Greeting order
French then English in one recording, or a language choice as the first prompt. Either way the caller picks once and every later prompt follows.
Montréal
Business phone systems for Montreal businesses
In Montreal the first thing a caller hears matters. A greeting in French, a clear option for English, and staff who can be reached in either language is the standard most businesses set for themselves. The phone system should make that easy, not an afterthought.
- French-first or bilingual greetings and menus
- AI receptionist that answers in French
- Keep your 514 or 438 number
Example
AI receptionist
Intent: booking · Confidence high
AI receptionistThanks for calling. How can I help today?
Inbound callerHi, I’d like to book a cleaning for next week, ideally Tuesday morning.
AI receptionistTuesday at 9:30 or 11:00 are open. Which works better?
Inbound caller9:30, please.
AI receptionistBooked. You’ll get a text confirmation. Anything else?
Appointment created in calendar
Transcript sent to front desk
Escalation rule: billing questions → office manager
A Montreal business phone system from 3CTel is configured bilingually from the start: a French-first greeting with an English option, menus and voicemail prompts in both languages, and an AI receptionist that answers, books and takes messages in French or English. Your 514, 438 or 263 number is ported from your current carrier or a new one is provisioned. Setup is remote and tested on a temporary number before the switch.
Last updated:
French first, by design
Most Montreal businesses expect to serve customers in French first, with English readily available. That is a business practice as much as anything else: a caller who hears their language in the first two seconds stays on the line.
On the system this is a set of choices made once during planning and applied everywhere.
Language-aware routing
Callers who choose English can be routed to a ring group of staff comfortable answering in English, without a separate number or a separate system.
Prompts and voicemail in both languages
Hold messages, voicemail greetings and the closed message exist in both languages. Transcripts are delivered in the language the caller spoke.
AI receptionist in French
The AI receptionist greets, answers common questions, books appointments and takes messages in French or English, switching if the caller does.
AI Receptionist
Answers, understands and books — in English and French.
Learn more: AI ReceptionistAI receptionist
Answers, books, takes messages and hands off to a person, in English or French.
Learn more: AI receptionistCall routing
Decide who answers, in what order, and what happens when they cannot.
Learn more: Call routingMontreal numbers: 514, 438 and 263
514 is the original island-of-Montreal code and the one customers recognize. 438 and the newer 263 overlay it and are just as local. New 514 numbers depend on availability; 438 numbers are usually easier to obtain. Businesses on the North and South Shores often also carry a 450 or 579 number that rings the same team.
An existing number is ported from your current carrier as it is. The old line keeps working until the agreed switch date.
Business Phone Numbers
Local, toll-free and campaign numbers that all land in one system.
Learn more: Business Phone NumbersNumber porting
How a port works, what you need to provide, what causes delays, and what 3CTel does at each step.
Learn more: Number portingLocal vs toll-free numbers
Which number goes on the sign, which goes on the website, and why the answer is often both.
Learn more: Local vs toll-free numbersCall flows for Montreal's businesses
- Agencies and studios: a bilingual main menu, a named directory, and a shared inbox for business SMS so client texts are visible to the account team rather than one phone.
- Clinics: an appointments option that reaches the front desk, voicemail to email with a French transcript, and the AI receptionist booking in French after hours.
- Manufacturers and distributors: a sales queue and a support queue, each staffed bilingually, with callbacks when hold time grows and a wallboard for the supervisor.
- Retail with several stores: each store has its own local number and hours, a single advertised number routes by the caller's choice, and head office sees every voicemail.
Medical & Dental Clinics
Appointment lines, provider routing and after-hours coverage for clinics.
Learn more: Medical & Dental ClinicsManufacturing & Distribution
Shop-floor paging, cordless handsets and order lines for plants and distributors.
Learn more: Manufacturing & DistributionRetail & E-commerce
Per-store hours, stock-check routing and pickup texts for stores and online orders.
Learn more: Retail & E-commerceContact Centre
Queues, routing and supervision for teams that live on the phone.
Learn more: Contact CentreEastern Time, Quebec holidays and remote setup
Montreal keeps Eastern Time, so schedules line up with Ottawa and Toronto without adjustment. The holiday calendar is set for the Quebec dates the business observes, which differ from Ontario's on a few days each year; a company with sites in both provinces sets one calendar per site.
Setup is done remotely. Planning is a call, in French or English, with a specialist. The system is built and tested on a temporary number so you can hear both language paths, and desk phones ship pre-configured to the office. The port is scheduled once you are satisfied.
Emergency calling uses the registered service address for each device, confirmed with you at setup.
Devices
Phones and headsets that arrive ready to plug in.
Learn more: Devices9-1-1 on VoIP
Why the registered address matters, how it is confirmed at setup, and how to keep it current.
Learn more: 9-1-1 on VoIPOttawa
613 and 819 numbers on one system, bilingual by default, across the river.
Learn more: OttawaQuestions from Montreal businesses
Can the greeting be recorded in our own voice in both languages?
Yes. Most businesses record the French and English greetings themselves so the voice matches the team callers will reach. The recordings are uploaded during setup and can be replaced at any time. If you prefer, generated voice prompts in both languages can be used while your own recordings are prepared.
How does the AI receptionist handle a caller who switches languages?
It follows the caller. A conversation that starts in French and moves to English continues in English, and the message or booking is recorded in the language used. The transcript delivered to your team notes the language. The receptionist can be limited to one language if the business prefers.
We have staff who only answer in one language. Can routing account for that?
Yes. A caller's language choice at the menu can direct the call to a ring group made up of staff who answer in that language. If that group does not pick up, overflow can go to a bilingual receptionist or the AI receptionist rather than to someone who cannot help the caller.
Auto attendant
A recorded greeting that answers the main number and lets callers pick a destination or dial an extension.
Learn more: Auto attendantRing group
One incoming call rings several phones at once or in sequence; the first to pick up takes it.
Learn more: Ring groupBusiness Phone
Reliable calling with routing your team will actually use.
Learn more: Business PhoneRelated pages.
AI Receptionist
Answers, understands and books — in English and French.
Learn more: AI ReceptionistBusiness Phone
Reliable calling with routing your team will actually use.
Learn more: Business PhoneBusiness Phone Numbers
Local, toll-free and campaign numbers that all land in one system.
Learn more: Business Phone NumbersBusiness SMS
Text from the number customers already call — as a team, not from a personal phone.
Learn more: Business SMSOttawa
613 and 819 numbers on one system, bilingual by default, across the river.
Learn more: OttawaCall recording
When recording helps, how callers and staff are informed, and how access and retention are set.
Learn more: Call recordingFrequently asked questions.
Yes. Planning, setup and support conversations can be held in French or English, and the written setup summary can be provided in either language.
Yes. Outbound calls from the mobile or desktop app show the business number, so a caller sees the 514 or 438 number rather than a personal cell number.
No. One number with a bilingual greeting is the usual approach. Separate numbers are used only when the business wants distinct advertising in each language.
Yes. Canadian law generally requires that callers be informed that a call is recorded; 3CTel configures the announcement with you in both languages.
Plan a bilingual phone system for Montreal.
A specialist walks through your greeting order, your teams and your numbers, in French or English, and quotes the setup.