Phones & calls

Open the practice phone workspace

Hero brings incoming calls, voicemail, browser calling, desk phones, and an AI answering agent into the practice workspace. The on-screen name is Soaper Phone.

1. Turn on the phone feature. A practice administrator, or someone allowed to manage additional features, opens Admin → Additional Features, enables Soaper Phone, and clicks Save Changes. Ask Hero support to provide or transfer the practice’s phone numbers before using them.
2. Open Admin → Soaper Phone. Administrators and staff with phone configuration access can open it. Staff who only have phone analytics access also see the menu entry; it opens straight to Analytics, and they can review the Agent Log but not change settings. Viewing settings and changing them are separate permissions; a person with read-only access cannot save changes.
3. Choose the tab for the job. Numbers & Routing controls each number’s call flow; AI Agent configures the answering agent; Call Routing manages ring groups, schedules, and holidays; Voicemail manages mailboxes. Devices & Dial-out sets up staff phones, recording, and emergency alerts. Agent Log and Analytics help review calls.

Make the office computer ready for calls

The phone dock lets authorized staff place and answer calls without leaving Hero. In Admin → Soaper Phone → Devices & Dial-out, a phone manager turns on each person’s Softphone and assigns their Caller ID.

1. Open the phone dock and check the microphone. If it says Allow microphone, click that action and allow access in the browser. If no microphone is available, connect a headset and use Check again. A blocked microphone must be allowed in the browser’s site settings; reload afterwards.
2. Choose audio devices. Open Phone audio and alerts in the dock. Choose Microphone and, where supported, Speaker. Ring on this computer controls the ringtone; only one of your tabs rings. Desktop alerts needs the browser’s notification permission.
3. Keep a dedicated phone computer available. Keep this computer signed in for calls stops automatic sign-out while the phone is set up here. Use it on a dedicated front-desk or office computer. Leave it off on shared or personal laptops. These audio and sign-in choices apply to this computer only.
4. Place a call. Enter a name or number in the dock, select the correct patient number if searching, and click Call. Hero checks microphone access before placing the call. Use Do not disturb when you should not receive calls.

Phone managers can enable Record outbound calls under Outbound recording. Both parties hear an announcement before the conversation begins. Listening to recordings requires separate access.

Choose who rings and what happens when everyone is busy

Under Admin → Soaper Phone → Call Routing, phone managers create or edit a ring group, choose its members, and set the Ring strategy. A personal desk phone rings with its owner; a shared desk phone can be added directly to a group.

1. Choose simultaneous or ordered ringing. Everyone at once rings available members together. The other strategies ring one person at a time, in priority order or by rotation.
2. Set Total ring time. This is how long the group can ring before the call follows its no-answer step. Each member’s ring time must fit inside that total.
3. Set If everyone is on another call. The default, Go to the next step right away, follows the no-answer path immediately. Choose Keep the caller ringing until someone is free to wait, then set Wait up to (seconds) from 1 to 120. Callers hear ringing while they wait; when time runs out, the no-answer step still applies.
4. Check the no-answer destination. An unanswered ring group can lead to its configured voicemail box. Busy or declined phones do not keep a caller waiting for a phone that cannot take the call.

Set up desk phones for an office location

1. Prepare the location’s emergency address. On Numbers & Routing, register the correct 911 address for a dedicated location number and wait for confirmation. Set up the 911 alert list too.
2. Add the office location. Use Add office location. Enter its Name, select the registered 911 address and Emergency callback number, and supply Office internet addresses. Confirm the physical address before Add location. Emergency callbacks ring the location’s desk phones directly.
3. Complete the location’s alert setup. If the location asks for it, use Set up 911 alert and wait for setup to finish. A location must be ready before adding its phones.
4. Add the phone. Use Add desk phone, name it, choose whether it belongs to a person or is shared, and choose its Office location. A personal phone also needs a Person. Enable Dial out from the keypad if appropriate, then Add phone.
5. Use the one-time setup sheet. Enter the displayed connection settings on the physical phone. Copy the password or use Print before closing the sheet: it cannot be shown again. Keep a printed sheet secure or shred it after setup.
6. Check and maintain the phone. Refresh its status after setup. If the password is lost, use Reset password and update the phone with the new sheet. Move to another location also issues new settings; use it when physically moving a phone so emergency calls report the correct location. Disable stops the phone from making and taking calls, including emergency calls; enabling it again requires new setup.

Choose who receives 911 call alerts

In Admin → Soaper Phone → Devices & Dial-out, the 911 alert list selects active teammates to notify when someone dials 911 from a browser or desk phone. Select recipients and click Save list. An empty list alerts nobody.

Desk-phone alerts interrupt the recipient’s Hero screen and include the phone, office location, and call result. A failed emergency call is reported too. Acknowledge the alert after reading it; acknowledgement does not end the call.

The phone alert list is separate from the practice’s Panic button, which asks signed-in teammates for immediate help.

Review AI-handled calls in the Agent Log

Open Admin → Soaper Phone → Agent Log to review AI-handled calls. Select a Range, then filter Direction to Inbound or Outbound, search, or narrow by category and outcome. Dates use the practice time zone.

Open a call for its timing, outcome, AI review, recording, and transcript. Recording and transcript access are separately controlled, so a teammate who can see the call list may not be able to listen or read the transcript. Review the actual conversation before relying on an automated summary.

Ask the AI to make a call, then review the plan

1. Open New AI call in the Agent Log. Under What should the AI do?, describe whom to call and the task. Click Plan call. Nothing is dialed yet; answer any clarification request and plan again.
2. Review the destination and task. Check Who it will call, the number, any published hours and warnings, and What the AI will do. Use Show full instructions to read the full plan. Edit instruction takes you back to revise it.
3. Decide what may be shared. Under What it may share, untick any detail the agent should not receive. Check Connecting you to confirm whether the AI handles the whole call or rings you after reaching the requested person.
4. Start only after review. Click Start call. If the plan expires, use Plan again and review the replacement. The Agent Log shows progress and the eventual result.
5. Use manual details when needed. Enter details manually opens Number to call, Goal, optional Instructions, and Allowed details. Use Add detail for information the agent may disclose. Connect me when a person answers also needs Department to reach. This form starts with Start AI call.
6. Stay available during the call. For a handoff, Hero rings your configured phone after a person answers; press 1 to join. If the agent needs information and requester chat is enabled, it asks in Team Chat. Reply in that call’s conversation; the agent can wait on the line for your answer.

Call limits can prevent a new attempt. Up to ten AI calls to the same destination are allowed per practice-local day. If a destination or capability is unavailable, ask support rather than repeatedly starting the call.