Stay with the dog on the table
Stepping away from a dog on the grooming table to grab the phone is a risk most solo groomers learn not to take. With conditional forwarding, your phone rings first; if you do not answer, the call goes on to your dedicated Spikey number and the caller can leave a full request.
The assistant tells callers it is an AI and that the groomer will follow up. Put a callback window in your instructions that you can keep on a full day, such as the same evening or the next morning.
If your business line is your own mobile
Many solo groomers use one mobile number for everything. Forwarding applies to the line, not to the caller, so unanswered personal calls will reach the assistant too. It treats them like any other caller, and they appear in Calls.
If that matters to you, consider a separate business line that forwards to Spikey and keep your personal number apart. Either way, test from a second phone before relying on it.
Decide what to share about your location
The assistant shares what is in its instructions. If you groom from home and only give your address to confirmed customers, leave the street address out and describe the area instead. You can share the exact address yourself when you confirm the visit.
The same goes for hours. List the days you actually groom, so a caller on your day off hears when to expect a callback rather than an offer you cannot keep.
Return calls when the dog is done
After each call you get an alert with a short summary. Calls shows the full request with Call, Mark handled and suggested replies. A reply opens your own messaging app with the text filled in, so a simple confirmation takes a tap and a quick read.
Starter is $60 a month with 200 minutes included. Only calls that reach the assistant use minutes, so the calls you answer yourself do not count toward them.