Day-One Metrics (No Dashboard Needed): How to Tell If Your AI Calls Are Working

You've just launched your new AI Receptionist. The calls are being answered, messages are being taken, and appointments are being booked. But how do you know it's really working?

While advanced dashboards are great, you don't need them to get a powerful, at-a-glance view of your success. By tracking just four simple metrics—what we call Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)—you can understand your call performance and make smart adjustments. All you need is a simple spreadsheet.

The Four Starter KPIs

Focus on these four numbers to get a 90% picture of your AI's effectiveness.

1. Connect Rate:

   • What it is: The percentage of total calls that were successfully answered by the AI.
   • Why it matters: This is your baseline. A high connect rate (ideally 99-100%) proves that you are no longer missing calls.

2. Booking Rate (for appointment-based businesses):

   • What it is: Of the calls where the intent was to book an appointment, what percentage were successfully booked by the AI?
   • Why it matters: This is a direct measure of ROI. It shows the AI is not just answering calls, but actively generating revenue-producing events.

3. Info-Capture Rate:

   • What it is: The percentage of calls where the AI successfully captured the essential details (e.g., name, phone number, reason for call).
   • Why it matters: This measures how effectively the AI is creating actionable leads for you to follow up on.

4. Escalation Rate:

   • What it is: The percentage of calls that needed to be handed off to a human.
   • Why it matters: This number isn't "good" or "bad" on its own, but it's incredibly insightful. A high rate might mean your FAQ needs more detail, while a very low rate means the AI is handling almost everything, saving you time.

How to Track Calls in a Simple Spreadsheet

Create a new Google Sheet or Excel file with the following columns. At the end of each day, take 5 minutes to review your call summaries and fill it out.

After a week, you can easily calculate your KPIs. For example, if 3 out of 4 callers who wanted to book were successful, your Booking Rate is 75%.

Example Targets by Industry

• Medical Clinic: Aim for a high Booking Rate (>80%) and a moderate Escalation Rate (10-15%) as patients may have complex questions.
• Home Services (Trades): Focus on a very high Info-Capture Rate (>95%) for quote requests and a low Escalation Rate (<10%).
• Salons/Spas: Strive for the highest possible Booking Rate (>90%) as this is the primary function of calls.

Your 20-Minute Weekly Review Ritual

Set aside 20 minutes at the end of each week to review your spreadsheet and call summaries. This simple ritual is the key to optimizing your system.