Frequently Asked Questions

Vocally is an AI-powered voice assistant platform that helps service and hospitality businesses manage calls, bookings, and customer inquiries automatically - 24 hours a day, in multiple languages. It works like a professional receptionist - answering calls, understanding customer needs, checking availability, and confirming bookings in real time.

Vocally is ideal for any business that manages appointments, reservations, or customer calls. Supported business types include: Restaurants (table reservations, menu questions), Hotels & Hospitality (room bookings, guest questions), Personal Care & Beauty (salons, spas), Wellness & Therapy (therapy practices, wellness centers), Medical & Dental (clinics, dental offices), Studios & Creative Spaces (photography, yoga, fitness), Consulting Offices (law firms, accounting, real estate), Field Services (technicians, contractors), and Custom Businesses (enterprise clients).

Vocally answers your business calls automatically and: understands what customers want (in natural conversation), checks real-time availability for bookings, confirms reservations and appointments, answers questions about services, hours, and pricing, handles changes, cancellations, and special requests, sends SMS confirmations (PRO+ tiers), and summarizes calls and delivers insights through your dashboard. All of this happens automatically, 24/7, without requiring staff to answer phones.

Traditional systems use rigid menus ('Press 1 for sales, press 2 for support...'). Vocally understands natural conversation: handles interruptions and corrections, understands informal phrasing and slang, remembers conversation context, switches between topics naturally, and speaks multiple languages automatically. It sounds and acts like a real person, not a robot.

Setup takes about 5 minutes: 1) Create your account at vocally.me, 2) Choose your business type (restaurant, hotel, salon, etc.), 3) Configure your profile (business information, services, hours), 4) Upload documents (optional - menus, service lists, policies), 5) Connect your phone (get a dedicated number from Vocally OR forward your existing number), 6) Test and go live. Your assistant is ready immediately - no hardware installation, no software downloads.

No. Vocally is 100% cloud-based and works entirely online. You can connect it to your existing business phone number using call forwarding (a standard phone feature). No physical equipment or software installation required.

Yes. You can personalize your assistant's content (brand vocabulary, greeting messages, service descriptions, special policies) and languages (primary language plus additional languages based on your tier). Your assistant adapts to match your brand voice through prompt customization.

Yes. PREMIUM and CUSTOM plans support multiple assistants. Each location gets its own phone number, assistant configuration, schedule and availability, and analytics dashboard. Contact sales@vocally.me for custom multi-location pricing.

Every account includes testing capabilities: 1) Test calls - call your Vocally number and interact with the assistant, 2) Dashboard preview - view all conversations and analytics in real-time, 3) Trial period - 14-day free trial available for BASIC accounts (starting February 15, 2026). You can test as much as needed before going live with customers.

Currently supported: English (US, UK, International), Italian (Italy), and Spanish (Spain, Latin America). Coming with VocRT: 29+ languages including French, German, Portuguese, Dutch, and more. Assistants can automatically detect which language customers speak and respond accordingly.

Yes, based on your subscription tier: BASIC - 1 language included (no add-ons available), PRO - 1 language included + 1 language add-on available (€30/month), PREMIUM - 2 languages included + 1 language add-on available (€30/month), CUSTOM - All languages + custom language support. Assistants automatically detect customer language and can switch mid-conversation while maintaining context.

Yes. You can upgrade your tier or purchase language add-ons: PRO tier can add 1 additional language (€30/month), PREMIUM tier can add 1 additional language (€30/month), BASIC tier cannot add languages (upgrade to PRO first). Contact support@vocally.me to add language packs to your account.

Yes. Vocally uses advanced natural speech technology for realistic, expressive, and adaptive voice communication. Capabilities include: understands interruptions ('Actually, wait-'), handles corrections ('No, I meant Tuesday, not Thursday'), processes informal phrasing ('Yeah, gimme a table for 4'), adapts to accents and speech patterns, and uses natural pauses and intonation. Customers often don't realize they're speaking with an AI assistant.

We believe in transparency: Some businesses choose to mention it ('Hi, I'm the Bella Vista AI assistant'), while others let the conversation flow naturally. The assistant is so natural that many customers don't notice - but you can configure greeting messages to be transparent if you prefer.

The assistant will: 1) Attempt to understand the request using its base language, 2) Apologize politely if unable to assist, 3) Offer to transfer to a human (if configured), 4) Log the interaction for you to follow up. CUSTOM tier clients can request additional languages (contact sales).

