Do we need client consent for calls handled or recorded by an AI receptionist?

For Veterinary Clinics

This depends on your state's call recording consent law, and it's the same requirement that already applies to any recorded line your practice runs today, whether that's a human receptionist on a recorded call or a voicemail system that states calls may be recorded. About a dozen states, including California, Florida, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Washington, are two-party (all-party) consent states, meaning every participant on the call needs to be notified that it may be recorded before the recording starts; the rest are one-party consent states, where only one participant (in this case, your practice) needs to know. Voksha's call handling includes a brief disclosure at the start of the interaction, similar to the standard this call may be recorded for quality purposes language most callers already expect from a business line, which satisfies two-party consent requirements. If your practice operates in a strict two-party state, it's worth confirming during setup that the disclosure language and timing match your state's specific requirements, since some states require the notice before any substantive conversation begins. This isn't a veterinary-specific regulation, it's a general call recording law that applies to your phone line regardless of who or what answers it, but it's worth being deliberate about since veterinary calls often include sensitive information (a client's financial situation, decisions about a pet's end-of-life care) that you'd want handled with the same care as any other recorded business call. Your practice retains the recordings and transcripts as part of your standard business records, similar to how you'd retain any other client communication log.