Frequently Asked Questions

What is Assist Staff?

Assist Staff is an AI-powered business assistant that answers your phone calls, books appointments, manages tasks, tracks customers, and handles SMS and messaging — all from a single dashboard. It combines a virtual voice agent with a built-in CRM, task manager, and communication hub designed for small businesses.

How do I get started?

• Sign up for an account and complete the onboarding flow.
• Upload your business documents, FAQs, and product information to build your knowledge base.
• Configure your voice agent — choose a voice, set conversation rules, and connect your calendar.
• Connect a phone number and go live. Your agent starts handling calls immediately.

Do I need any technical skills to set up Assist Staff?

No. The platform is designed for business owners, not developers. Everything is configured through a visual dashboard — uploading documents, setting up your agent, connecting phone numbers, and managing contacts. No coding required.

How long does setup take?

Most businesses are up and running within minutes. Upload your documents, pick a voice, connect a phone number, and your agent is ready to take calls. You can fine-tune the agent's behavior and knowledge base over time as you review call transcripts.

How does the intelligent voice agent work?

Your voice agent answers inbound calls using natural-sounding intelligent speech. It draws on your uploaded knowledge base (documents, FAQs, product info) to answer caller questions accurately. During a call, the agent can also take actions — booking appointments, looking up records, sending follow-up emails, and creating tasks — without human intervention.

Can the agent handle outbound calls too?

Yes. You can configure outbound calling for follow-ups, appointment reminders, and customer outreach. The agent places calls on your behalf and logs every interaction automatically.

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

If the agent encounters a question outside its knowledge base or configured rules, it can gracefully escalate — transferring the call to a human, taking a message, or creating a task for follow-up. You control the escalation behavior through conversation rules.

Can I customize the agent's voice and personality?

Yes. You can choose from multiple voice options with different accents and genders. You can also configure the agent's persona — its name, conversation style, and how it introduces itself to callers.

Are calls recorded and transcribed?

Yes. Every call is recorded and fully transcribed. You can review transcripts, search past conversations, and monitor agent performance from the dashboard. Recording retention is configurable per organization.

What phone numbers are supported?

We provision US phone numbers as part of your subscription. The number of phone numbers included depends on your plan tier. Phone numbers are provisioned automatically when you subscribe.

What is the knowledge base?

The knowledge base is where your business information lives. Upload PDFs, text files, FAQs, product guides, and policies. Assist Staff processes these documents into searchable chunks that your voice agent references during every conversation to give accurate, informed answers.

What file types can I upload?

You can upload PDFs, plain text files, and common document formats. The system automatically processes and indexes the content for retrieval during calls.

How does RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) work?

When a caller asks a question, the agent searches your knowledge base for the most relevant information and uses it to generate an accurate, context-aware response. This means the agent always answers based on your actual business data — not generic information.

Can I update the knowledge base after going live?

Yes. You can add, update, or remove documents at any time. Changes take effect immediately — the agent starts using the updated information on the next call.

Does Assist Staff include a CRM?

Yes. Assist Staff includes a built-in contact management system. Contacts are automatically created from incoming calls, with call history, notes, and activity logs attached. You can also add contacts manually and organize them with tags and custom fields.

Are contacts created automatically from calls?

Yes. When someone calls your number, a contact record is automatically created or updated with the caller's information, call transcript, and any actions taken during the call. No manual data entry needed.

Can I customize contact fields for my business type?

Yes. You can define custom fields specific to your business — for example, a property management company might add fields for unit number and lease date, while a medical office might track patient ID and insurance provider.

Can the agent book appointments during calls?

Yes. Connect your Google Calendar and the agent can check availability, book appointments, reschedule, and send confirmations — all during a live call. Callers never need to wait or call back.

Does Assist Staff have task management?

Yes. You can create tasks, set due dates, assign them to team members, and track completion. The voice agent can also create tasks automatically during calls — for example, creating a follow-up task when a caller requests a callback.

Are there reminders and notifications?

Yes. Set reminders on tasks and notes to stay on top of follow-ups. The system notifies you when items are due so nothing falls through the cracks.

Can I send SMS messages through Assist Staff?

Yes. Run SMS campaigns to reach customers at scale, or send individual messages. All SMS conversations are logged to the corresponding contact record automatically.

What is Signal messaging?

Assist Staff supports receiving and responding to Signal messages through an intelligent messaging agent. This gives your customers a secure, private channel to reach your business.

Are messaging conversations logged?

Yes. All SMS and Signal conversations are automatically logged to the contact's activity history, just like calls. You can review the full communication history for any contact in one place.

What plans are available?

We offer multiple plan tiers to fit businesses of different sizes. Each plan includes a set number of voice minutes, phone numbers, agents, and team seats. You can view current pricing during sign-up or on the billing page.

What billing intervals do you offer?

We offer monthly, semi-annual (15% savings), and annual (25% savings) billing. You choose your preferred interval during checkout.

How does payment work?

All payments are processed securely through Stripe. We accept major credit and debit cards. Your subscription renews automatically at the end of each billing period unless cancelled.

Can I cancel my subscription?

Yes. You can cancel your subscription at any time from your account settings. Cancellations take effect at the end of the current billing period — you retain full access until then. No refunds are provided for partial periods.

Is there a free trial?

Contact us at [email protected] to discuss trial options for your business. We want to make sure Assist Staff is the right fit before you commit.

How is my data protected?

We use TLS/SSL encryption for data in transit and AES-256 encryption for data at rest. Access controls, multi-factor authentication (MFA), and regular security audits protect your account and business data.

Do you sell my data?

• No. We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information or business data. Period.
• We only share data with essential service providers (payment processing, cloud hosting, intelligent services) that are contractually obligated to protect it. See our Privacy Policy for full details.

Is MFA (multi-factor authentication) supported?

Yes. We support TOTP-based MFA (authenticator apps like Google Authenticator or Authy) and SMS-based MFA. You can set up MFA during onboarding or from your account settings.

Where is my data stored?

Your data is stored on secure cloud infrastructure in the United States. Call recordings, transcripts, and business documents are all encrypted at rest.

What are my privacy rights?

• As a Texas-based company, we comply with the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act (TDPSA). You have the right to access, correct, delete, and port your personal data, and to opt out of targeted advertising or data sales.
• California residents have additional rights under the CCPA/CPRA. See our Privacy Policy for complete details.

What browsers are supported?

Assist Staff works on all modern browsers including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. We recommend keeping your browser up to date for the best experience.

Is there an API?

Yes. We provide API access for integrating Assist Staff into your existing workflows and systems. API documentation is available from the dashboard.

How do I get support?

Email us at [email protected]. We respond to all inquiries within one business day.

Can multiple team members use the same account?

Yes. Each plan includes a set number of team seats. You can invite team members to your organization, assign roles, and control what each person can access.