Two different jobs
Smart Hold is intended to help while a caller waits for a teammate. AI Receptionist answers a configured phone route. They depend on phone routing and service configuration; a Chat AI setting does not enable them.
Configure the number
Use https://app.message.com/settings/phones/ai for available AI Receptionist controls and review the number’s routing and fallback. Choose the voice and instructions offered by that setup. Do not assume AI starts after a fixed 45-second wait.
Test a complete call
Ask a question covered by your knowledge, request a person and test the unavailable-agent path. Confirm the caller reaches the intended fallback and the call appears in Inbox. Contact support if the route you need is not offered in your account.
Keep going
Put the next step into practice, or ask us about your setup.