> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.skaala.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Getting Started with Skaala

> A complete walkthrough of setting up your AI phone receptionist

# Getting Started with Skaala

Welcome to Skaala! This guide will walk you through everything you need to know to get your AI phone receptionist up and running.

## What is Skaala?

Skaala is your 24/7 AI phone receptionist that answers calls, books appointments, and helps your customers - even when you're busy or closed. Think of it as hiring a professional receptionist who never sleeps, never takes breaks, and always knows your schedule.

## Your First Steps

### 1. Create Your Account

Sign up at [skaala.ai](https://www.skaala.ai) using your email. You'll be asked to:

* Choose your business name
* Select your industry
* Pick your preferred language (Swedish, Norwegian, or English)

### 2. The Setup Wizard

After signing up, you'll meet our interactive AI setup assistant. This is where the magic happens - instead of filling out boring forms, you'll have a natural conversation with our AI to configure everything.

**What the Setup Wizard Will Ask About:**

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Your Business Information">
    * What services you offer
    * Your business hours
    * How long appointments typically take
    * Your business address (if needed)
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Booking Preferences">
    * Can customers book online?
    * Do you need payment upfront?
    * How much notice do you need for bookings?
    * Should customers get confirmation emails?
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="AI Personality">
    * Should the AI be formal or friendly?
    * What greeting should it use?
    * Any specific phrases or information to mention?
    * Languages the AI should speak
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Features You Want">
    * **Booking System**: Let customers book appointments during calls
    * **Payment Processing**: Accept payments when bookings are made
    * **SMS Notifications**: AI can send text messages during calls (like "I just texted you that link!")
    * **Call Analytics**: Track all calls and see transcripts
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

<Tip>
  **Pro Tip**: Don't worry about getting everything perfect! You can change all of these settings later in your dashboard.
</Tip>

### 3. Get Your Phone Number

Once you complete the setup wizard, you'll get a Swedish phone number for your AI receptionist. This number is what your customers will call.

**Setting Up Call Forwarding:**

You have two options:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Forward Your Existing Number" icon="phone-arrow-right">
    Keep your current business number and forward calls to your AI receptionist. Perfect if customers already know your number.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Use the New Number" icon="phone-plus">
    Use your new Skaala number directly on your website, social media, and marketing materials.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

<Info>
  **Need help with call forwarding?** The setup wizard will give you the exact codes to dial based on your Swedish phone carrier (Telia, Telenor, Tele2, or Tre).
</Info>

### 4. Test Your AI

Before going live, call your new number and test it out! Try:

* Asking about your business hours
* Booking an appointment
* Asking the AI to send you information via SMS
* Speaking in different languages (if you enabled multiple)

## Understanding Your Dashboard

Once setup is complete, you'll see your dashboard. Here's what each section does:

### Overview Page

* See recent calls and bookings at a glance
* Quick stats: calls answered, bookings made, revenue earned
* Alerts for missed calls or system issues

### Bookings

* View all upcoming and past appointments
* Manually add bookings (if customer booked by phone, email, etc.)
* Cancel or reschedule appointments
* See payment status for each booking

### Contacts (CRM)

* Every caller automatically becomes a contact
* See call history for each person
* Add notes about customers
* Export contact lists

### Call Logs

* Listen to call recordings
* Read AI-generated transcripts
* See how long each call lasted
* Identify missed opportunities

### AI Assistant Settings

* Change your AI's personality and tone
* Update business hours
* Modify what the AI says
* Add new services or update prices

### Analytics

* Track busiest call times
* Most common questions
* Booking conversion rate
* Revenue reports

## Setting Up Payments (Optional)

If you selected payment processing during setup, you'll need to connect your Stripe account:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Connect Stripe">
    Click "Connect Stripe" in your dashboard settings
  </Step>

  <Step title="Complete Stripe Onboarding">
    You'll create a Stripe Express account (takes 5 minutes)
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set Pricing">
    Add prices to your services in the dashboard
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose Payment Timing">
    Decide if customers pay when booking or in person
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Warning>
  **Important**: With payments enabled, customers can only book if they pay upfront. If you want to allow bookings without payment, keep "Pay in Person" mode enabled.
</Warning>

## Common Questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="What happens if the AI doesn't know an answer?">
    The AI is trained on your business information, but if it encounters something unexpected, it will politely tell the caller it needs to check and can either:

    * Take a message for you
    * Schedule a callback
    * Transfer the call to you (if you've set that up)
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I change the AI's voice or personality?">
    Yes! Go to Dashboard → AI Assistant → Voice Settings. You can make it more formal, friendly, professional, or casual. You can also change speaking speed and tone.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Will the AI call people back?">
    Not automatically. But you can see missed calls in your dashboard and choose to call them back yourself.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I use this internationally?">
    Currently, Skaala provides Swedish phone numbers and is optimized for Swedish, Norwegian, and English. International expansion is coming soon!
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What if I already have a booking system?">
    Perfect! Skaala integrates with your existing calendar and booking systems via our API and Zapier. The AI can check availability and create bookings in your system.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Explore the Dashboard" icon="gauge" href="/guides/dashboard-overview">
    Learn about all dashboard features
  </Card>

  <Card title="Set Up Zapier Automation" icon="bolt" href="/integrations/zapier">
    Connect Skaala to 5,000+ apps
  </Card>

  <Card title="Understand Bookings" icon="calendar" href="/guides/bookings-and-payments">
    Deep dive into the booking system
  </Card>

  <Card title="API Integration" icon="code" href="/api-reference/bookings/list-bookings">
    Build custom integrations
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Need Help?

* **Live Chat**: Click the chat icon in the bottom right
* **Email**: [support@skaala.ai](mailto:support@skaala.ai)
* **Dashboard Tutorial**: Watch the walkthrough video in Settings → Help