Everything contractors ask before signing up — from setup time to emergency routing to what happens if we go down.
Common Questions
Find what you need.
Quick answers to the most frequent questions from contractors.
How does AnswerDesk handle missed calls?
AnswerDesk picks up every call — 24/7, including nights, weekends, and holidays. If a caller doesn't book or need emergency routing, they can leave a voicemail, which is transcribed and sent to your phone via SMS. You never miss a callback opportunity.
What phones and calendar systems does it work with?
AnswerDesk works with any phone — cell, landline, or VoIP (RingCentral, Zoom Phone, etc.). Calendar integrations include Google Calendar and Microsoft Outlook (Office 365 / Exchange). Just connect your calendar during onboarding and AnswerDesk books in real time with no double-booking risk.
How long does setup take?
Most contractors are fully set up in under 5 minutes. You'll connect your phone number, plug in your calendar, customize your greeting, and set your emergency contact — all in the onboarding wizard. Your business number is live and taking calls the same day.
Can customers book appointments directly?
Yes. The AI agent reads your available slots directly from your connected calendar and books the appointment in real time — no back-and-forth, no double bookings. Customers can also reschedule or cancel through the AI without calling you.
Does it work if I'm already using a different answering service?
Yes — most contractors simply forward their existing number to AnswerDesk. You keep your current number and listing while AnswerDesk handles every call. Once you're set up, you can cancel or scale back your old answering service.
What happens if AnswerDesk goes down?
If AnswerDesk cannot answer a call for any reason (system error, network issue, etc.), calls automatically forward to your configured backup number — typically your cell. You'll never lose a call silently. Our uptime SLA is 99.9% and is backed by redundant infrastructure across multiple data centers.
Can I review call transcripts?
Every call is transcribed and stored in your dashboard. You can search, filter, and read full transcripts to check AI accuracy, review customer details, or follow up on specific jobs. transcripts are retained for 90 days on all plans.
Is there a limit on simultaneous calls?
The Professional and Business plans support multiple simultaneous calls with no artificial limit. The Starter plan handles one call at a time. If you're running high call volume (more than 10 concurrent calls), the Business plan is recommended and we can discuss custom arrangements for very high volume operations.
How is emergency routing triggered?
During onboarding you configure a set of emergency keywords relevant to your trade — "flooding," "no heat," "gas smell," "burst pipe," "sparking," and more. The AI listens for these signals in real time. When a match is detected, it immediately sends an SMS to your cell with the caller's number and a summary of the situation. You call back directly.
Can I customize what the AI says?
Yes. You can customize your business greeting, set your own FAQ answers for common questions (pricing, service area, hours), and define exactly how you want emergency situations handled. The AI is trained on your business type and adapts to your industry terminology. Business plan customers get custom AI training for their specific business.
Your next customer is calling right now.
5-minute setup. 14-day free trial. Live number today.