# Call recording for the receptionist

Call recording is an extra for the AI phone receptionist. It records calls that are put through to your staff, so you can listen to them later from the call log.

For: Admins, Managers · On: Web · [Help Center](https://www.mays.app/help) › [Catering & phone](https://www.mays.app/help/catering-phone) · Last updated October 12, 2026 · Mays Team

Call recording is an extra for the AI phone receptionist. It records calls that are put through to your staff, so you can listen to them later from the call log.

**Who:** admins and managers choose it when they subscribe a location, on the web. Admins, and managers at the location, can listen. **Add-on:** $10 a month ($100 a year) on top of the [AI phone receptionist](https://www.mays.app/help/catering-phone/ai-receptionist-ivr) plan, as shown on the tab when this was written.

## What's recorded

- **Only the part with your staff.** Recording starts when someone answers your fallback phone, after the receptionist puts the caller through. That happens when the caller presses 9 or asks something the receptionist can't answer.
- **Both people** on that part of the call.
- **Not the part with the receptionist.** That part is already in the call's transcript as text.
- If nobody answers the fallback phone, nothing is recorded.

## What callers hear

Just before they're put through, callers hear *Please be advised, this call may be recorded for quality and training purposes.* and then *Connecting you to the store.*

Recording laws differ from state to state. Some require everyone on the call to agree, so check the rules where you operate before you add recording. Tell the staff who answer the fallback phone that these calls are recorded: they don't hear the notice.

## Add recording

1. When you subscribe the location on its **IVR (AI Receptionist)** tab, tick **Add call recording** before you click **Subscribe**. For yearly billing, it shows the yearly price.
2. After payment, a **Recording** badge appears next to the plan.

![The plan picker on the IVR — AI Receptionist tab with Add call recording (+$10/mo) ticked above the Starter, Growth and Unlimited plans](https://mays-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/site/help__ivr-call-recording__01-add-recording.8d6296e4dd.png)

- **Mays also has to switch recording on for your organization.** If the **Recording** badge shows but calls that were put through have no recording, [contact support](https://www.mays.app/help/getting-started/contact-support).
- **Already subscribed?** The tab doesn't let you add recording later. Contact support.
- **To stop recording**, contact support.

## Listen to a recording

1. On the location's **IVR (AI Receptionist)** tab, open **Calls & blocked**.
2. Click a call that was put through (its transcript shows **Put through to the store**).
3. Click **Play recording** at the top of the transcript. The recording loads and starts playing.

![A call transcript with the Recording player at the top, the caller asking what time do you close and the AI answering with the opening hours, then Caller pressed 9 and Put through to the store: the caller pressed 9](https://mays-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/site/help__ivr-call-recording__02-recording-in-transcript.1718e4d15a.png)

The recording is added a little while after the call ends.

## Good to know

- **Who can listen:** admins, and managers assigned to the location. Recordings play only inside Mays, for someone who's signed in: there's no link to a recording that someone else could open.
- **Recordings aren't deleted on a schedule,** and you can't delete one from Mays.
- **Recordings aren't written out as text.** Only the part with the receptionist has a transcript.
- **The recording notice is in English,** like the rest of the receptionist.

## Related articles

- Catering & phone: [AI phone receptionist](https://www.mays.app/help/catering-phone/ai-receptionist-ivr) — The AI phone receptionist answers a location's phone. It reads out answers you've written, texts callers your address, and puts them through to a real person when it can't help.
- Catering & phone: [Receptionist call log and blocked numbers](https://www.mays.app/help/catering-phone/ivr-call-log-and-blocking) — See every call to a location's AI phone receptionist, read what each caller asked and heard, and block numbers that keep calling. Mays also blocks robocallers on its own.
- Catering & phone: [Receptionist FAQs and missed questions](https://www.mays.app/help/catering-phone/ivr-faqs-and-missed-questions) — The AI phone receptionist answers callers from a list of questions and answers that you write. Add answers, test what callers might say, and turn the questions it missed into new FAQs.
- Getting started: [Getting help and support tickets](https://www.mays.app/help/getting-started/contact-support) — Open a support ticket from Help in the web app, follow the Mays team's replies and answer them, or send a support request from the contact page at mays.app/contact, or call us.

## Still need help?

Send us a support request and a real person on the Mays team will get back to you.

[Contact support](https://www.mays.app/contact?topic=support) · [Call +1 (561) 286-3939](tel:+15612863939)

Canonical: https://www.mays.app/help/catering-phone/ivr-call-recording