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How it works
From missed call to lead in your inbox
NewFrontDesk is three things working together: missed-call text-back, web chat and one lead inbox. Here is the path a lead takes, followed by a plain list of which parts work today.
The path of a lead
What happens when someone tries to reach you
This is the design. The status board below shows which parts are running.
They call, and you can't pick up
You're on a job, with a customer, or closed. NewFrontDesk only ever responds to people who contact you first.
They get a text back
A text goes out from your business number saying you missed them and inviting them to text what they need. It includes how to opt out. No texts go out between 9 PM and 8 AM your time; a call missed overnight gets its text at 8 AM.
Or they find your website
A chat box takes their name, number and what they need when nobody is there to answer.
On Pro, AI replies keep it going
When they text back, AI replies are designed to answer from the hours, services and policies you've given, collect the details, and always say they're AI. Not in the app yet.
It hands off when it should
Emergencies, upset customers and anything outside its instructions are flagged for a person, not handled by AI.
You get the lead
Every chat, form and missed call lands in one lead inbox, where you set its status and keep notes. An email tells you a lead arrived, without the customer's details.
Setting it up
What you'd give it
This is what setup is designed to cover. It is not open yet.
- Your business details for texting registration (A2P 10DLC), which carriers require before a business can text
- The wording of your text-back message
- Your timezone, so no text goes out between 9 PM and 8 AM
- The email address for new-lead alerts
- The one line of code for the chat on your website, or a form link if you have no site
- On Pro: your hours, services and policies, so AI replies have real answers to give
Under the hood
What it runs on
- Phone numbers and texts will run through Telnyx, a US phone carrier platform. Text-back is in test mode today and sends nothing.
- The chat and text-back involve no AI. AI replies, when they are added on Pro, will be generated by Anthropic's Claude models.
- Leads, notes and opt-out lists are stored on our own server, in a separate data file for each business.
Not legal advice: texting rules vary by state. We will have the product reviewed by an attorney before any business uses it with real customers.
Honest status
What's built and what's coming
We'd rather you know exactly where things stand than find out later.
BuiltWorking today
Running on our server right now, with made-up test businesses only. No real business is using it yet.
- Lead inboxEvery lead in one list, with status and notes. Each business has its own login and its own separate data.
- Web chat for a business's websiteOne line of code. Asks for a name, a phone number and what the visitor needs. Plain questions, no AI. The business picks the colour, the button words, its opening hours and a closed-hours greeting.
- Contact form linkFor a business with no website. Leads go to the same inbox.
- Consent recorded with each leadWhether the visitor ticked the box, the exact wording, and when.
- Owner dashboardLeads this week, typical response time, and missed calls caught.
- New-lead email alertsAn email tells the owner a lead arrived and links to the inbox. It never contains the customer's name, number or message.
NextBeing built
Not working for customers yet.
- Missed-call text-backThe rules work in test mode: each business's own number and opt-out list, no texts from 9 PM to 8 AM, one text per caller per day. Ready-made messages per trade and a preview tool are in the app. It cannot send a real text yet. That needs a real number per business, the sending step, and each business's carrier registration.
- AI replies (Pro)Not in the app yet. A reply engine exists in our older software and is being rewritten so it always says it's AI.
- Follow-ups (Pro)Not in the app yet. Email follow-up sequences exist in our older software.
- Up to 3 locations (Pro)Not built.
- AI that answers incoming callsNot in any plan. An early rule-based voice prototype exists in our older software and is switched off.
LaterPlanned
On the roadmap. No dates promised.
- Online sign-up and billingAccounts are set up by hand today, and no payment is taken.
- AI booking straight into your calendar
- AI replies to incoming email
- Calendar sync
- Reseller program for agencies
Status checked on October 7, 2026 against the running app and its automated tests. "Working today" means it works on our server with test accounts; it does not mean a customer is using it. Nobody is yet, which is why we take no payment yet. An attorney review comes before any real business uses it.
Questions
About how it works
Does it answer my phone?
No. It texts back the calls you miss; it doesn't answer them. AI that answers incoming calls is being built and is not in any plan.
What does "working today" mean?
It means the feature runs on our server right now and passes our automated tests, with made-up test businesses. It does not mean a customer is using it. Nobody is yet.
What happens if an AI reply can't help someone?
The design is a handoff: it takes their details, tells them a person will follow up, and flags the lead for you. It should never leave someone stuck in a loop.
Will the AI make things up about my business?
AI replies are designed to answer only from the hours, services, prices and policies you give them. For anything else, they take the question and pass it to you.
When will AI call answering be ready?
We don't have a date to promise. It is on the being-built list, and it is not part of any plan. People who have requested setup will hear first.
Didn't find your answer? Write to [email protected], or see how it works.
Ready when you are.
Request setup now. No payment is taken until the features in your plan work.
One practical guide a week.
Short, plain guides for local businesses on missed calls, follow-up and leads. No sales emails. Read the guides.