The AI doesn't always need to answer every question — sometimes a patient just wants to leave a message. Voicemails are a first-class object in FrontDesk: transcribed, summarized, and routed to your inbox.
Where to find voicemails
Calls → Voicemails
A tab inside the Calls section showing every voicemail with:
- Caller name (if recognized) or number
- One-sentence AI summary
- Read/unread status
- Timestamp and duration
- Quick-play button
What happens when a caller leaves one
- AI or transfer-rule routes the call to voicemail.
- The caller hears your voicemail greeting (or the default — see below).
- They speak; recording stops when they hang up or hit a long pause.
- The recording uploads to FrontDesk.
- Whisper transcribes the audio (typically 10–30 seconds for a 1-minute message).
- GPT writes a one-sentence summary.
- The voicemail appears in your Voicemails tab with a new-message badge.
- Staff configured for notifications get an email or push.
Customize the voicemail greeting
Settings → Phone → Voicemail greeting
Two ways to set it:
- Type text — TTS speaks it in your AI's chosen voice. Default: "Sorry we missed your call. Please leave a message after the tone and we'll get back to you."
- Upload audio — record a
.mp3or.wavif you want a specific staff member's voice.
Different greetings per practice and per after-hours mode are supported on Pro and above.
Notifications
Settings → Notifications → Voicemails
Choose who gets notified, on which channel:
| Channel | When it fires |
|---|---|
| Within a minute of transcription completing. Includes the summary and a direct link. | |
| Push (mobile app) | Same timing — useful for staff away from email. |
| SMS to staff | Optional — relays the summary to a staff cell phone. |
You can also route specific voicemails to specific staff. For example, billing-related voicemails go to your office manager.
Action a voicemail
Each voicemail row has quick actions:
| Action | What it does |
|---|---|
| Call back | Dials the caller from your default outbound number. |
| Text back | Opens a new SMS to the caller. |
| Mark read | Removes the new-message badge. |
| Mark all read | Bulk-clear the inbox. |
| Assign | Hand off to a teammate with a note. |
| Resolve | Closes the voicemail without further action. |
Search and filter
The Voicemails tab supports:
- Free-text search across transcripts (e.g., "insurance", "prescription", patient name)
- Filter by date range
- Filter by status (unread, assigned, resolved)
- Filter by caller number
Great for finding the voicemail from "that patient three weeks ago who asked about Saturday hours."
Retention
Voicemail audio and transcripts follow your practice data retention policy (Settings → Compliance → Retention). Retention is set at the account level and applies on every plan:
| Data | Default retention |
|---|---|
| Voicemail audio | 1 year |
| Transcripts | 6 years (HIPAA minimum) |
Older messages are deleted permanently — shorten or extend retention to match what your jurisdiction or specialty requires.
Common patterns
- Pair with after-hours mode: Off-hours → voicemail-only → next-morning staff reviews and calls back. See Configure after-hours behavior.
- Daily inbox-zero: Make voicemail review the first task of the morning. Most practices clear yesterday's voicemails in under 10 minutes.
- Auto-assign: Use rules to route voicemails to the right teammate (billing → office manager, clinical → lead RN).