Yes. Vocally handles full booking workflows with real-time operations: checks availability instantly, confirms bookings with customers, sends SMS confirmations (PRO+ tiers), handles special requests and notes, and processes changes and cancellations. Booking types include restaurant bookings (tables, party size, time slots), hotel bookings (rooms, check-in/out dates, guest info), and appointment bookings (services, duration, resources). All confirmed bookings appear in your dashboard immediately.

Yes. Vocally offers two options: Option 1 - Built-In Booking System (use Vocally's integrated booking management, no external system needed, included with all tiers). Option 2 - API/Webhook Integration for CUSTOM tier (connect to your existing booking system, webhook-based real-time updates, CRM integration support, supports major platforms like Calendly). Most small businesses use the built-in system. Enterprises typically integrate with existing infrastructure.

Restaurant Booking: You configure tables, capacity, hours, time slots. Customer calls 'I'd like a table for 4 at 7 PM'. Assistant checks availability, confirms booking, collects contact info, or suggests alternatives. Hospitality Booking: You configure rooms, buildings/floors, availability. Customer asks for a double room for specific dates. Assistant checks availability and confirms. Appointment Booking: You configure services, duration, resources. Customer requests an appointment. Assistant checks slots and confirms.

Yes. You can configure operating hours exceptions (holiday closures, seasonal hours, special events, reduced capacity days) and time blocks (temporary restrictions for maintenance or private events, reduced capacity periods, custom availability rules). These update in real-time - the assistant immediately reflects changes when answering calls.

Yes. Basic Configuration (All Tiers): Enter services, prices, descriptions in dashboard; configure hours and availability; set policies and requirements. Knowledge Base Upload (CUSTOM Tier Only): Upload documents (menus, catalogs, policies, FAQs) in PDF, Word, TXT, or Markdown; AI searches documents using semantic search (understands meaning, not just keywords); updates automatically when you modify documents.

Yes. The assistant listens to customer requests (dietary restrictions, accessibility needs, preferences), records notes on the booking, confirms special requests with the customer, and displays notes prominently in your dashboard. Examples: 'We need a table near the window', 'My wife has a gluten allergy', 'Can we bring our dog?', 'We'll need a crib in the room'.

Yes, for PRO and higher tiers with SMS enabled. SMS Features: Booking confirmation messages, reminder notifications (configurable timing), cancellation confirmations, custom message templates. SMS Providers: Vocally uses Twilio or Telnyx for reliable delivery. SMS costs are included in your subscription for standard usage. High-volume SMS may incur additional charges.

The Web Chat Widget lets customers interact with your Vocally AI assistant directly on your website - without making a phone call. Available on PRO and PREMIUM tiers. Modes: Voice OR Chat (not both simultaneously). Voice Mode works like a phone call in browser; Chat Mode uses text messages. All configured in the Vocally dashboard - no coding required.

Web chat uses minute-based billing but is significantly more cost-effective than voice calls. Message-to-Minute Conversion: 20 chat messages = 1 billable minute. Uses your tier's included minutes; same overage rates apply. Why Chat is Cheaper: Voice calls require speech-to-text + text-to-speech processing; chat only requires text processing. Voice Mode in Widget is billed exactly like phone calls (actual duration).

Yes. Customization options include: Visual Settings (color scheme, button style/size, widget position, logo placement, custom icon), Behavior Settings (auto-open on page load, greeting message, default language, operating hours display), Brand Matching (upload your logo, custom welcome text, match website design). All configured in the Vocally dashboard - no coding required.

Yes. Analytics capabilities vary by tier: BASIC - Essential metrics (call volume, duration, basic CSV export). PRO - Voice Analytics (sentiment analysis, conversation flow tracking, call outcome classification, emotion detection, trend identification). PREMIUM - Business Intelligence (KPI extraction, multi-language analytics, advanced insights). CUSTOM - All features plus custom reporting, API access to raw data, and BI tool integration.

Yes. All Tiers: Full call transcripts available in dashboard, searchable by date/customer name/booking ID, downloadable as CSV. PRO/PREMIUM: Transcripts include sentiment annotations, key moments highlighted (booking confirmed, issue raised), multi-language transcripts (in original language). Privacy Note: Transcripts are stored securely and GDPR-compliant. Contact support@vocally.me to request deletion.

Yes. All tiers can export: Analytics Data (call volume reports, booking summaries as CSV), Call Records (transcripts, conversation analyses as CSV), Booking Data (reservation lists, customer contact information, special requests and notes). Export Features include date range filtering and custom field selection.

Note: Business Intelligence is an upcoming feature currently in development. When available (PREMIUM/CUSTOM), it will use AI (OpenAI GPT-4o) to analyze conversations and extract actionable insights: Why customers are calling, what they're asking about, conversion patterns, customer objections, sentiment trends. Example insights: '65% of callers ask about vegan options', 'Friday evening bookings convert at 80% vs. 45% on Mondays'.

