Build a phone-receptionist demo with Claude Code and ElevenLabs

Define the receptionist’s actual job

Thanks to ElevenLabs for sponsoring this video. Use the retained [ElevenLabs Agents link](https://try.elevenlabs.io/anchor-hound) and [exact prompt resource](https://lukejbyrne.com/anchor-hound).

The June walkthrough starts with Luke’s frustrating booking call to a pub chain and contrasts it with his ElevenLabs example. The project combines a business website, an on-site voice agent and a real telephone number. It also covers a knowledge base, guardrails and Google Calendar bookings. The description’s “about 20 minutes” is the video’s estimate, not a guarantee of delivery time or commercial readiness.

1. Describe the business information and booking question the receptionist should handle.
2. Identify the calendar and booking details the workflow needs to preserve.
3. Keep the demonstration distinct from promises you might later make to a paying client.

Build the website and voice agent

The website section at 4:47 uses Claude Code and deployment to Netlify; the agent section begins at 8:19. The configuration choices include the system prompt, voice and a fast LLM. Open the original prompt resource alongside this section so the website and agent follow the same booking requirements.

1. Follow the website build and inspect its intended booking entry point.
2. Configure the agent using the recorded prompt, voice and model route.
3. Try the conversation on the site and compare its answers with the supplied business information.

Connect knowledge and calendar behaviour

The section at 13:55 covers Google Calendar, the knowledge base and guardrails. A convincing spoken reply is different from an actual booking record or calendar invitation. Keep those outcomes separate when reviewing the result.

1. Check that the knowledge material supports the answers the agent gives.
2. Inspect the booking details and the resulting calendar invitation in a test you control.
3. Check how the agent responds to an interruption and to a question outside its intended scope.

Add the telephone route and protect credentials

The Twilio section begins at 17:16. The source distinguishes an instant US-number route from a UK regulatory-bundle route; requirements must be checked for the intended number and jurisdiction. At 21:52 it explains using a .env file instead of pasting API keys into prompts.

A working demo is a starting point for a service, not evidence of a sale or a complete client deployment. Check the whole call-to-calendar path and the business’s actual requirements before offering it as a finished receptionist.

The takeaway

Judge the receptionist by the complete booking experience, including interruption, grounded answers and saved calendar details—not only by how natural its voice sounds.