Front desk. AI receptionist on your own number.
CallMerlin Front desk is an AI receptionist on a dedicated business number. Callers get answers from your public Front desk knowledge, can be transferred to a staff member who is Available in Call, and get a call-back request if nobody answers. It is an add-on for Professional or higher with fixed minute bundles (€79 / €149 / €279), not unlimited voice minutes. Separate from your internal Merlin line with PIN.
Inbound Voice Agent with separate knowledge, warm transfer to Available colleagues, and Call back if the softphone misses. Not a classic IVR keypad product.
Add-on for Professional or higher. 7-day trial on the Merlin plan.
Caller: 'I need someone in support.' Softphone rings an Available PIN with a handoff card. If nobody answers: Call back is ready.
Public line. Knowledge + transfer + Call back.
Own number · separate knowledge
AI receptionist
Transfer or Call back. No internal tools.
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What Front desk delivers
Public line, separated knowledge, transfer, and call-back in one product.
| Part | What you get | Limit / note |
|---|---|---|
| Own number | Front desk DID, separate from the internal Merlin line | Per account |
| Public knowledge | Front desk (public) tab only, not internal PIN knowledge | Max 15 documents |
| Warm transfer | To a PIN with extension + Available in Call | Softphone max 25 sec |
| Call back | Missed or offline → request in Call; you dial | No autodial |
| Minute meter | Separate Front desk bundle, not the Merlin chat/phone bundle | 200 / 600 / 2,000 min |
| Concurrent lines | Concurrent inbound lines per plan | 2 / 5 / 15 (+€15/line) |
| Call logs | Source Front desk; CRM match name when the number is known | Dashboard |
Who Front desk fits
Honest about when it does and does not make sense.
SMBs with missed inbound
Lunch, peak hours, or solo founders: cover FAQs, then warm-transfer to someone Available.
Teams already on CallMerlin
Same app for PIN, knowledge, softphone, and Call back. No separate PBX just for reception.
Public FAQ + human follow-up
Hours, directions, basic product Qs from Front desk knowledge; complex topics to a colleague.
Less of a fit
Pure outbound sales (use softphone outbound), unlimited minutes, or classic keypad IVR as the core. Starter without Professional: no Front desk.
Fits the same CallMerlin stack
Own number
Softphone / Call
CRM match (read)
Internal Merlin line
Mobile appThis is just one example of the many combinations possible.
All channels and integrations →What is an AI front desk for inbound calling?
An AI front desk (also AI receptionist) answers inbound phone calls for your company: FAQs, intake, opening hours, and transfers to people. CallMerlin Front desk does that on a dedicated number, separate from your internal Merlin PIN line.
The public agent only sees Front desk knowledge. No access to internal tools or CRM writes from the public session. Optional: read-only match of the caller number for the log and handoff card.
How do transfer and Call back work?
If the caller asks for a person, the agent picks an Available PIN (extension + Available). The softphone rings for up to 25 seconds with a handoff card: number, CRM name if known, and reason.
If nobody answers or the person is offline, the agent records a call-back request. In Call you see Missed call or Missed request (offline) with Call back. Call back fills the number; you start the call. No automatic outbound dialing.
Front desk vs classic IVR vs softphone outbound
A classic IVR makes callers press keys (press 1 for sales). Front desk is a voice agent that answers from knowledge and transfers to an Available teammate. This version does not promise a keypad menu as the core product.
Front desk is inbound: customers call your number. Softphone outbound is outbound: you call from Call, or via Suggest call from chat. Many teams use both: Front desk catches inbound; Call back and outbound close the loop.
What does Front desk cost in 2026?
Starter: €79 per month, 200 minutes, 2 concurrent lines, overage €0.25 per minute. Growth: €149, 600 minutes, 5 lines, overage €0.22 per minute. Scale: €279, 2,000 minutes, 15 lines, overage €0.20 per minute.
Extra concurrent line: €15 per month. Add-on for Professional or higher only. No unlimited flat. Activate under billing / Front desk in the dashboard.
What Front desk is not
Not unlimited minutes or unlimited lines. Not access to internal tools or CRM writes from the public session. Not a classic IVR menu in this version. Not a promise of ringing when the softphone app is fully closed.
Internal PIN-tab documents do not appear on the public line. Front desk documents are not searchable in internal Merlin sessions.
How to start Front desk
From add-on to first inbound call in a few steps.
- 1Start or upgrade to Professional or higher (7-day trial available).
- 2Activate Front desk under billing and choose Starter, Growth, or Scale.
- 3Assign a Front desk number and upload public knowledge (Settings → Knowledge → Front desk).
- 4Give staff an extension, set Available in Call, then call your Front desk number to test.
Public vs internal separation
Public sessions are quarantined from PIN tools.
- Only Front desk knowledge on the public line (max 15 documents).
- No CRM writes or internal tool calls from the public agent.
- Read-only caller match on number for log and handoff, when available.
- Separate minute meter and overage per Front desk plan.
- You start Call back yourself; no silent autodial to customers.
- CallMerlin does not promise ringing when the softphone app is fully closed.
Front desk FAQ
Miss fewer inbound calls. Answer, transfer, call back.
Activate Front desk on Professional+, upload public knowledge, and test with one Available teammate.
Start free trialAdd-on for Professional or higher. 7-day trial on the Merlin plan.