The Power of a Phone Call

Timely Responses Matter In Childcare

When families reach out, they want reassurance that someone is there to listen. A quick reply, or even an automatic acknowledgment, goes a long way in building trust. If you can’t answer right away, letting families know you’ve received their message and will get back to them shows reliability and care. With IntelliKid Systems, you can ensure every call or message feels valued, even when your team is busy.

Never Miss a Detail 

Every center receives its own unique enrollment number that automatically captures and records phone conversations. Calls are routed through your enrollment number straight to your center’s phone: no extra hardware needed and no interruptions for the caller! This means you can stay fully present in the moment, knowing the system has your back. Later, you can simply review the recording and fill in the details at your convenience, making it perfect for busy childcare centers! 

You Only Have One Chance at a First Impression! 

Greet prospective families with a personalized welcome message before they reach your center’s staff. This is an easy way to create a warm, welcoming caller experience while showcasing your center’s unique tone. Whether you use the built-in voice or upload a friendly branded recording, customized messages help families feel connected from the very first ring. The same personalization can be applied to busy messages and voicemail. See step-by-step instructions here.

Now that I’m all set up, what more can I do? 

Make Your Own Rules 

• Status-Based Customization. With IntelliKid Systems, every family has a status (eg. new inquiry, scheduled tour, enrolled, withdrawn, and so on). You can decide exactly where calls go based on that status in the decision-making process. For instance, send new inquiries straight to an enrollment specialist while routing enrolled families directly to the school.

• Redirect Fallback. If a call isn’t answered within your set time, you can create a fallback option. Add a friendly message to let families know they’re being redirected, then seamlessly transfer the call to another number (even your cellphone!) so no one feels left waiting.

• Working Hours vs. After Hours. Ensure families feel acknowledged day or night: route calls to your chosen line during working hours, and after hours redirect them to another number or a voicemail greeting such as, “We’re closed right now, but please leave a message and we’ll get back to you soon.”

Know Who’s Calling 

You can customize both the intro message (what callers hear) and the whisper message (what staff hear before picking up) based on the caller’s status in the decision-making process.

• New Inquiry? Use a whisper that cues staff to bring their very best.

• Enrolled Family? Greet them with a warm intro and a whisper reminder so staff know it’s a current parent.

• Scheduled Tour? Add a whisper message to let staff know it could be someone running late or needing directions.

Make SMS Auto-Responses Work for You

Since your IntelliKid Systems number is also used for texting, you can build custom auto-responses that fit every scenario. For example, 

• Enrolled Families – “Thanks for your message! We’ll respond as soon as possible. For urgent updates about your child, please call the school.”

• After Hours – “We’ve received your message and will get back to you in the morning.”

• Holiday Closures – Update your auto-response to let families know when you’ll return.

Block What You Don’t Want

With our recently released Blocklists feature, you are able to take control of who can contact your center. Easily block unwanted emails, calls, or texts, and even add notes for future reference: all from one simple page. Check out our Help Center article for step-by-step instructions and everything you need to know about this feature!

Get Call Ai – Your New Sidekick

Call Ai is the first feature in our IntelliKids.Ai suite and is built to revolutionize how child care centers handle inbound calls. With Call Ai, your phone calls are automatically:

• Captured and transcribed

• Summarized with key details for easy review

• Used to complete parent profiles automatically

• Filtered—irrelevant calls like telemarketers or vendors are flagged and removed

Excited to learn more? Find out all about it here! 

Experience the benefits of IntelliKid Systems at your own pace. See for yourself—click below to start your self-guided demo.