Question 1

How does the AI receptionist actually work?

Accepted Answer

When a customer calls your business number, the call forwards to your CallBackOrElse line. Our AI answers in under one ring, greets the caller by your company name, and has a natural conversation. It captures their name, phone number, address, service needed, and requested time. If scheduling is enabled, it checks your availability and books the appointment right on the call. After the call, you get a text summary and full transcript.

Question 2

Does this only work during storms?

Accepted Answer

No. The AI answers every call, every day, all year — storms are just where we got famous. The 4-day and 7-day passes cover any surge you say is a surge: a heat wave, a cold snap, furnace season’s first freeze, a hurricane. You flip Overload Mode on yourself — no weather alert required. The Annual plan is simply always on.

Question 3

Will callers know they’re talking to an AI?

Accepted Answer

We’re required by law to disclose that the call may be recorded and that the caller is speaking with an AI assistant. That said, our AI uses natural conversational speech — it listens patiently, asks follow-up questions, and responds like a trained receptionist. Most callers are impressed, not bothered.

Question 4

What happens during an emergency call?

Accepted Answer

The receptionist can refer callers to 911 when they describe immediate danger. It captures the call details and summary for your team to review. Each completed inbound call appears in Home without urgency labels or automatic escalation.

Question 5

Does it integrate with my field service software?

Accepted Answer

It does not need to. CallBackOrElse books jobs natively. When the AI books an appointment, the job lands on your schedule and your team sees it immediately, with the caller details and call notes attached. No double-entry, no missed leads.

Question 6

How much does it cost compared to a receptionist?

Accepted Answer

See the pricing section for the current offer. CallBackOrElse works nights, weekends, and holidays; compare it with your actual call-handling and missed-job costs.

Question 7

What if I already have a receptionist?

Accepted Answer

Perfect — now they never have to answer the phone. Calls forward to CallBackOrElse, and your receptionist can callback as needed, freeing up time to concentrate on scheduling, billing, and customer follow-ups. Many customers use us alongside their existing staff.

Question 8

How long does setup take?

Accepted Answer

You sign up, tell us your business name and services, and set up call forwarding from your existing number. That’s it. The AI is configured with HVAC industry knowledge out of the box, and you can customize greetings and instructions anytime.

Question 9

Is there a contract or commitment?

Accepted Answer

Surge passes are one-time purchases — buy a 4-day or 7-day pass when you need it, no subscription. The Annual plan is a 12-month commitment. Either way: no retention departments, no cancellation fees, no runaround.

Question 10

Do you support SMS follow-ups?

Accepted Answer

Yes, but only with permission. During the call the AI receptionist asks the caller, "Can we text you to provide updates and provide customer service?" and only sends texts if they say yes. When they do, CallBackOrElse can text a confirmation, next steps, or your booking link. The answer is recorded for A2P 10DLC compliance, and customers can reply STOP at any time to opt out.

Question 11

What does the AI actually do on the call?

Accepted Answer

The AI is focused on three things: gathering caller information, booking jobs, and collecting callback requests. It does not answer technical HVAC questions or give advice — that protects you from liability. If a caller needs something beyond scheduling, the AI lets them know a team member will follow up, and you get an immediate notification.

Question 12

How does Overload Mode work?

Accepted Answer

When you’re about to get slammed — a heat wave, a cold snap, severe weather, a booked-solid week — you flip one toggle. Overload Mode activates a surge-specific script for your AI receptionist. It captures each call in a chronological queue. Configured photo-request texts remain subject to your consent and messaging settings. When the surge passes, flip it off and you're back to normal operations.

Question 13

How secure is my customer data?

Accepted Answer

All data is encrypted in transit and at rest. We use HMAC-verified webhooks, timing-safe secret comparisons, and parameterized queries to prevent injection attacks. Your customer data is never shared with third parties or used to train AI models. We follow SOC 2-aligned practices for access control and audit logging.

Question 14

What happens if the AI can’t handle a call?

Accepted Answer

If a caller asks for something outside the AI’s scope — like detailed technical advice or an active complaint — it politely lets them know a team member will follow up, captures their details, and flags the call for your review. You get an immediate notification so nothing falls through the cracks.

Question 15

Do I keep my existing business phone number?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. You keep your current number and simply set up call forwarding to your CallBackOrElse line. Callers dial the same number they always have. If you ever cancel, just turn off forwarding and everything goes back to the way it was.

Question 16

How does the Google Review Surge Engine work?

Accepted Answer

After a job is marked complete, we automatically text the customer with a thank-you and a direct link to your Google review page. Happy customers tap once and leave a review. Customers who rate below 4 stars are routed to your inbox for private follow-up instead of going public.

Question 17

Can I customize what the AI says?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You can customize the greeting, company name, services offered, service area, pricing guidance, and escalation rules. The AI adapts its script based on your settings. You can update these anytime from your dashboard — no support tickets required.

Question 18

Is there a mobile app?

Accepted Answer

The inbox, surge queue, and all dashboards are fully responsive and work in any mobile browser. A native iPhone app is in development and will be available soon.

Every call answered. Every job booked. Even when your phone melts down.