> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://support.vocal.solutions/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Frequently asked questions

> Straight answers to the questions businesses ask before and after switching to Vocal.

## Switching to Vocal

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Do I have to give up my current business number?">
    No. You can [port your number](/numbers/porting) to Vocal — it keeps working the entire time — or keep your current carrier and simply forward calls to your Vocal number. Forwarding is a good zero-commitment way to start.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How long does setup actually take?">
    About 10 minutes to a working, tested AI on a real number — the [quickstart](/getting-started/quickstart) is the honest version of that claim. Porting an existing number takes 1–2 weeks in the background, but forwarding bridges the gap on day one.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How is this different from RingCentral, Dialpad, or an answering service?">
    Traditional phone systems make your team answer, and bolt AI on as an add-on or after-hours fallback. An answering service is humans reading a script at a per-minute rate. In Vocal, the AI **is** the phone system — it answers every call by default, has a real conversation, books and routes and texts, and your team steps in exactly when you decide they should.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Will callers know it's an AI?">
    Callers know they're not talking to your office manager — and what they care about is that someone competent picked up on the first ring, answered their question, and booked them. The alternative at most small businesses isn't a human; it's voicemail.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## How it works day to day

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="What happens when I'm closed?">
    Nothing changes — that's the point. The AI answers at 2pm and 2am alike. If you want different behavior after hours (different greeting, no transfers), add a business-hours branch to your [call flow](/calls/call-flows).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can my team still answer calls like a normal phone?">
    Yes. Every member gets a full softphone in the browser and [desktop app](/apps/desktop) — call, text, and answer directly. Use [ring groups](/calls/ring-groups) to ring your team first and let the AI catch what they miss, or AI-first with transfers. Your call, literally.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What happens when the AI can't help someone?">
    Whatever you've told it to do: transfer to your team, take a detailed message, book a callback, or text a link. It never invents answers to questions it can't answer — you set the fallback in its [behavior rules](/agent/behavior).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Where do I see what happened on my calls?">
    Your **Inbox** — every call gets a recording, transcript, AI summary, the details the agent captured, and the outcome label. Most owners skim summaries in the morning and read the full transcript only when something needs attention.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Pricing

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="What does a call cost?">
    Plans include a monthly pool of connected calls (one call = up to 3 minutes of AI talk time). Depending on plan, included calls work out to \*\*$0.08–0.12 each**, with extra calls at $0.11–0.16. Unanswered dials, test calls, and calls your team answers cost nothing. Full details in [Plans & billing](/billing/plans).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Is there a contract?">
    No contracts. Monthly plans cancel anytime; annual billing is an optional discount, not a lock-in.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I try it without committing?">
    Yes — every plan starts with a 14-day trial with 50 connected calls included. You won't be charged until the trial ends, and test calls while you build don't count against you.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Still stuck?

Email **[team@vocal.solutions](mailto:team@vocal.solutions)** — a human reads every message, usually the same day.