The legal framework, in two sentences
Article 50 of the European regulation on artificial intelligence requires AI systems designed to interact with people to inform them that they are talking to an AI, in a clear and distinguishable manner, at the latest at the time of the first interaction; this obligation has applied since 2 August 2026. The rest of the framework (GDPR, recording, the contract with the provider) is covered in our guide to the AI Act and GDPR: this guide, which is not legal advice, deals only with practice, that is, what to say, when and how.
When to announce it: in the first sentence
On the phone, “at the latest at the time of the first interaction” means: in the greeting. Not after three questions, not “if the caller asks”. A caller who discovers after a minute that they're talking to a machine feels tricked; one who learns it in the first sentence judges the agent on what it does for them.
Three moments matter:
- The opening. The announcement is made once, clearly, at the start of every call.
- The direct question. If the caller asks “am I talking to a robot?”, the answer is yes, without beating about the bush, followed by what the agent can do. An agent must never deny it.
- Recording. If you record calls, the announcement says so too, along with the option to object. Our guide to call recording details this point.
At Sayelo, the opening doesn't depend on you: every call begins with the statement “Please note that you are going to be speaking with an artificial intelligence”, which neither you nor we can switch off, followed by “This call is recorded; you may object to this” if you have switched on recording, which is offered from the Essentiel plan and never active by default. Your work is on the greeting sentence that goes with it: that's what keeps the caller on the line.
How to announce it: three parts, one or two sentences
A good announcement comes in three parts, in this order.
- Who you are. The business name and a hello: the caller knows they've dialled the right number.
- Who is speaking. “I'm the practice's AI assistant”, “the agency's AI assistant”. Choose an unambiguous word: “AI” or “artificial intelligence”. “Virtual assistant” or “voice assistant” are often understood, but not always. A first name is fine, as long as it comes with the word AI: “I'm Emma, the agency's AI assistant”.
- What the agent can do, and the way through to a human. Two or three concrete verbs (book an appointment, take a message, give information) and a mention that a member of the team can take over. It's this third part that stops people hanging up: the caller knows what they can get, and that they aren't trapped.
The tone is that of a good human greeting: calm, friendly, with no apologies and no fanfare. The voice matters too: our guide to choosing the agent's voice helps you find the one that suits your business.
Ready-to-use phrases, by trade
Replace the names, keep the structure. With Sayelo, these phrases follow the mandatory statement.
Healthcare: medical practice, allied health, psychologist
“Hello, Dr Martin's practice. I'm the practice's AI assistant: I can book or move an appointment, or pass a message on to the doctor.”
For a practice that receives urgent calls, add: “In a life-threatening emergency, hang up and call the emergency services.” For a psychologist, a gentler tone and no questions about the reason for calling. Our GP surgeries page shows a full call.
Tradesperson
“Hello, Plomberie Durand. I'm the company's AI assistant; Julien is out on a job. I can note your request, book a visit or put an emergency through to him.”
Saying where the tradesperson is reassures the caller: they understand why he isn't answering himself.
Shops
“Hello, Fleurs de Saison, I'm the shop's AI assistant. I can give you our opening hours, note an order or take a message for the team.”
Independent professional
“Hello, Cabinet Lefèvre, solicitors. I'm the firm's AI assistant. I can note what your call is about, arrange an initial appointment or pass a message on to your solicitor.”
“Hello, Agence des Quais, I'm Emma, the agency's AI assistant. Our agents are out on viewings: I can give you information about a listing, arrange a viewing or take your details.”
A customer who calls about a property leaves with a viewing booked: see the estate agencies page.
Hospitality
“Hello, Hôtel du Port, I'm the reception's AI assistant. I can answer your questions, note a booking request or let reception know.”
If the multilingual option is switched on, the agent carries on in the caller's language.
For the rest of the call, see our greeting scripts by trade.
The mistakes that make people hang up
- Delaying the announcement. A caller who finds out late mainly remembers that it was hidden from them.
- Burying the announcement. A paragraph about technology and data before letting the caller speak: they hang up before the end. The legal detail belongs on your website.
- Apologising or boasting. “I'm only a machine” sows doubt; “our latest-generation AI” sounds like an advert.
- Playing human. A first name without the word AI, an “I'll check with my colleague” when there's nobody there: it goes against the spirit of the rule, and the caller ends up realising.
- Promising too much. “I can answer all your questions”: the first question missing from the business profile will make the agent a liar.
- Closing the door. No mention of a human, and an agent that insists when the caller asks for one: that's a guaranteed hang-up, and sometimes a bad review.
When the caller wants to speak to a human
It's a legitimate request, and one you plan for in advance: the agent agrees without argument, then applies one of these three outcomes.
The transfer
If someone can answer, the agent transfers the call. You decide who gets what: one number for emergencies, another for existing customers, an on-call line in the evening. At Sayelo, transfer to a human is included in every plan, with one transfer number from Solo and multiple transfers by reason for calling from Pro; each number can be offered only at certain times. The transfer is direct, with no announcement: if nobody answers, the caller reaches the voicemail of the number called. So only transfer to a line that answers, or whose voicemail greeting is up to date.
The message
If nobody is available, the agent says so and takes a complete message: name, number, reason for calling, when they can be called back. You receive the summary by email, with the transcript, and calls that need action end up in “Activity” → “Calls”, with the “To do” filter, until someone deals with them.
The callback
Better than a vague “we'll call you back”, a precise commitment: “Of course. If nobody is available, I'll take your message and Julien will call you back before this evening.” The agent only promises the timescale you have set for it, and you keep to it. At Sayelo, once outbound calls are activated (only in France for now), the “Call back” button on the call record lets you call back from your computer or your phone, with your agent's number.
Testing your announcement before your customers do
Call your number and play three roles: a customer in a hurry, a sceptic who asks if they're talking to a robot, someone who insists on a human. Then read the summary. With Sayelo, the “Test call”, always at the top of the screen, lets you talk to your agent through the microphone, from your browser: nothing is recorded or billed; the three-minute demo lets you hear a full call.
What Sayelo does
Sayelo backs up your team and never replaces it, and announcing the AI is the first condition for that: it opens every call and cannot be switched off. You write the greeting sentence that follows, you choose its voice from expressive voices that you listen to before choosing, and you set the exact pronunciation of your business's name. Voicemail, on the other hand, does nothing with the call: our comparison of an AI voice agent and voicemail details the difference. The security framework is described on the security and GDPR page, and the plans on the pricing page, from €39/month excl. VAT with a 14-day free trial.
