1. What does it do today?
Not next quarter. Today. Ask for the list in writing. If the answer includes calendar booking or live transfer, ask to see it work on a test call.
2. What happens on an emergency call?
Gas smell. No cooling with an elderly parent at home. Water through the ceiling. A car trapped behind a garage door. Ask exactly what it says to the caller and how the call reaches you. "It handles emergencies" is not an answer. Here's how Sam handles HVAC calls, for example.
3. Does it tell callers it's AI?
It should. Callers figure it out anyway, and being upfront is the honest start. Ask what the greeting says about recording, too.
4. Who sets it up, and who tests it?
A do-it-yourself app means you, after hours. Ask who writes the script for your trade and whether anyone runs test calls before it talks to a real customer.
5. What does it do when it doesn't know?
The right answer: it takes a message. The wrong answer: it makes something up. Ask what it says when a caller asks for a price.
6. What does it cost past the plan?
Ask how minutes are counted, what happens when you go over, and whether overage is billed automatically.
7. How do I leave?
Ask about contract length, cancelling, and whether you keep your phone number and call data.
How we answer them
For the record, here are ours: see what Sam does and doesn't do, example calls written out and pricing ($297 setup, $497 a month, month to month, up to 300 minutes, no overage without written approval).