Why we ask first
When you sign up, your FrontDesk account doesn't have a phone number yet — that's the first thing the Setup Assistant helps you pick. To search for one, our phone carrier needs to know where to search, and the easiest answer is a 3-digit area code.
We ask instead of guessing for two reasons:
- Pickup rates are higher for local numbers. Studies consistently show patients are more likely to answer a call (and read a text) from their own area code. If your practice is in Fort Worth, an 817 number feels like a neighbor calling; a 332 New York number feels like a robocall.
- You may want a different area code on purpose. Some multi-location practices want one number per region. Some prefer toll-free. Some want to match a specific city for marketing. We don't want to lock that choice in for you.
What the assistant accepts
You can answer with any of these and it will figure out the area code:
- A 3-digit area code — "817" or "use 415"
- A city name — "Fort Worth, Texas" or "anywhere in Dallas"
- A ZIP code — "76102"
- A state — "anywhere in Texas works"
- "Toll-free" — switches to 800/833/844/855/866/877/888 search
What happens after you answer
The assistant searches our carrier's live inventory and shows you 5 available numbers in a card. Click one to buy it (a quick confirmation pops up first), or ask for more options if none of those look right.
Numbers are provisioned in seconds — there's no waiting period, no shipping, no paperwork. As soon as the number is yours, the Setup Assistant moves you to the next step (picking a voice and recording a greeting).