Question 1

What exactly is ClientAssist?

Accepted Answer

ClientAssist is an AI receptionist that answers incoming phone calls for your business: it answers questions, books appointments and transfers to a colleague when needed. Under the hood, call handling runs on the technology platform of our partner Retell, combined with our own software and dashboard. We take care of the configuration, implementation and guidance.

Question 2

Who is ClientAssist a good fit for?

Accepted Answer

Any business that needs to be reachable by phone but doesn't always have free hands: from salons and dental practices to garages and webshops. Whether you work solo or with a small team, the AI receptionist picks up calls while you're busy with a customer, the workshop or your orders.

Question 3

How many calls can the AI handle at the same time?

Accepted Answer

Several at once, and that's exactly the difference with a member of staff, who handles one. If a second and third customer call while the first conversation is running, all of them are answered straight away instead of being put on hold. If you expect peaks of dozens of simultaneous calls, let us know — then we agree on that up front.

Question 4

What language does the AI receptionist work in?

Accepted Answer

Dutch by default, fluent and natural, in the voice you choose. If you also get callers in other languages, we set that up for you: over fifty languages, on the same number. Let us know with your order or in your request.

Question 5

Does the AI actually sound natural, not robotic?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We deliberately invest in a human, friendly voice and a natural conversation flow, rather than a flat computer voice. That makes the call feel like a good phone conversation, not a menu tree.

Question 6

Can the AI receptionist sound and talk like my business?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. During the build we tune the greeting, tone and frequently asked questions to your brand, so the conversation feels like an extension of your own team rather than a generic assistant.

Question 7

What happens if the AI can't answer a question?

Accepted Answer

The AI seamlessly transfers the call to a colleague or the number you've configured. That way every caller still gets helped, even with questions just outside the assistant's scope.

Question 8

Am I on my own if I need help?

Accepted Answer

No. You get Dutch, personal support and a dedicated contact who knows your business, not an anonymous ticket system. Ongoing updates and maintenance are part of your fixed monthly amount.

Question 9

How quickly can I go live with my AI receptionist?

Accepted Answer

Faster than you'd expect from an IT project: usually within 48 hours. After an introduction and intake, we build your AI receptionist, you test it yourself, and we go live once everything checks out.

Question 10

What does the journey from sign-up to going live look like?

Accepted Answer

Four steps: first an introduction and intake where we discuss your business and your customers' most common questions, then we build your custom AI receptionist, next you test and fine-tune it yourself until the conversation feels natural, and finally you go live, after which we keep monitoring and optimising.

Question 11

Do I need technical knowledge or an IT department?

Accepted Answer

No. You don't have to install or program anything. We build, connect and configure everything for you. You tell us what you need, we handle the rest.

Question 12

Can the AI receptionist connect to my calendar or CRM?

Accepted Answer

Yes. When we build your assistant we connect it to your calendar or CRM, so new appointments land in the right place automatically. Nothing to type over by hand.

Question 13

Can the AI schedule, reschedule and confirm appointments itself?

Accepted Answer

Yes, that's one of its core functions. The assistant books appointments straight into your calendar, confirms them on the call and handles requests to reschedule or cancel. A confirmation or reminder by email or text isn't included as standard; we can set that up as custom work.

Question 14

Do I need to get a new phone number?

Accepted Answer

Not necessarily. Your current number keeps working, or we arrange a new, dedicated number for you, whichever fits your situation best.

Question 15

Can I test the AI receptionist before it goes live?

Accepted Answer

Yes, that's a standard part of the process. You hear and test your assistant yourself, and we keep refining it until the conversation sounds natural and fits the way you work.

Question 16

Does the guidance stop once I'm live?

Accepted Answer

No, quite the opposite. We keep analysing, refining and expanding as your business grows or your needs change. Your AI receptionist never stands still.

Question 17

What if the AI has an outage or is temporarily unreachable?

Accepted Answer

The service runs on the infrastructure of our technology partners (including Retell) and external telecom providers. We do everything we can to keep the service reliable, but, like any telephony or cloud service, we can't guarantee uninterrupted availability during outages outside our direct control. If something's wrong, get in touch and we'll look into it right away.