Voice Analytics (PRO Tier): What happened - call volume, duration, sentiment; how customers felt - positive/negative emotions; basic patterns - call distribution, common topics. Business Intelligence (PREMIUM Tier - UPCOMING): Why it happened - root cause analysis; what it means - strategic insights for your business; what to do - actionable recommendations. Example: Voice Analytics says '30 calls today, average sentiment: positive'. BI says 'Booking rate drops 40% after 8 PM because customers hear long wait times. Solution: Add second seating or adjust messaging.'

Vocally offers four main tiers: BASIC at €44/month (€422.40/year) with 100 minutes/month, PRO at €128/month (€1,228.80/year) with 350 minutes/month and voice analytics, PREMIUM at €270/month (€2,592/year) with 900 minutes/month and business intelligence, and CUSTOM with custom pricing for enterprise needs with 1,200+ minutes/month. Yearly plans save 20%. All prices in EUR, exclusive of VAT.

Duration is tracked in seconds and converted to decimal minutes for accurate billing. Example: a 90-second call = 1.5 minutes billed. Your monthly quota resets on each billing anniversary. Unused minutes do not roll over to the next month.

Overages are charged at your tier's per-minute rate: BASIC €0.34/minute, PRO €0.29/minute, PREMIUM €0.27/minute, CUSTOM €0.25/minute (or negotiated rate). Overage billing is calculated after your included minutes are fully consumed and charged at the end of each billing cycle.

We accept credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover), debit cards, European bank payments (SEPA), and Apple Pay/Google Pay where available through Stripe. All charges are in EUR. Enterprise billing options (wire transfer, NET 30 payment terms, purchase orders) are available for CUSTOM tier.

Cancellation: Cancel anytime via dashboard or support@vocally.me. Service remains active until end of current billing cycle. No refunds for unused time upon cancellation. Non-Payment Suspension: Failed payment leads to reminder emails over 10 days, then account suspension (dashboard read-only, assistant disabled). Data retained for 30 days during suspension. Pay outstanding balance to restore access.

Prices are exclusive of VAT/IVA. VAT is added based on your country's rate. Italian customers: 22% IVA added to all charges. Business customers with valid EU VAT ID may qualify for reverse charge (0% VAT). Example (Italian customer, BASIC tier): Subscription €44.00 + IVA 22% (€9.68) = Total €53.68.

Yes. You can upgrade or downgrade from your account dashboard. Upgrades take effect from the start of your next billing cycle (no mid-cycle proration). Downgrades are scheduled for your next billing cycle - you continue on your current plan until renewal. Contact support@vocally.me for urgent upgrade requests.

Yes. You can cancel anytime from your dashboard or by contacting billing@vocally.me. Monthly plans: Cancel anytime, effective at end of current billing cycle. Yearly plans: Cancel anytime, effective at end of annual contract (no refunds for unused time). You continue service until contract end; your assistant is deactivated on contract end date. Contact support before cancellation to export your data.

No. Pricing is transparent. You Pay: monthly/yearly subscription fee, overage charges (if you exceed included minutes), language add-ons (if purchased), and VAT/IVA as applicable. You Don't Pay: setup fees (except CUSTOM enterprise), cancellation fees, data export fees, support fees, or API access fees (CUSTOM tier includes API). Usage tracking dashboard (updated every 4 hours) shows exactly what you'll be charged.

No setup fees for self-service plans (BASIC, PRO, PREMIUM). Available Setup Options: Self-Serve (Included) - step-by-step wizard, industry templates, same-day setup. Guided Onboarding (€590) - 60-min kickoff call, full assistant config, 3-5 days delivery. Assisted Build (€990) - full KB from your docs, 1-2 system integrations, 1-2 weeks delivery. Custom Pilot (€1,900+) - multiple workflows, custom integrations, 2-4 weeks delivery.

Day 1-7 (Payment Retry): We attempt to charge your card 3 times; you receive email notifications; service remains active. Day 7-10 (Grace Period): 72-hour grace period; service remains active; dashboard shows payment required. Day 10 (Account Suspension): Assistant deactivated; dashboard read-only; can reactivate by paying outstanding balance. Extended Non-Payment leads to account closure. Contact support@vocally.me for data export options.

Yes. Vocally complies with GDPR (EU 2016/679) and Italian data protection law. You (Tenant) are the Data Controller for your customer data; Vocally is the Data Processor. Your GDPR rights include: access, rectify, erase ('right to be forgotten'), restrict, object, data portability, withdraw consent anytime, and lodge complaints with Italian DPA (Garante). Security measures include TLS 1.3 encryption, AES-256 at rest, tenant-level data isolation, role-based access control, audit logs, and annual penetration testing. We do not use your data to train models for other customers unless you opt in.

