Questions, answered.

What is Elavo Answer?

Elavo Answer is a 24/7 AI answering service for local and home-service businesses — a night and after-hours answering service that also covers the lunch rush and overflow. It answers every call, day or night, in a natural voice, takes a proper message (name, callback number, what they need, how urgent), transfers urgent callers to whoever is on call, and books appointments on the call. Plans start at $299/month with 1,200 minutes included and no per-minute overage.

Does it record calls?

Not unless you turn it on. By default calls are transcribed and no audio is kept. Recording is opt-in; when on, callers hear a disclosure before the greeting and each call gets a Listen link. Many states require all-party consent.

Will robocalls use my minutes?

No. Spam screening runs before the AI answers: your block list, an optional hidden-number block, and automatic screening of numbers that hang up under 10 seconds three times in a day.

How do I know what it handled overnight?

Every message reaches you the moment it is taken. Each morning a call report lists calls answered, messages and urgent pages, transfers, bookings, spam screened, minutes used and left.

Can I use it alongside my existing phone system?

Yes. Forwarding works from any carrier, landline, VoIP or mobile. You decide when calls forward: always, when busy, when unanswered, or after hours.

Can my staff see the messages?

Yes. Team members with inbox permission see messages in Calls → Messages; owners control who gets texted.

Does Elavo Answer work as a night and after-hours answering service?

Yes — that is the main job. Forward your line at close (or only when unanswered), and every evening, overnight, weekend and holiday call is answered, booked or messaged. Urgent calls are transferred to whoever is on call; everyone else gets a message taken and a callback promised, and you get a report in the morning.

Is there a free trial for Elavo Answer?

No. Plans are billed from day one because your line and minutes are live the moment you check out. Month to month, cancel anytime.

What happens when I run out of minutes?

You get a low-balance alert first. Add a 300-minute block for $75 with one click, or turn on auto-recharge with a monthly cap. With auto-recharge off and a zero balance, calls are not answered until you recharge — you are never billed per minute in arrears.

Do I need a new phone number?

You keep your existing business number. Elavo Answer gives you a local number in your area code and you forward your line to it with your carrier's standard forwarding code — always, only when busy or unanswered, or only after hours. A guided setup verifies it with one test call.

How does it handle emergencies?

You define what counts as urgent in plain words ("no heat", "water everywhere", "locked out"). A caller who matches is transferred to the person on call for that time window; if they do not answer, the backup is paged, then the owner. Everyone else gets a message taken and a promised callback.

Which minutes count?

Only minutes the AI is on the call, metered in 6-second increments. Calls under 10 seconds (misdials, robocall hang-ups) are free, screened spam is free, and once a call is transferred to a person the clock stops.

Can it book appointments or just take messages?

Both. It checks your live availability, respects hours, buffers and travel time, and books, reschedules or cancels on the call. When a job needs a human decision it takes a structured message instead and notifies you immediately.

Is there a setup fee or contract?

No setup fee and no contract. Plans are month to month and you can cancel from Billing at any time; the service runs to the end of the paid month.

Do unused minutes roll over?

Included minutes reset each month. Minutes you buy in recharge blocks never expire, so a block you buy in a quiet month is still there in a busy one.

Can I switch plans?

Yes, from Billing, any time. The price changes on your existing subscription with proration; you are never billed twice.

What is the recharge block?

One 300-minute block for $75, the same on every plan. It is the only way minutes are ever added outside your monthly bucket, so there is no surprise per-minute overage.

Is call recording included?

Transcripts of every call are included. Recording is an opt-in switch; when on, callers hear a disclosure before the greeting and each call gets a Listen link.

Will my customers see a different number?

No. They dial the number they have always dialled. Your carrier forwards the ringing call to your Elavo Answer line, and the AI answers in your business name.

Can I forward only after hours?

Yes. Most owners use "forward every call" from close to open and turn it off in the morning, or "forward when unanswered" all day so they still pick up when they can. The setup page shows the exact code for each option.

Does forwarding cost anything?

Forwarding is a standard carrier feature. Most plans include it; some charge the forwarded leg as an outbound minute. Check your carrier plan if you are unsure.

How do I know it is working?

Call your own business number from your mobile after dialling the code. When the AI answers, the setup page confirms the verification within seconds and shows the time of the test call.

Can I turn it off?

Yes. Dial the cancel code the setup page shows for your carrier, and calls ring your phone again immediately.