Auto Attendant (Virtual Receptionist)
An auto attendant automates the process for handling incoming phone calls. When you receive calls on your phone number, an auto attendant will greet your callers with who they're able to reach (e.g. "1 for sales, 2 for billing, etc.") An auto attendant is commonly referred to as a virtual receptionist. The auto attendant feature replaces the need for an actual receptionist; you no longer need to hire a person to route calls to the appropriate extensions. Many auto attendants also include a dial by name directory which allows your callers to reach the person they want by dialing the person's first or last name.
Auto Attendant (Virtual Receptionist) with Virtual PBX Services
Many virtual PBX services include an auto attendant (virtual receptionist) in their plans at no additional cost. Virtual PBX services generally come with a phone number and an allotted number of extensions. Your number of phone extensions designates how many lines you can have your auto attendant (virtual receptionist) forward calls to.