Question 1

What exactly happens when I miss a call?

Accepted Answer

The caller hears your own recorded greeting, then the questions you chose: press a key (emergency or not), type their ZIP code, say what they need. When they finish, you get a lead in your dashboard and mobile app with their keypad answers, their ZIP, a verdict (qualified, emergency, outside your area, or hung up part-way) and their own recording to play. Emergencies alert you the moment the key is pressed.

Question 2

Won't it sound robotic?

Accepted Answer

It can't, because there is no computer voice. You (and anyone on your crew you choose) record the greeting and every question yourself, in your browser or on your phone. Your line will not go live until every line is recorded. If you ever need to go live early, you can turn on a clearly labelled temporary computer voice for the lines you haven't recorded yet, but it is off unless you switch it on.

Question 3

How is this different from a traditional answering service?

Accepted Answer

Traditional answering services bill per minute, typically $1-2/minute, for a human operator, a stranger to your caller, who takes a message and leaves the follow-up to you. CallAnswer plays your own voice, asks the questions you wrote, screens by your service area and hands you a sorted lead for a flat monthly rate with no per-minute charges. It is not a live person, so it will not hold a conversation or book the job for you.

Question 4

Is there any AI involved?

Accepted Answer

Not in how your calls are answered. Your voicemail flow runs on fixed rules you set: your recordings, your questions, your ZIP codes. Nothing is generated, no model writes or speaks to your callers, and callers' answers are not sent to an AI service.

Question 5

How hard is the setup?

Accepted Answer

You pick your trade and get a plain-language script for it (10 trades have a starter). You read each line aloud and press Record; you can listen back and re-record as many times as you like, or upload a file. Then you list the ZIP codes you serve and press Go live. Most people finish in a few minutes. Anyone on your crew can record a line, and their name is saved with it.

Question 6

What can I ask callers?

Accepted Answer

Up to 8 questions of three kinds: a keypad choice (press 1 for an emergency, press 2 for a routine job), a number (their 5-digit ZIP code), or a spoken answer the caller records in their own words. A key can mark an emergency, skip ahead, or politely end the call. Callers outside the ZIP codes you list hear a polite goodbye in your voice.

Question 7

What about after-hours and weekend calls?

Accepted Answer

You can record a separate greeting (and use a different voice) for when you are closed, based on the business hours you set. The 10pm burst pipe gets the same questions as a daytime call, and an emergency key alerts you right away.

Question 8

What happens if there's an emergency (gas leak, burst pipe)?

Accepted Answer

You decide which keys mean an emergency (for example, press 1 if water is leaking right now). When a caller presses it you get a push notification and an email at once, and a text to the phone number in your settings. Your own greeting should also tell callers to hang up and call 911 for fire, smoke, a gas smell or an injury.

Question 9

Do callers know they are being recorded?

Accepted Answer

Your starter greeting includes the line "This call may be recorded", and you should keep it. Recording laws differ by state, and you are responsible for the notice you give callers and for the consent of any employee whose voice you use. We store callers' recorded answers for 90 days, then delete them.

Question 10

How quickly do I hear about a new lead?

Accepted Answer

When the caller finishes (or an hour or so after they hang up part-way) the lead appears in your dashboard and mobile app and you are notified by email and, with the mobile app, push. Emergency keys alert you immediately, in the middle of the call.

Question 11

Do I need special equipment or a new phone number?

Accepted Answer

No. CallAnswer works with your existing business phone. You set up call forwarding on your number (most carriers use a simple dial code, about a minute) so unanswered calls go to your CallAnswer number. Then you record your voicemail.

Question 12

What trades does CallAnswer work for?

Accepted Answer

Any home-service business. Starter scripts are written for plumbing, HVAC, electrical, cleaning, handyman and general contractors, locksmiths, garage doors, roofing, pest control, and landscaping. Every question and line is yours to change.

Question 13

How much does it cost?

Accepted Answer

Flat monthly pricing, no per-minute or per-call charges: Essentials is $99/month for up to 40 calls, Starter is $297/month for up to 100 calls, and Pro is $497/month for up to 1,212 calls plus appointment reminders and review requests for customers who opt in to texts. No overage bills on any plan: if a plan's monthly call limit is reached, the line stops answering new callers until the next month and you are told right away. Every plan is billed monthly with no contracts.

Question 14

Is there a contract?

Accepted Answer

No contracts and no setup fees — month-to-month, cancel anytime. Your plan is billed from the day you subscribe, and your dedicated number is assigned as soon as the first payment clears.

Question 15

How do I cancel?

Accepted Answer

You can cancel anytime in one click from the Billing page of your dashboard. No phone call, no email, and no retention conversation. Your plan stays active through the end of the period you already paid for, and the same button puts it back if you change your mind.

Frequently asked questions