What it is
What exactly is an AI voice agent?
A program that answers the phone on behalf of your business, understands what the caller says, replies out loud and takes action: an appointment in the calendar, a message, a confirmation SMS, a call transfer. It is not voicemail, not a “press 1” menu and not a text chatbot. The complete guide describes it in detail.
Does it really work, or is it just a demo?
It works, within the limits of what it has been told. An agent handles well the calls covered in its business profile (appointment booking, quote requests, practical questions, defined emergencies) and it can take a message for everything else. It does not replace a person in a complex or emotional situation, and it should not try to.
How is it different from a telephone answering service?
An answering service hands your calls to people during set hours, at a cost that follows the volume. An agent answers at any hour, takes several calls at once and costs a fixed subscription. Our comparison puts the two side by side.
Does the caller know they are talking to an AI?
Yes. The agent says so at the start of the call. This is an obligation under the EU AI Act for systems that interact with people, and it is what puts callers at ease. The guide to the AI Act and the GDPR explains the framework.
Your number and calls
Do I have to change my number?
No. Your line still rings at your end. Conditional call forwarding sends the calls you don't take to the agent. You keep your current number, whichever you prefer: by forwarding calls to your agent or, in France, by porting, on all plans. A new number is also included from the start of the trial, if you would rather start from scratch.
What is conditional call forwarding?
A setting on your line that sends the call to another number only if you don't answer, if you are already on the phone or if your mobile can't be reached. It is set up with a code dialled on the keypad, in a minute. The how-to guide gives the codes for French operators.
Can I keep my number if I hand everything over to the agent?
Yes, either way: by call forwarding, keeping your operator, or, in France, by porting, transferring your number to the agent's operator with your RIO code, obtained by calling 3179. At Sayelo, forwarding is possible on all plans, as is porting in France, and the Sayelo team takes care of the porting within a few working days. The number porting guide describes the process.
Does the agent take several calls at once?
Yes, depending on the plan. This is one of the major differences from a traditional line, which gives an engaged tone as soon as you are on a call. Check the number of simultaneous calls on each plan.
Can it transfer a call to my mobile?
Yes, when a rule provides for it: an emergency, a keyword, a priority customer, an explicit request. You set these rules in the business profile. The transfer is direct, with no announcement: if you don't pick up, the caller reaches your voicemail. So provide a number that answers, or an up-to-date voicemail.
Does it call my customers for me?
No. The AI agent handles incoming calls: it does not make sales calls or run outbound call campaigns, which are a different service, with different rules. At Sayelo, you are the one who can call your customers, from your computer or your phone, with your agent's number, once outbound calls are activated (only in France for now, coming soon in your country). You do the talking, and the call is neither recorded nor transcribed. Your customers see the agent's number: if they call back, the agent answers.
Calendar and actions
Which calendars are connected?
At Sayelo: Google Calendar, Microsoft 365 and Cal.com. Other calendars and business software are looked at on request. The agent reads availability in real time and writes the appointment directly.
Does it follow my appointment rules?
Yes, if you give them to it: length by appointment reason, open slots, minimum notice, buffer time, daily cap. The appointment booking guide lists what to write.
Does it send a confirmation?
Yes, by SMS to the caller, with the date, time, address and your instructions. And for every call, you receive an email summary.
What does it do for a restaurant or a hotel?
It takes the booking or the order and passes it on to the manager, in the calendar and in the email summary. Point-of-sale and hotel management systems are looked at on request.
Can it give out my prices?
Only the ones you have given it. It does not make up prices or lead times. For a quote, it gathers the information and leaves the pricing to you.
Limits
What happens when it doesn't understand?
It asks the caller to repeat, rephrases, and if that doesn't work, takes their details and the reason for the call so that you can call back, or transfers the call if you have set that up. The summary tells you what happened.
Does it understand accents, background noise and unusual names?
Generally yes for accents, with limits in very noisy environments. Names, numbers and addresses are confirmed by having the caller repeat or spell them. The technical guide explains how.
Does it speak other languages?
By default, your agent speaks your country's language. At Sayelo, nearly 100 languages are included in every plan at no extra cost; the agent detects the caller's language and continues in it if that option is switched on.
Can it handle a medical emergency?
No, and it must not. It applies a simple rule: for a life-threatening emergency, call the emergency services; for an emergency for the practice, a reserved slot or a transfer to the practitioner, according to your instructions. Never any medical advice.
An unhappy customer, a cold caller, a prank call?
It stays polite, listens, takes notes and commits to nothing. A cold caller is recognised by what they ask for and invited to write in. A prank call gets a short answer and the call ends. Everything appears in the summary.
Data
Where is my data hosted?
It depends on the provider, and on every component in its chain. At Sayelo, data is hosted in France by a host certified for health data, and the data processing agreement describes the service providers used.
Are calls recorded?
Not necessarily. The agent works from the transcript to produce the summary. Audio recording is a choice, subject to data protection rules (in France, those of the CNIL, the French data protection authority): informing callers, the right to object, limited retention. If you don't need it, don't switch it on.
Are my conversations used to train an AI?
Not at Sayelo. Your data is used only to run your agent. It is never used to train AI models. With another provider, check for this clause in the contract.
What do I need to put on my website?
An information page about how calls are processed: purpose, provider, hosting, retention period, rights and contact. The GDPR guide gives the checklist.
Price
How much does it cost?
At Sayelo, the entry price is €39 excl. VAT a month, with the number, SMS, calendars and summary included, with no commitment. The pricing page details each plan, and the pricing guide explains how to compare with other solutions.
What happens when the minutes run out?
It depends on the plan: automatic billing of overage, an automatic move to the next plan up, or a top-up on your initiative. At Sayelo, there is no automatic overage: you add a top-up if you wish.
Is there a trial?
Yes, 14 days, on your own business, with a number included. The three-minute demo, for its part, is free and needs no bank card.
How do I know if it will pay for itself?
Measure your missed calls for two weeks, and compare what they cost you with the price of a plan. The guide to the cost of a missed call gives the method, and the calculator does the maths with your figures.
By industry
Is it suitable for my trade?
We have written a page for each trade, with a call scenario: plumbers, dentists, lawyers, and dozens more on the industries hub. If yours is not there, the business profile is free-form: the agent adapts.
