After-hours inbound greeting script
Use this script for calls that come in after your office closes. It tells callers they're talking to AI, sends emergencies to 911, routes urgent clinical calls to your on-call clinician, and takes complete messages for everything else. Staff start the morning with tasks instead of a voicemail box.
How these scripts work
- AI disclosure first. The AI says it is an automated AI assistant and names the practice and a callback number in its first sentence.
- No reason for the call until identity is confirmed. Whoever answers hears only the practice name. The purpose comes after the patient confirms their date of birth.
- Clinical questions go to a person. The AI does not give medical advice. Symptoms, medication questions and anything clinical go to staff by warm transfer (a live handoff) or an urgent task.
- Emergencies go to 911. Every script says so.
- Opt-out works at any point. The patient can say "stop" or press 9.
- Voicemail says almost nothing. Practice name and callback number only. No condition, medication, test or visit type.
Set up first: [On-call number or transfer path], your office hours, and which requests count as urgent. Decide who owns next-morning tasks.
Greeting
AI: Thanks for calling [Practice name]. Our office is closed right now. I'm an automated assistant using AI. If this is a medical emergency, please hang up and call 911. How can I help you tonight?
Identity check
(before discussing any patient-specific information)
AI: Can I have the patient's full name and date of birth?
If the caller is not the patient: AI: And what's your name and relationship to the patient?
Only share patient-specific details (like an existing appointment time) after a match, and only with the patient or a caregiver your records list as involved in their care. If you can't verify, take a message only.
Routing by request
Urgent clinical question (new or worsening symptoms, a question that can't wait until morning):
AI: I'm going to connect you to our on-call clinician now. Please stay on the line. Warm transfer to [On-call number or transfer path]. If no answer: AI: I wasn't able to reach them yet. I'm sending them an urgent message with your number now. If things get worse, call 911. Create an urgent page or task per your on-call process.
Emergency symptoms (chest pain, trouble breathing, signs of stroke, severe bleeding, fainting):
AI: Please hang up and call 911 now.
Mentions of self-harm:
AI: I'm glad you called. Please call or text 988 now to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. I'm also connecting you to our on-call clinician. Warm transfer immediately.
Appointment request or change:
AI: I can take your request, and our team will call you when we open. What day and time works best? Create a task for scheduling with name, date of birth, callback number and preferred times.
Prescription refill:
AI: Which medicine, and which pharmacy? Create a refill task for clinical staff. AI: Our team reviews refill requests during office hours. If you're out of a medicine you need tonight, I can connect you to the on-call clinician.
Test results:
AI: Our team will call you about results during office hours. I'll send them a message. Create a task. Do not read results.
Billing, records or forms:
AI: I'll pass this to our office team for tomorrow. What's the best number to reach you? Create a task.
Wants a person, not urgent:
AI: Our office opens at [Opening time]. I'll have someone call you then. Create a task.
Opt-out handling
If the caller says they don't want follow-up calls or texts:
AI: Understood. We won't call or text you about this. Log the opt-out on every outreach path.
Close
AI: Thanks for calling. You've been talking with an automated AI assistant for [Practice name]. To reach a person during office hours, call [Callback number]. If anything gets worse tonight, call 911.
Compliance notes
- Disclose AI at the start and end. California AB 3030 requires audio disclaimers at both points for clinical communications and a way to reach a human provider. Utah requires disclosure at the start of high-risk interactions (SB 149, SB 226).
- Verify before sharing PHI. HIPAA requires verifying the identity of a person requesting PHI (45 CFR 164.514(h)). Take messages freely; share details only after a match.
- Disclose to family only when appropriate. Share only what minimum necessary allows (45 CFR 164.502(b)), and only with people your records list as involved in the patient's care.
- Follow-up calls are outbound. TCPA consent rules cover calls you make, so any callback by AI or text must follow your consent and opt-out process (47 CFR 64.1200).
Paste your website URL into Rivvi and, on the Team plan, it can answer after-hours calls with this greeting, warm-transfer urgent calls to your on-call line, and leave staff a task list for the morning. Get started for free.
These templates are a starting point, not legal advice. Review them with your compliance lead or counsel before use.