Question 1

Do I have to change my phone number?

Accepted Answer

No. You keep your number with your current carrier. We give you a Dispatch Desks number, and you set your existing line to forward calls to it. You can forward all calls, only after-hours calls, or only calls you don't pick up after a few rings. The caller dials the same number they always have; they never know the call was forwarded.

Question 2

How does call forwarding actually work?

Accepted Answer

When a customer calls your business number, your carrier (Verizon, AT&T, Comcast, RingCentral, etc.) redirects the call to the Dispatch Desks number we assigned you. Our system answers that forwarded call, runs your receptionist, and books or messages the caller. To your carrier it is just a normal call-forwarding rule; to the caller it sounds like your business picked up. You turn forwarding on or off in your carrier's dashboard or by dialing a short code on your phone.

Question 3

What kinds of forwarding can I use?

Accepted Answer

Most carriers offer three flavors: unconditional (forward every call), busy (only when the line is in use), and no-answer (only when nobody picks up after 3–5 rings). Many also let you forward by time of day, so you can send after-hours calls to us while keeping daytime calls on your desk phone. You can mix them — for example, no-answer during the day, unconditional after 6 p.m.

Question 4

Can I keep my number as the caller ID for outbound calls?

Accepted Answer

Only if you port your number to our voice provider. With forwarding, we can only place outbound calls or send texts from the Dispatch Desks number we assign. Most businesses do not need this — they just need the receptionist to answer incoming calls. If you want callbacks to come from your existing number, we can port it instead of forwarding.

Question 5

How long does setup take?

Accepted Answer

Most businesses finish the builder in under ten minutes and are answering live calls the same day. We ask for your hours, services, service area, typical pricing, and what counts as an emergency. Forwarding itself usually takes five minutes in your carrier dashboard.

Question 6

What if my services or prices change?

Accepted Answer

Edit them in your dashboard and the change is live on the next call. No scripts to rewrite and no support ticket.

Question 7

Can I try it before pointing my real line at it?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You get a test number first. Call it as many times as you like, listen to the recordings, and adjust the answers until it sounds right.

Question 8

Is this a live person?

Accepted Answer

No — Dispatch Desks is an automated voice assistant, not a call center staffed by people. It introduces itself by first name, never claims to be a specific employee, and tells any caller who asks that it is an automated assistant. Anything it cannot handle is transferred to a real person on your team or taken as a detailed message.

Question 9

What happens with a question it can't answer?

Accepted Answer

It follows the escalation rules you set: warm transfer to whoever is on call, take a message with a callback number, or text you immediately. It does not guess, and it does not quote prices you have not given it.

Question 10

Can it handle emergencies?

Accepted Answer

That is what the triage rules are for. You define what counts as urgent for your trade — no heat, active leak, severe pain, a filing deadline — and those calls get flagged, escalated, and put at the front of your schedule.

Question 11

Does it speak Spanish?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and it can switch mid-call if the caller does. Additional languages are available on the Shop plan and above.

Question 12

Will callers get stuck in a phone tree?

Accepted Answer

There is no phone tree. It answers, listens, and responds in a normal conversation. Callers can ask for a person at any point and it will transfer or take a message.

Question 13

Does it actually book, or just take messages?

Accepted Answer

It books. It reads real availability from your calendar or scheduler, respects buffer and travel time, and writes the appointment in with the caller's details while they are still on the phone.

Question 14

What does it connect to?

Accepted Answer

Google Calendar, Outlook, and common trade and practice schedulers such as ServiceTitan, Jobber, Housecall Pro, Dentrix, Open Dental, Clio, Square, and Vagaro. If yours is not on the list, tell us and we will confirm before you pay.

Question 15

How do I know what happened on a call?

Accepted Answer

Within seconds of hangup you get a text and email with the caller, what they wanted, what was promised, the booking, and a full transcript with recording.

Question 16

What does it cost, really?

Accepted Answer

Plans start at $99 a month for 200 calls and go up by call volume and number of receptionists. No setup fee, no per-minute surprises, no contract — see the pricing page for the full breakdown.

Question 17

Can I cancel?

Accepted Answer

Any time, from your dashboard. Turn off forwarding and your line rings the way it always did.

Question 18

Who can hear my call recordings?

Accepted Answer

Only your account. Recordings and transcripts are encrypted, retention is configurable, and you can delete any call permanently. We do not sell call data.

Question 19

Is call recording legal where I am?

Accepted Answer

Recording rules vary by state. You can turn recording off entirely, or keep the automatic recording notice on, which satisfies notice requirements in every US state. If you are unsure, keep the notice on.

The things everybody asks first.

Getting started

On the call

Scheduling and tools

Money and privacy

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