What the Receptionist does when it doesn't know an answer

A prospect asks: 'Do you do tailwheel endorsements?' — and nobody told the Receptionist. The worst thing a phone system can do is invent an answer. Yours never does. Here's exactly what happens instead.

1. 1

   It says it doesn't know — out loud

   The Receptionist answers honestly, in its own words: that's a question for the school, and it will get the caller an answer. No guessing, no vague corporate deflection. Callers consistently rate an honest 'let me find out' higher than a confident wrong answer.

2. 2

   It captures the caller and the question

   Before the call ends it makes sure it has the caller's name, number, and the exact question, and promises a callback. That promise matters — it's what keeps the lead alive.

3. 3

   You get a summary, immediately

   A text lands on your phone with who called and what they asked. The full transcript is in Conversations. Reply by calling the lead back when you have a minute — most owners answer between flights.

4. 4

   It becomes a contact and an open opportunity

   The caller is now in Contacts with the question attached, and sits in your pipeline as a lead to follow up. Nothing about the interaction is lost.

5. 5

   Tell us the answer once — it knows it forever

   Text us the real answer ('Yes, tailwheel — $240/hr dual in the Champ') and we add it to the Receptionist's knowledge. Next caller who asks gets the answer on the spot. The system gets smarter every week this way.

Rule of thumb: if a caller asks it twice, we should know about it once. One text to us turns an 'I don't know' into a selling point.