Getting the most from Clara
Clara works the moment you switch it on. But a few minutes spent setting it up properly turns a good AI receptionist into one that sounds like you, asks the right questions, and wins you more jobs. Here are six steps to get there.
The one thing to remember: Clara is not a voicemail
Voicemail records a message and hopes the caller leaves one. Most won't - they hang up and call the next business. Clara has a real conversation, asks what matters, and captures the details. Set it up with that in mind and every step below makes sense.
Six steps to get the most from Clara
Choose how long your phone rings before Clara answers
You decide how many rings you get before Clara picks up. Enough to grab the calls you can, not so many that the caller gives up first. Most people start with a few rings, then adjust once they see how it feels.
Set how soon Clara answersSet up your welcome message - it's not a voicemail
This is the first thing callers hear, and it isn't a beep telling them to leave a message. Lead with your business name, keep it to one short sentence, and end with a question. Then Clara actually talks with them.
Write your welcome messageTrain your receptionist
Tell Clara what your business specialises in and, just as importantly, what you don't offer. The more it knows about how you work, the more accurately it answers, and the less likely it is to promise callers something you'd never take on.
Train Clara on your businessUse questions to get what you need to prioritise
Because Clara has a conversation instead of recording a message, it can ask the questions that let you triage: is it an emergency, what's the job, when do they need it. Add your own and mark the must-haves required, so every call comes back ready to action.
Customise the questions Clara asksSet up follow-up texts
Clara can text every caller the moment a call ends - a booking link, a payment link, a thank-you, or your own message. The inquiry keeps moving while you're still on the tools, and you set it up just once.
Set up auto text follow-upsLearn from what's happening and improve your settings
Read your summaries and transcripts to see what callers ask and where they drop off, then tweak your welcome message and questions to match. Clara gets sharper the more you refine your setup - a few minutes now and then pays off on every call.
Features and capabilities, explained
Still have a question? Browse the Help Centre or see Clara's pricing.