Getting started

Going live has two parts: creating the account, then finishing the setup checklist and forwarding your calls. Budget about ten minutes end to end — the forwarding step itself is closer to two.

1. Create your account

Sign up at strandcalls.com. The flow is five steps:

1. Get started — enter your email address.
2. Check your email — click the verification link we send you.
3. Business details — business name, owner name, phone number, trade, and address.
4. Review & subscribe — confirm the plan and enter payment details.
5. Account created — you land in the dashboard with a StrandCalls number provisioned for your area code.

Your StrandCalls number is a real local number. It’s the number you forward to, and it’s the number your customers see on confirmation texts.

2. Work the setup checklist

Open Settings → Setup Status. It’s a live checklist — each item flips to a checkmark as soon as the underlying setting is filled in, and each unfinished item has a Finish link that jumps straight to the right screen.

Item	Where	What “done” means
Business information filled in	Settings → Business Profile	Business name, trade, owner name, email, and phone are all set
Business hours set	Settings → Business Profile	A start and end time are set, so the AI knows when you’re bookable
Agent greeting set	Settings → AI Receptionist	Your greeting is more than a few characters long
Calendar connected	Settings → Integrations	Google Calendar is connected via OAuth
SMS registration approved	Settings → Messaging	Only appears if SMS is enabled — see Messaging

Calendar connection is optional in practice — StrandCalls has its own built-in calendar and books against it. Connect Google only if you want jobs mirrored into a calendar you already live in. See Scheduling.

3. Set your greeting and voice

Settings → AI Receptionist is where the receptionist gets its personality:

• Greeting message — the first thing every caller hears. Lead with your business name.
• Voice — pick from Ara (warm, friendly), Eve (energetic, upbeat), Rex (confident, clear), Sal (smooth, balanced), or Leo (authoritative, strong).
• Custom instructions — anything specific to your shop the AI should know or say.

Details in Receptionist settings.

4. Forward your business line

This is the step that puts StrandCalls live. Forward your existing business number to your StrandCalls number — you don’t change the number your customers already have.

You have two useful patterns:

• Conditional forwarding (recommended to start) — calls ring your phone first and only forward when you don’t answer, are busy, or are out of service. You stay in control; the AI catches what you drop.
• Unconditional forwarding — every call goes straight to the AI. Best once you trust it, or for after-hours-only coverage.

The exact steps depend on your carrier — most mobile carriers use a short dial code, and business VoIP systems have a forwarding setting in their admin portal. Find your StrandCalls number in the dashboard header, then follow your carrier’s call-forwarding instructions. If you’re not sure which pattern to pick or your carrier is fighting you, contact support.

5. Make a test call

Call your own business line from another phone and let it forward. Check that:

• the greeting says your business name and sounds right;
• the AI offers times that match your real hours;
• a booking shows up under Appointments and on Calendar;
• the confirmation text arrives on the caller’s phone.

Then open Calls and read the transcript. That transcript is the fastest way to see what your receptionist actually says and to spot instructions worth adding.

Tip

Test as a customer, not as yourself. If you call from a phone listed under Recognized phones, the AI will try to switch into owner assistant mode instead of booking you a job.

Next steps

Once you’re live, the settings that move the needle most, in order:

1. Services & prices — so the AI can quote.
2. Messaging — missed-call text-back and the morning briefing.
3. Emergency dispatch — if you take urgent work.
4. Deposits — if no-shows cost you real money.