User Guide
Say Hello is more than a phone system, it’s your safety net for every missed call. Built in-house by Add People, the platform ensures every lead gets a reply, even when you’re busy.
Think of Say Hello as the receptionist you never had, always polite, always available, and always keeping customers warm.
Business Numbers
You are assigned two numbers: a landline for advertising and a mobile for SMS. Both connect to your existing phone.
AI Assistant
If you miss a call, Ella, your AI assistant, replies back via SMS on your behalf. She can follow up, share your opening times, and encourage the caller to book or call back.
Call & Message Logs
Every voicemail, message, form, and note is logged in one place, giving you a clear picture of each customer conversation.
Getting Started
Before diving into daily use, you’ll need to complete the installation and setup steps. For detailed instructions, see our official Installation Guide
Telephony Settings
Telephony controls how customers reach you. Here you’ll find:
IVR Numbers Section
- Landline IVR number (for website/ads)
- Mobile IVR number (for SMS replies)
- Default Route To Number (your current business mobile)
- Customise: Welcome, On-Hold, Voicemail messages
Caller Experience Section
- Welcome Message – greeting when they call.
- Optional Service Listing – announces services (if enabled).
- On-Hold Message – played before connecting.
- Voicemail Message – played when you don’t answer.
Both IVR numbers act as a mask, protecting your personal mobile while ensuring nothing is missed.
How To Configure Telephony
- Open the Say Hello app.
- Tap Profile → Settings → Telephony
- Review your landline and mobile numbers
- Confirm your Default Route To Number is your current business mobile
- (Optional) Add more numbers if team members need to make outbound calls.
- Scroll down to set your Welcome, On-Hold, and Voicemail Messages.
- Tip: Keep greetings short, friendly, and professional. Using a landline with a local code builds trust with customers.
Working Hours
Set your working hours so calls outside these times go to voicemail. Ella then follows up with a polite message.
How To Set Working Hours
- Tap Profile → Settings → Business Settings
- Enter your start and end times for each day
- Tap Save
Services and FAQs
Ella uses your Services & FAQs to answer customer questions accurately. This includes your services, prices, and opening hours.
How To Update Services & FAQs
- Tap Profile → Settings → Services
- To add a new Service: press +
- Enter the service name and description
- Tap Create Service
- To add a new FAQ: press +
- Enter the FAQ question in the name and the FAQ answer in the description
- Tap Create Service
- To update an existing service: select the entry
- Press the pen icon and edit as needed
- Tap Update Service
- Tip: To assign a number to a specific service that’s announced when a customer calls, toggle Use in IVR on, then add a Route to Phone Number.
A Day in the Life with Say Hello
Your daily hub is the Recents tab. It shows all new calls, voicemails, SMS, tasks, and form submissions. Each entry links to the customer’s profile and full history.
From Recents, you can manage every interaction.
Calls
Incoming Call Process
- Your phone rings. Ella says: “You have an incoming call. Hang up to send the customer to voicemail, or press any key to bypass screening."
- If you do nothing, the call connects automatically.
- Ella announces the caller’s details, then counts down: “Connecting you in 3, 2, 1...”
- The call connects.
How To Call Back
- Open the customer entry in Recents.
- Tap the Call icon.
- Under Pick a Phone, leave the customer’s number as-is.
- Under Call From, select landline or mobile IVR. Example: If they called the landline, call them back on the landline.
- (If available) choose a Speak From number if multiple team numbers are set.
- Tap Call via IVR. Your phone rings first, answer within 8 seconds.
- Ella announces: “Connecting you to customer [name].” The customer is then dialled.
- Tip: All calls route through Say Hello so they can be tracked and logged.
How To Listen to Voicemails
- Open a voicemail entry in Recents.
- Tap Play to listen.
- Tap View for details.
How To Read a Transcript
- Open the voicemail entry.
- Scroll to Transcription to read the text version.
Messages
How To Send an SMS
- Open a customer entry in Recents.
- Tap the Message icon.
- Choose a template or tap Write Your Own.
- Tap Send SMS.
- The reply appears in Outbound.
Notes
How To Add an Internal Note
- Open a customer entry.
- Tap Tasks.
- Type your note (e.g., “Prefers Wednesday mornings”).
- Do not allocate a due time
- Tap Save.
Deleting
How To Delete an Item
- Open a customer entry.
- Tap the More (…) menu.
- Select Delete.
- Confirm deletion.
- Tip: Only delete spam or irrelevant items. Keep customer interactions for history.
Forms
How To View a Form Submission
- Open Recents or Contacts.
- Find entries marked Form Submission.
- Tap to view details (name, contact info, answers).
- Call or message directly from this screen.
- Add notes or tasks to track the lead.
Search & Filter
How To Search and Filter
- Tap the Search icon in the bottom navigation bar.
- Enter a keyword (e.g., name, service).
- Tap a result to open the conversation.
Ella, Your AI Assistant
Ella is your virtual AI assistant. She helps small businesses stay responsive when you can’t answer. She works 24/7, 365 days a year to acknowledge customer inquiries and keep leads warm.
How Ella Works
- Learns about your business through the AI Personality Box.
- Uses simple prompts by default.
- Can be configured by the Say Hello team for specific responses.
- Can be disabled if you prefer to use Say Hello only for call tracking.
- Tip: Ella is a cost-effective alternative to a personal assistant, reliable, easy to teach, and always available.
Why SMEs Need Ella
- Handles missed calls and voicemails.
- Provides basic information (e.g., hours, services).
- Answers simple customer questions, day or night.
How To Review Ella’s Replies
- Tap Recents → Outbound
- Select a reply from Ella.
- Tap Feedback → Thumbs Up/Down.
- If negative, add improvement instructions (e.g., “Only offer home visits to housebound customers”).
How To Update Ella’s Instructions
- Tap Profile → Settings → Assistant Preferences.
- Open Notes to Assistant.
- Add or edit instructions.
- Tap Save.
Notifications and Alerts
Notifications show all new activity. Use them as your daily checklist.
How To Check Notifications
- Tap the Bell icon in the top-right.
- Review new items.
- Tap an entry to open the conversation.
Best Practices
- Return missed calls quickly, even if Ella replied.
- Use SMS prompts for speed and consistency.
- Regularly give Ella feedback to refine her responses.
- Treat Recents and Notifications as your daily to-do list.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but use your Say Hello numbers so interactions are logged.
Call your Say Hello number, let it ring out, then check Recents for a voicemail, transcript, and Ella’s reply.
Yes, by giving feedback or updating Services & FAQs.
Ella continues responding. You can also train a colleague or wait until you return to go live.
Glossary
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IVR Number
Virtual number assigned during setup, for calls/SMS
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Task
Reminder or follow-up linked to a customer.
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Ella
AI assistant that replies to missed calls.
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Unified Customer View
Full history of calls, texts, notes, and forms.
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Recents
Activity feed of inbound and outbound communication.
Support
For help, use in-app support or visit www.sayhello.business.
You can also email support@sayhello.business.
When reporting issues, include:
- Time of the event
- Customer number
- Steps taken
- A screenshot if possible