AI Voice Receptionist gets a smarter engine, and the option to bring your own voice

The AI Voice Receptionist now runs on a more capable voice engine by default, and businesses that already have a favorite ElevenLabs voice can connect it themselves.
A better-sounding voice, with more choice
Auto-upgraded voice:
 The real-time voice engine behind the AI Voice Receptionist has been upgraded from OpenAI Realtime 1.5 to 2.0, bringing a bigger context window, better reasoning, and more accurate pronunciation of names. This rolls out automatically to every account — no setup required. 
Custom voice:
 Paste in your own non-surcharge ElevenLabs voice ID directly in the receptionist's settings, instead of requesting a code change from Vendasta to swap voices.
Why it matters
Voice quality is one of the first things a caller notices. With these updates, conversations sound more natural and hold up better in longer, more complex exchanges. Additionally, businesses that already know which ElevenLabs voice they want can connect it themselves in minutes
Who it's for
Businesses running the AI Voice Receptionist for phone or in-browser voice channels
Partners who want a self-serve way to offer a branded or custom-sounding voice
Anyone who's requested a voice change in the past and had to wait on a Vendasta code change
How to get started
Available to all accounts with Conversations AI Premium.
Voice engine upgrade:
 No action needed — Realtime 2.0 is rolling out to all AI Voice Receptionist accounts. 
Custom ElevenLabs voice:
Go to Business App > AI > AI Workforce > AI Voice Receptionist > Configure > Speech > ElevenLabs Flash v2.5 > Use a custom voice ID
Paste in a non-surcharge ElevenLabs voice ID
Save and test the new voice
FAQs
Q: Are all ElevenLabs voices supported?
A: Non-surcharge voice IDs are supported today. Note: ElevenLabs voices can occasionally mispronounce words or switch languages, so this is offered as an option for businesses who specifically want it rather than as Vendasta's recommended default.
Q: Does the custom voice option cost extra?
A: Only non-surcharge ElevenLabs voice IDs are supported at this time, so there's no additional Vendasta charge for connecting one.