Question 18

What exactly does the AI receptionist do for my customer service?

Accepted Answer

We train the assistant on your products, services and frequently asked questions, connect it to your phone number, and let it answer incoming calls immediately, with no waiting, 24/7. More complex matters are seamlessly transferred to your team.

Question 19

What does 24/7 availability actually mean?

Accepted Answer

Customers can call in the evening, on weekends and on holidays and be helped right away, without a queue. That way you never miss a call, even outside your own opening hours.

Question 20

What is the choice wizard?

Accepted Answer

The choice wizard is an optional widget for your website: visitors answer a few targeted questions and immediately get advice on which package, product or service suits them best. That reduces decision fatigue, increases conversion on your site and results in better-qualified enquiries.

Question 21

Can ClientAssist also chat on my website?

Accepted Answer

Yes, as an optional add-on. The website chatbot answers visitor questions, helps generate leads and can book conversations directly, alongside the AI receptionist for your phone.

Question 22

Can I get the choice wizard or website chatbot on its own?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you can. They're designed to complement your AI receptionist, but you can also take them on their own. Put together what you want on the pricing page and request a proposal.

Question 23

Does the AI receptionist work with my existing phone system and software?

Accepted Answer

Yes, the assistant is designed to fit your existing phone system. Calendar integration is always included. An integration with your own system or an API is custom work: request a proposal for it and you'll see the cost up front.

Question 24

What does ClientAssist cost?

Accepted Answer

The AI receptionist costs €99 a month plus your call minutes. Per minute you pay €0.35, €0.55 or €0.75, depending on the voice you choose, and the more you call, the lower that rate. The one-off setup is by arrangement and is in your proposal. All prices exclude VAT. On the pricing page you put it together, see an estimate of your monthly cost and request a tailored proposal.

Question 25

Why no fixed plans with a set number of minutes?

Accepted Answer

Because a bundle is always wrong: in a quiet month you pay for minutes you don't use, in a busy month you run short. So you pay a fixed monthly amount and only the minutes you actually use. Always included: your own number, a Dutch voice of your choice, we build and maintain your knowledge base, calendar integration, your dashboard and Dutch support.

Question 26

Do I pay a one-time setup fee?

Accepted Answer

For the AI receptionist the setup is by arrangement: for that we build your assistant and fill your knowledge base, and the cost depends on what you need. The amount is in your proposal up front, so you'll never find out after the fact. The website chatbot and the choice wizard are set up at no extra cost.

Question 27

Are prices including VAT?

Accepted Answer

No. All prices on the site exclude 21% VAT, as is usual for business customers. Your proposal and invoice show both amounts, so you see the amount including VAT before you pay.

Question 28

Can I pay yearly?

Accepted Answer

No, you pay monthly: the fixed amount in advance and your call minutes afterwards, together on one invoice. That way you're never locked in and never pay up front for a year you might want to change.

Question 29

Can I try ClientAssist before I commit?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Our site has three real calls, one per voice, so you hear what you're buying before you commit; with a Dutch mobile number you can also have our AI receptionist call you for free on the demo page. And after that: not happy in the first 30 days after going live? Cancel and you get the fixed monthly fees you paid back; you only pay for the setup and the call minutes used.

Question 30

What if my situation is more complex than average?

Accepted Answer

Then request a proposal using the form on the pricing page, or give us a call. Think of many simultaneous calls, an integration with your own system or several locations. You'll have a proposal within one working day.

Question 31

What are call minutes?

Accepted Answer

Call minutes are the minutes your AI receptionist actually spends on the phone. You pay a fixed monthly amount plus a rate per minute handled; both are on the pricing page and don't change on their own. You can watch the running total live in your dashboard under Billing.

Question 32

Which calls count towards my call minutes?

Accepted Answer

The conversations your AI receptionist actually handles, counted in minutes. One rate, wherever the caller is calling from: there's no separate per-destination charge. For anything unusual, such as routinely forwarding abroad, we agree on it with you in advance.

Question 33

What if I have a busy month?

