# An AI receptionist for bookkeepers who would rather be reconciling An AI receptionist for bookkeepers answers your phone while you are deep in reconciliations and month-end close. It asks new business callers what they do, how many transactions and employees they have, and what software they use, then books a discovery call. It takes messages from current clients and never gives tax or accounting advice. ## Why bookkeepers miss calls - **Phone calls break your focus:** Bookkeeping is detail work. Every time the phone rings in the middle of a reconciliation, you lose your place, and finding it again takes longer than the call itself. Letting it ring means risking a new client. - **Many prospects are not a fit:** You get calls from people who want a one-time tax return, a free QuickBooks lesson, or a business far outside your niche. Sorting them out on the phone takes the same time as a real prospect. - **Month-end is crowded:** The first two weeks of every month are packed with closes, payroll questions and client catch-ups. That is exactly when a new business owner with messy books tends to call, and you are least able to answer. ## Calls Vocenya answers for bookkeepers - New business owners needing monthly bookkeeping - Catch-up and cleanup projects - Payroll setup questions - Current clients with receipts or questions - Referrals from accountants - Pricing questions - Software questions such as QuickBooks or Xero ## How does an AI receptionist help bookkeepers win clients? It answers every call in your business’s name and asks the questions you would ask on a first call: what the business does, how many accounts and employees it has, which software it uses, and whether it needs monthly work, a cleanup or payroll. It books a discovery call into Google Calendar or Microsoft 365 and sends you a summary, so you walk into the call knowing the scope. Business owners who call once get an answer instead of voicemail. ## Can a bookkeeping answering service screen out poor fits? Yes. You tell the assistant what you do and do not take on, such as tax returns only, industries outside your niche, or businesses below a certain size. When a caller falls outside those limits, it explains politely and, if you like, suggests they look for a tax preparer or another service. You still get a summary, so you can see what kinds of calls you are getting and refer them if you want. ## Will the AI give accounting or tax advice? No. It does not tell callers how to categorize expenses, whether something is deductible, or how to set up their books. When those questions come up, it says you will cover them on a call and offers a time. It can share information you give it, such as the software you work in, your service list, or a starting monthly price, but it never guesses at advice. It also identifies itself as a virtual assistant, not a bookkeeper. ## How does it handle calls from current clients? The assistant confirms the caller’s name and business, takes their question or request, and sends it to you by text or email right away. You can return those calls in a batch at the end of the day instead of breaking focus every hour. If a client says it is urgent, such as a payroll problem before a pay date, it can warm transfer the call to your phone. You decide what counts as urgent. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is an AI receptionist affordable for a solo bookkeeper? Plans start at $49 a month for 250 AI minutes, which is enough for many solo bookkeepers. Every plan has a 14-day free trial and no contract, so you can see whether it saves you enough interruptions before you pay anything. ### Can it tell callers my prices? Yes, if you want it to. You can give it a starting monthly price or a cleanup project range to share, and it will say that the final quote depends on the discovery call. It never makes up a price or promises a quote. ### Can the AI book discovery calls? Yes. It books into Google Calendar or Microsoft 365 using the length and times you set, for example 20-minute video calls on certain mornings. It can confirm the time with the caller and send you the summary with everything they told it. ### Will it know which software I use? It knows what you tell it. When Vocenya builds your receptionist from your website, it picks up your listed services and software. You can add details, such as QuickBooks Online, Xero or Gusto, and edit anything before it answers real calls. ### What if a client insists on speaking to me? The assistant can warm transfer the call to your phone, and you see its summary first, so the client does not repeat themselves. If you are busy, it takes a detailed message and tells the client when to expect a reply, based on the wording you give it. --- Source: https://vocenya.com/industries/bookkeepers Vocenya, powered by GH Business Solutions. Plans from $49/month with a 14-day free trial: https://vocenya.com/pricing