# 20 Questions Clinics Ask Before Buying AI Voice

> The 20 questions a real clinic asked before buying an AI voice receptionist: calendars, transfers, recording consent, data residency and DPDP.

Source: https://edesy.in/blog/questions-clinics-ask-before-buying-ai-receptionist-2026

**Before buying an AI voice receptionist, one clinic sent us 20 questions.** They were good
questions, the kind every clinic should ask any vendor: 11 about capabilities and setup, 9 about
recording, consent and data protection. Below is the list, what a good answer looks like, and what
Edesy supports today. The clinic isn't named; the questions are generic enough for any practice.
This is the [AI receptionist for medical clinics](https://edesy.in/ai-receptionist/use-cases/medical-clinic).

> **See it on your own clinic number:** [Start free on Edesy](https://voice-agent.edesy.in/?utm_source=edesy.in&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=questions-clinics-ask-before-buying-ai-receptionist-2026) — Rs 50 free credit, no demo needed.

## Part A: capabilities and setup

**1. What do you need from our clinic to set it up?**
Doctors, specialties and timings, appointment types, clinic address and directions, FAQs (fees,
services, parking), your transfer numbers, and your calendar access.

**2. Can the AI handle follow-up calls (reminders, post-visit check-ins)?**
Yes: reminder calls before appointments and follow-up calls after visits. See
[how a hospital uses AI for follow-up calls](https://edesy.in/blog/surgical-hospital-ai-follow-up-calls-2026).

**3. What is the typical booking success rate?**
Treat any headline figure with care; results depend on your patients, languages and call mix.
Ask for a **2-4 week pilot** and measure your own baseline.

**4. Is it used by other clinics and hospitals in India?**
A fair question. Good vendors share references only with the customer's permission; expect
anonymised examples otherwise.

**5. Which calendars and practice software do you integrate with?**
On Edesy: Google Calendar and Cal.com out of the box, and any system with an API through custom
tools. For practice-management software, ask how bookings sync and whether there is an extra cost.

**6. Multiple doctors and specialties? Charged per doctor?**
Multiple doctors and specialties are supported. Ask each vendor how pricing scales. On Edesy, billing
is per call minute.

**7. Can it tell appointment types apart (new, follow-up, procedure, emergency)?**
Yes, if you describe the types and rules in the setup. Emergencies should always get the emergency
number or a transfer, never a booking.

**8. SMS or WhatsApp confirmations and reminders?**
Yes. The agent can send SMS or WhatsApp confirmations and reminders. Ask whether message charges
are separate (WhatsApp messages carry Meta's charges).

**9. Can it transfer live to our receptionist?**
Yes, with a short announcement. Test every transfer route before go-live; see
[AI-to-human transfer failures and fixes](https://edesy.in/blog/ai-to-human-call-transfer-failures-fix-2026).

**10. Export formats for appointment data and call logs?**
CSV export, Google Sheets, webhooks and API. Recordings and transcripts are available per call.

**11. Pricing: calls, minutes or monthly? Customisation charges?**
On Edesy, calls are billed per started minute at Rs 4-6 depending on your prepaid top-up, with
unanswered calls free. Ask any vendor about setup or customisation fees upfront.

## Part B: recording, consent and compliance

These nine are the questions clinics most often forget. **Ask every vendor to answer them in
writing**, including us.

**12. How are patients told the call is recorded?**
The notice should be in the **greeting**, before personal details: "This call is recorded for
quality purposes."

**13. Is patient and call data stored in India?**
**14. Which cloud provider and region?**
**15. How is data encrypted, in transit and at rest?**
**16. Who can access our data? Is access role-based and logged?**
**17. How long are recordings and data kept? Is there auto-deletion?**
**18. How are patient access and deletion requests handled under the DPDP Act?**
**19. What is your DPDP position (data fiduciary/processor roles, grievance contact)?**
**20. Are calls routed through Indian telecom, and does audio leave India?**

A good vendor gives specific, written answers to 13-20 that your compliance adviser can review.
Vague answers are a warning sign. [Talk to us](https://edesy.in/contact) to request written answers on our current
data handling. For background, read
[DPDP compliance for voice AI](https://edesy.in/blog/dpdp-act-voice-ai-compliance-india-2026).

## What to do with the answers

1. **Shortlist two vendors** whose Part B answers satisfy your compliance adviser.
2. **Run a 2-4 week pilot** on one clinic or one call type (after-hours, or reminders).
3. **Measure**: calls answered, appointments booked, transfers, patient complaints.
4. **Decide** on your own numbers, not a brochure.

Before the pilot, run our [30-minute AI voice agent test checklist](https://edesy.in/blog/test-ai-voice-agent-30-minute-checklist-2026).

## Start with a test call

[Create a free account](https://voice-agent.edesy.in/?utm_source=edesy.in&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=questions-clinics-ask-before-buying-ai-receptionist-2026)
and hear a booking call for your clinic, or [talk to us](https://edesy.in/contact) to get written answers to all 20
questions. Also see [AI night receptionist for hospitals](https://edesy.in/blog/ai-night-receptionist-hospital-overflow-calls-2026).

## Related reading

- [Recording consent wording for AI calls in India](https://edesy.in/blog/ai-call-recording-consent-wording-india-2026)
- [AI calls for doctor-booking platforms](https://edesy.in/blog/ai-calls-for-doctor-booking-platforms-2026)
- [AI appointment calls for mental health clinics](https://edesy.in/blog/mental-health-clinic-ai-appointment-calls-2026)

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What should a clinic ask before buying an AI voice receptionist?

Ask about setup inputs, calendar and practice-software integration, multiple doctors, appointment types, WhatsApp/SMS confirmations, live transfer, data export, pricing, recording consent, data residency, encryption, access control, retention, patient data rights under DPDP, and where call audio is processed.

### Can an AI receptionist book into our calendar?

On Edesy, the agent books into Google Calendar or Cal.com, or into your own system through a custom API. For practice-management software without an API, ask the vendor how bookings would be synced.

### What success rate should a vendor promise?

Be cautious of headline numbers. A better approach is a 2-4 week pilot that measures your own baseline: calls answered, appointments booked and no-show changes, compared with your front desk.

### How do I evaluate a vendor's data protection?

Ask in writing where data is stored, which cloud region, how it is encrypted, who can access it, how long it is kept, how deletion requests are handled under the DPDP Act, and whether call audio leaves India. Get answers you can show your own compliance team.