Accepted Answer

Your bill goes up, and that's the point: it means more customers called and were helped. There's no bundle to use up, so there's no penalty for going over; you pay your own rate times the minutes handled, and you can watch that amount build all month in your dashboard. If you're structurally far above or below, we look at your rate together again.

Question 34

Do I still pay in a quiet month?

Accepted Answer

Then you only pay the fixed monthly amount. That covers your phone number, the upkeep of your knowledge base, your dashboard and our guidance; those run whether the phone rings or not. Minutes are only charged once they're actually used, and there's no minimum spend.

Question 35

Am I locked into a contract, and how do I cancel?

Accepted Answer

You don't sign up for a long-term contract: the agreement runs for an indefinite period. You cancel yourself in your dashboard (Billing) or by email, effective at the end of a calendar month, with one month's notice.

Question 36

What happens if an invoice isn't paid on time?

Accepted Answer

The fixed amount is invoiced in advance and the call minutes afterwards. If an invoice isn't paid on time, you get a reminder with fourteen days to pay. Only if that also fails can we suspend the service; we tell you beforehand.

Question 37

Do I get a refund if I stop partway through?

Accepted Answer

We don't refund the setup; that work has already been done. If you've already paid the fixed monthly amount for a period after your end date, you get that part back. If you cancel within 30 days after going live, you get all fixed monthly fees you paid back (once per customer; not the setup or call minutes).

Question 38

Is my customer data safe with ClientAssist?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Connections are encrypted, the database is encrypted at rest and each customer sees only its own data; the database itself enforces that. We process call data only on your instructions, under our published data processing agreement, and never sell or rent your data.

Question 39

Who is responsible for the privacy of my callers?

Accepted Answer

As the customer, you are the data controller under the GDPR; ClientAssist is the processor and processes data only on your instructions. Those terms are in our data processing agreement, which automatically forms part of your agreement.

Question 40

Which parties does ClientAssist share data with?

Accepted Answer

For the AI receptionist we use Retell AI (speech recognition and call handling), OpenAI (the language model, via Retell), ElevenLabs (the voice), Twilio (telephony) and Supabase (storage in the EU). The full list, with country and safeguards, is in the privacy policy and the data processing agreement. We announce a new subprocessor at least 30 days in advance.

Question 41

Does my data leave the EU?

Accepted Answer

What we store ourselves (the dashboard) is in the EU, in Ireland. Some of our sub-processors are in the United States. We base those transfers on the EU-US Data Privacy Framework where the party is certified under it, and otherwise on the European Commission's Standard Contractual Clauses.

Question 42

How long are call recordings and transcripts kept?

Accepted Answer

We automatically delete the content of a call (recording, transcript, summary, the caller's name and number) after 90 days. Only the date, time and duration are kept, because you are invoiced on them. You can agree a shorter period with us. After your agreement ends, you can still export your data for 30 days; after that we delete it.

Question 43

Does the website use tracking or advertising cookies?

Accepted Answer

No. The website only stores what it needs to work, such as your choice in the cookie notice. Google Maps, the map on the contact page, only loads after you consent. We use no analytics, marketing or advertising cookies.

Question 44

Can I get a data processing agreement (DPA)?

Accepted Answer

You don't need to request it. Our data processing agreement is published on the site and automatically forms part of every agreement. If you want a signed copy for your own records, we send one on request.

Question 45

Does a caller know they're speaking with an AI?

Accepted Answer

Yes, always. Right after the greeting, the assistant says that the caller is speaking with an AI assistant and that the call is recorded. That is required under the EU AI Act and the GDPR. You can rephrase the sentence, but not without those two elements; we enforce that technically. If the caller wants to speak to a person, the assistant transfers the call.

Question 46

Is consent required for recording calls?

Accepted Answer

Consent is not a good basis here: a caller who can only refuse by hanging up does not give it freely. Legitimate interest usually fits better. What is always required is telling the caller in advance that the call is recorded; the standard notice does that. As the data controller, you determine the legal basis and mention the use in your own privacy policy. For large-scale or sensitive processing we recommend a DPIA.

Frequently Asked Questions

General

How it works

Services

Pricing & proposal

Call minutes & billing

Privacy & security

Hear it first, then decide

Question not listed?