Questions service business owners ask before replacing voicemail.
Direct answers on what Talkstead does, what it costs, how setup works, and how the AI demo is wired.
Product
What does Talkstead actually do?
Talkstead answers inbound calls, asks intake questions, books appointments, sends SMS follow-up, and delivers summaries so your team knows what happened. Learn more.
Does Talkstead replace voicemail?
Yes. The point is to stop sending high-intent callers to voicemail. Talkstead answers first, collects details, and either books or routes the next step. Learn more.
Can callers talk to the AI on the website?
Yes. The website includes a WebRTC demo scaffold so visitors can talk to the AI directly when an ElevenLabs agent ID is configured. Learn more.
Does Talkstead work after hours?
Yes. Talkstead is built for 24/7 coverage, including nights, weekends, holidays, and overflow during business hours. Learn more.
Can Talkstead follow up by SMS?
Yes. SMS follow-up is part of the core product so callers are not left waiting after the call. Learn more.
Is this for blue collar businesses?
Yes. Talkstead is especially useful for trades and field-service businesses where owners and crews are working away from a desk. Learn more.
Pricing
What is the recommended plan?
Growth is recommended for most service businesses because it includes booking, qualification, and active tuning. Learn more.
Is there an overage charge?
Yes. Overage is $0.15 per minute after the plan's included minutes. Learn more.
Is Talkstead cheaper than hiring a receptionist?
It is usually far less than a full-time receptionist. BLS reported a $17.90 median hourly wage for receptionists in May 2024 before benefits, taxes, training, or coverage gaps. Learn more.
Do you compete on being the cheapest?
No. Talkstead competes on quality and managed setup. The buyer is paying for a front desk outcome, not a cheap voice bot. Learn more.
Is there enterprise pricing?
Yes. Enterprise is custom for multi-location businesses, agencies, resellers, and teams with unusual call workflows. Learn more.
Setup
How long does setup take?
Most straightforward businesses can prepare their call flow quickly once Stead Labs has services, service area, booking rules, FAQs, and escalation instructions. Learn more.
What information do you need?
We need your services, service areas, hours, intake questions, scheduling rules, handoff rules, common questions, and preferred SMS follow-up language. Learn more.
Do I need to write prompts?
No. Talkstead is done for you. Stead Labs handles the AI receptionist setup and ongoing tuning. Learn more.
Can I keep my current phone number?
Talkstead is designed to fit into your current call flow. Exact forwarding and number setup depends on your phone provider. Learn more.
Can it qualify leads?
Yes. Talkstead can ask service-specific intake questions and separate urgent jobs from routine questions. Learn more.
Technical
What powers the voice experience?
The site is scaffolded for ElevenLabs WebRTC and Vapi-style voice workflows. Production configuration uses environment variables. Learn more.
Do you support integrations?
Talkstead can be configured around calendars, lead notifications, and follow-up workflows. Deeper integrations are handled on Growth, Pro, or Enterprise depending on complexity. Learn more.
Is call recording supported?
Call recording and transcription depend on your setup and consent requirements. Talkstead can provide summaries and call details where legally appropriate. Learn more.
What happens if the demo is unavailable?
The site wraps the WebRTC demo in a Sentry error boundary and shows a callback form fallback. Learn more.
Does Talkstead show up in analytics?
The site tracks CTA clicks, demo starts, callback requests, email captures, and exit-intent conversions through PostHog when configured. Learn more.