Data is hosted on secure servers with GDPR-compliant subprocessors: Database (Neon PostgreSQL - EU), Hosting (Replit - EU/US), Email (Resend - EU), Payment (Stripe - EU/US, PCI DSS compliant), Voice/Calls (Vocally Voice Platform - EU/US), AI Models (OpenAI, Anthropic - US, under EU SCCs). Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) apply for non-EU transfers. EU-based infrastructure prioritized where possible.

Yes. You have full GDPR rights. Self-Service Deletion via Dashboard: delete KB entries, embeddings, and transcripts anytime; export your data before account closure. Account-Level Deletion: request via privacy@vocally.me; data retained 30 days for recovery, then permanently deleted. Retention periods: KB entries until deleted, retrieval logs 90 days, call transcripts 12 months, billing records 10 years (Italian law).

Yes. Security measures include: Encryption (TLS 1.3 for data in transit, AES-256 at rest, encrypted backups), Access Control (role-based permissions, secure session management, audit logging for PREMIUM/CUSTOM), and Compliance (GDPR compliant, regular security audits, vulnerability scanning, incident response procedures).

Your Team: Restaurant Admin has full access; Staff has limited access (configured by admin); Super Admin (Vocally) has emergency support only (with your permission). External Access: Voice Provider for voice processing only (no persistent storage); OpenAI for analytics processing only (no training on your data); Third-party integrations only if you explicitly enable. All data access is logged in audit trail (PREMIUM/CUSTOM).

Yes. Vocally applies customer verification controls for telecom features per our KYC Policy. Verification Levels (feature-based): Telecom Verification required for phone number provisioning and PSTN inbound calls; Billing Verification required at subscription/payment activation; Enhanced Verification required for outbound calling (case-by-case approval). For Ditta Individuale (Sole Proprietor): Codice Fiscale, Partita IVA, business registration required. Web-only features (like website widget without phone integration) do not require Telecom Verification.

Yes. Vocally is a production-grade platform with 99.9% uptime guarantee, currently running live with real businesses, monitored 24/7 with redundant infrastructure. Performance includes sub-second response times, handling unlimited simultaneous calls, and automatic scaling with demand. Your assistant keeps working even during power outages or internet failures since it's cloud-based.

Vocally's infrastructure is designed for high availability. During rare outages: Fallback systems handle calls when possible; missed calls are logged for follow-up; you receive proactive notifications about service status. PREMIUM/CUSTOM tiers have SLA guarantees with service credits for significant downtime. Check status.vocally.me for real-time service status.

Support channels: General Support (support@vocally.me) for technical issues, configuration help, feature questions. Billing (billing@vocally.me) for payment issues, invoices, plan changes. Sales (sales@vocally.me) for custom plans, enterprise needs, volume discounts. Privacy (privacy@vocally.me) for GDPR requests, data subject requests, compliance. Response times: BASIC 24-48 hours, PRO 12-24 hours, PREMIUM 4-12 hours, CUSTOM dedicated account manager.

We're actively working on: Business Intelligence (PREMIUM/CUSTOM) - AI-powered conversation analysis, strategic insights, actionable recommendations. VocRT Enhanced Voice - Next-generation voice with ElevenLabs, faster response, 29+ languages. WhatsApp Integration - Voice assistant via WhatsApp calls. Make & Zapier Integrations - Connect Vocally to thousands of apps. Enhanced Multi-Location Dashboard (PREMIUM/CUSTOM) - Unified management, cross-location analytics, consolidated billing. Note: These are planned for future releases.

Check these common issues: 1) Phone Forwarding - Is call forwarding set up correctly? Are calls reaching your Vocally number? 2) Account Status - Is your subscription active? Is payment up to date? Have you exceeded usage limits? 3) Operating Hours - Is your assistant configured for current time? Check timezone settings. 4) Voice Configuration - Is your assistant ID correct? Has it been published? Still not working? Contact support@vocally.me with your tenant ID and call details.

Self-Service Resources: Help center at vocally.me/docs, video tutorials in dashboard, setup wizard guides you through configuration. Assisted Setup: PRO - email support@vocally.me for setup help (12-24 hour response); PREMIUM - dedicated onboarding call included; CUSTOM - white-glove setup with account manager. Common Setup Issues: Call forwarding configuration (check carrier documentation), phone number activation (contact support@vocally.me), timezone settings (use IANA timezone e.g. 'Europe/Rome').