The 48-Hour Seat · opening a second location
You’re opening a second location. Don’t hire a second front desk.
A new office, a new territory, an acquisition. Staffing it from zero means a receptionist, an office manager and two months of hiring before the phone is answered properly. We’ll have an AI seat live for the new location in 48 hours, running the same playbook as your first one.
Staff the new location in 48 hours Or call (704) 741-3141 nowThat number is answered by our AI Front Desk. Interview it. If it can’t handle you, don’t hire it.
Why location two shouldn’t repeat location one’s payroll
Your first location took years to get the front desk right. Location two starts at zero, with nobody who knows your rules, and the phones ring on day one.
Two receptionists and two office managers is $150,000+ a year of overhead before the new site has revenue. That is why most second locations lose money for a year.
An acquisition is worse: their staff knows their rules, not yours, and half of them leave in the first 90 days.
What to do before the doors open
Whether or not you call us. Staff the process, not the desk.
- Month -1Write down how location one handles calls, booking, confirmations, intake and invoicing. That playbook is what the new site needs, not a person.
- Week -2Decide what the new location does differently: hours, services, pricing, service area.
- Week -1Go live with the AI seat on the new number. Test it with your team.
- Opening dayEvery call answered, every job booked, every confirmation sent. No hiring in progress.
- Month 3Decide what human you actually need on site. Usually a tech lead, not a desk.
What the AI Front Desk + Office Manager does from day two
- Answers the new location’s line 24/7 in that location’s name and hours.
- Books and confirms into the new location’s calendar.
- Runs the same intake, reminders and invoicing rules as location one, with the differences you set.
- Coordinates the new crew’s daily schedule.
- Sends you one report across both locations.
- Scales to location three without another hire.
Staffing options for the new site
| Option | Live in | Does the work? | Cost | Afterwards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hire a receptionist + office manager | 6–10 weeks | After training | $150K+/yr loaded | Two more people to manage |
| Have location one cover the phones | Now | Badly; they have their own | Location one’s service quality | Both sites suffer |
| Answering service | 1–3 days | Takes a message | $200–$400/mo | Someone still does the work |
| The 48-Hour Seat for the new site | 48 hours, guaranteed | Phones, booking, reminders, invoices, schedule | $2,000 + $497/mo | Location three is another 48 hours |
The 48-Hour Seat
AI Front Desk + Office Manager, trained on your business, live in two days.
Month-to-month. No per-call fees. Replace-or-Retrain Guarantee on the seat itself.
Book the callThe honest part: if on the setup call we think your seat isn’t a fit for AI, we’ll say so and point you to a faster human option instead.
Questions owners ask before the lease is signed
We’re acquiring a business. Their office manager is staying. Do we still need this?
Maybe not on day one. But 90-day turnover after acquisitions is brutal. Having the seat set up on your playbook means a resignation is a 48-hour problem, not a 2-month one.
Can it run two locations from one seat?
It runs one seat per location so hours, names and calendars stay separate, and you get one combined report. Second seat is another $497/mo.
What if location two has different services?
You set the differences on the setup call. Everything else inherits from location one’s playbook.
What happens if you miss 48 hours?
Setup is free. You pay the monthly fee only from the day it is live. We put that in writing because speed is the whole point.
What does it cost after?
$497 a month, flat, no per-call or per-task fees. Year one including setup is $7,964. For comparison, the median office manager salary is $69,500 (BLS May 2025), about $92,772 fully loaded.
What does the AI Front Desk + Office Manager NOT do?
Running the site. You still need someone on the ground for the work, the customers who walk in, and the judgment calls. The AI takes the desk so that person isn’t stuck at it.
Open with the desk already staffed.
Book the setup call before opening day, and location two starts profitable.
Start the 48-hour clock Call (704) 741-3141See what a office manager really costs in your metro: AI Headcount Index · Employee Cost Calculator · All staffing scenarios