Answering yourself, or covering the calls you miss?
Most owners answer their own phone, and most of the time that's the best service there is. The question is only what happens to the calls you can't take.
Free for 3 days with up to 10 answered calls. No card.
Answering your own phone costs nothing and callers get the person who knows the business best. The cost is the calls you can't take: on a job, on another call, or after hours. An AI can cover only those. Forward unanswered calls to it, and your phone still rings first; the AI picks up when you don't, answers, books or takes the details, and you read what happened.
Side by side.
What happens to a call you can't pick up.
| Question | Voicemail | Nerro AI on missed calls |
|---|---|---|
| Caller hears | Your greeting and a beep | A live answer that says it's an AI |
| Questions answered | No | Yes, from your business details |
| Appointment | Later, if they leave a number and you reach them | Booked on the call, if they want one |
| Urgent call | Waits in the inbox | Sent to your emergency number, or you're emailed |
| What you get | A recording to play back | A transcript and summary |
| Cost | Free | From $49 a month |
Cover only the calls you miss.
No switch-over day, and you keep your number.
- Keep answering
- Your phone rings first, as it does today.
- Forward when unanswered
- Set your line's no-answer forwarding to your Nerro number. The forwarding page has the codes for each carrier.
- Read every call
- Each call has a transcript and summary; urgent calls and hot leads reach your email straight away.
- Give it more later
- Forward all calls after hours, or every call, when you're ready.
When answering yourself is enough.
Where the other option is the better choice.
- You get a few calls a day and you can nearly always pick up.
- Your callers are long-time customers who'd rather wait for you.
- Every call needs your judgement, like quotes that depend on seeing the job.
What the research says.
Only figures we could trace to the original source.
Across 70 million calls in 10 industries, 56% of callers spoke with a person. Invoca's data comes from its own customers, not a national sample, so treat it as a benchmark, not a small-business figure.
In a secret-shopper test of law firms, only 43% responded to voicemails left by prospective clients.
Source: Clio Legal Trends Report 2019
Questions, answered.
Something else? Ask us.
How many calls do small businesses miss?
It varies too much to quote one number. The widely shared figures ("62% of calls go unanswered", "85% won't call back") we couldn't trace to a published study, so we don't use them. Your own phone bill or carrier call log shows your missed calls.
Can the AI answer only when I don't?
Yes. Use your carrier's no-answer forwarding: your phone rings first, and unanswered calls go to Nerro.
Do I keep my phone number?
Yes. Forwarding keeps your number with your carrier. You can also get a new local number from Nerro.
What does a missed call cost me?
Work it out from your own numbers: missed calls a week, the share that would have booked, and the value of a job. The missed-call calculator does the math.
Will my customers mind talking to an AI?
Some prefer a person, and they can ask for one at any time: the AI transfers or takes a message. It says it's an AI at the start of every call.
What happens with urgent calls?
It recognizes the urgent signs for your industry and sends the call to your emergency number. If it can't reach anyone, it takes the details and you're emailed straight away.
How do I try it?
Start a 3-day free trial with up to 10 answered calls, no card, and forward only your missed calls.
Comparisons describe typical options, not any specific provider. Cost figures use the public sources shown and the assumptions stated; your costs will differ. Nerro prices as of the date above.
Put an AI employee on your line for 3 days.
Tell Nerro about your business. It builds and tests your AI employee, and you decide when it goes live.
Free for 3 days with up to 10 answered calls. No card. Then from $49 a month.