io:
- Missed calls: 23/week
- Lost revenue: $6,601/week

After Ringing.io:
- Missed calls: 0/week
- New revenue: $6,601/week
- Cost: $39/month
- ROI: 6,512%

Pro Tips from Power Users

Tip 1: Gradual Rollout

"Start with after-hours only, then expand to lunch hours, then busy times. This lets you optimize without risking day-time operations." - Mike T., HVAC Owner

Tip 2: Update Seasonally

"We change our greeting and FAQs seasonally. Summer focuses on AC, winter on heating. Conversion rates improved 34%." - Sarah L., Home Services

Tip 3: Use for Overflow

"Even during business hours, Ringing.io handles overflow when we're all on calls. Never miss a lead now." - James R., Law Firm

Tip 4: Weekend Warrior

"Weekends were our biggest gap. Now we capture those high-intent Saturday callers automatically." - Lisa M., Real Estate

Your Next Steps

Immediate Actions:

1. ✅ Complete setup (10 minutes)
2. ✅ Make 5 test calls
3. ✅ Forward after-hours calls tonight
4. ✅ Monitor first 24 hours

This Week:

1. Add FAQs based on real calls
2. Invite team members
3. Set up SMS automation
4. Review first leads

This Month:

1. Analyze conversion rates
2. Optimize messaging
3. Expand coverage hours
4. Calculate ROI

Need Help?

Support Resources:

• Live Chat: Available in dashboard
• Help Center: ringing.io
• Video Tutorials: YouTube Channel
• Email Support: support@ringing.io

Common Questions:

Q: Can I change settings anytime? A: Yes, all settings can be modified instantly.

Q: What if I need to pause service? A: You can disable forwarding anytime with *73.

Q: How do I add more minutes? A: Upgrade plans anytime in billing settings.

Q: Can multiple people access the account? A: Yes, add unlimited team members.

Start Capturing Every Lead Tonight

You're just 10 minutes away from never missing another after-hours opportunity. With Ringing.io answering your calls 24/7, you can focus on running your business while we capture every lead.

Start Your Free 25 Minutes Now - No credit card required.

Related Resources:

• After-Hours Lead Capture Guide
• ROI Calculator
• Best Practices Guide

Questions during setup? Chat with us instantly from your dashboard or email support@ringing.io