Error Scenarios & Edge Cases

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Error Scenarios

These are real problems you might encounter, with step-by-step fixes.

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1. Phone Provisioning Fails

Your AI number didn’t get assigned during signup. Fix:

1. Check you selected the correct country (UK, US, or AU only)
2. Try a different area code — some areas have limited number availability
3. Verify your payment method is active (Stripe needs a valid card on file)
4. Go to Phone page in sidebar → click “Provision Number” to retry
5. If still failing after 3 attempts, contact support with your country and preferred area code

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2. Stripe Payment Fails

Checkout or subscription renewal didn’t go through. Fix:

1. Check your card hasn’t expired — go to Billing → Manage Subscription → update card
2. Try a different card entirely (some cards block recurring international payments)
3. If you see a 3D Secure popup, complete the verification in your banking app
4. Contact your bank — they may have flagged the charge as suspicious
5. If still stuck, contact support and we’ll send you a fresh payment link

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3. Calendar OAuth Fails

Google Calendar or Outlook won’t connect. Fix:

1. Go to Integrations → click Disconnect on the calendar, then Connect again
2. Make sure you’re signing into the correct Google/Microsoft account (not a personal one if you want your work calendar)
3. Clear your browser cookies for accounts.google.com or login.microsoftonline.com
4. Try in an incognito/private window — browser extensions can interfere
5. If you see “App not verified” on Google, click Advanced → Go to CloseTheCall — this is safe
6. If still stuck, contact support with a screenshot of the error

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4. SMS Delivery Fails

Customer didn’t receive the SMS confirmation or auto-reply. Fix:

1. Check the customer hasn’t opted out — look for “Opted Out” badge on their conversation
2. Verify the phone number format: use +44 (not 0) for UK, +1 for US
3. Some carriers block automated messages — ask the customer to text your AI number first (this “whitelists” the conversation)
4. Go to Conversations → check if the message shows as “Sent” or “Failed”
5. If still stuck, contact support with the customer’s phone number and we’ll check Twilio logs

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5. VAPI Sync Fails

Changes you made in settings aren’t reflected in how the AI answers. Fix:

1. Click the “Sync to AI” button again (it’s on the Receptionist Settings page)
2. Wait 30 seconds — sync isn’t instant, especially for Knowledge Base changes
3. Check your internet connection — sync requires a stable connection
4. Make a test call to verify the AI is using updated information
5. If the AI still uses old info after 2 minutes, contact support

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6. Recording Missing

A call happened but there’s no recording to play back. Fix:

1. Calls shorter than 5 seconds aren’t recorded (caller hung up too fast)
2. Check if recording is disabled in HIPAA settings — go to Receptionist Settings → HIPAA section
3. Network issues during the call can occasionally prevent recording upload
4. Recordings are kept for your plan’s retention period — check HIPAA settings for your configured retention days
5. If a specific important call is missing, contact support with the call date and caller number

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7. Knowledge Base Articles Conflict

AI gives inconsistent answers because multiple articles cover the same topic. Fix:

1. Go to Knowledge Base → search for the topic in question
2. The AI prioritises pinned articles first, then the article with the highest confidence score
3. Remove duplicates — if two articles cover the same service, merge them into one
4. Use Pin (star icon) on the article you want the AI to prefer
5. After changes, the AI syncs automatically — make a test call to verify

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8. Two Calendars Conflict

You connected both Google Calendar and Outlook, and bookings are going to the wrong one. Fix:

1. Google Calendar takes priority — if both are connected, the AI checks Google first
2. Appointments are created in whichever calendar was connected first
3. To switch: disconnect the calendar you don’t want (Integrations page), keep the one you do
4. The AI checks availability across both calendars to avoid double-bookings, regardless of which one gets the event

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9. Test Calls Use Real Minutes

You didn’t realise test calls count. What to know:

1. Yes, test calls count toward your monthly minutes — typically 1-2 minutes per test call
2. Budget 5-10 test calls when setting up (that’s roughly 10-20 minutes)
3. You can also use the Browser Call feature in Receptionist Settings → Test page (still uses minutes, but more convenient)
4. Check your remaining minutes on the Billing page

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10. AI Busy / Can’t Handle Multiple Calls

Two customers called at the same time and one didn’t get through. What to know:

1. VAPI handles concurrent calls up to your plan limit
2. If the limit is reached, the next caller gets your voicemail message
3. Voicemails appear on the Voicemails page with AI transcription
4. Upgrade your plan for higher concurrent call limits
5. The AI processes calls independently — each caller gets a fresh conversation

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11. Automations Not Firing

You set up automations but nothing is happening. Fix:

1. Go to Receptionist Settings → make sure “Capture Lead Info” is toggled ON — automations need lead data to trigger
2. Check the specific automation is enabled (green toggle) on the Automations page
3. Automations only fire on new events — they won’t retroactively process old calls
4. SMS-based automations (missed call textback, review requests) require the customer to have a valid phone number
5. Check the Conversations page to see if SMS messages were sent
6. If still stuck, contact support with which automation isn’t firing

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12. Opted-Out Customer

A customer texted STOP and now can’t receive any messages. What to know:

1. The customer is still in your Leads list — you can see their info and call history
2. SMS won’t send to them — look for the “Opted Out” badge on their conversation
3. The customer can text START to your AI number to re-subscribe
4. You cannot manually override an opt-out — this is required by law (TCPA/GDPR)
5. You can still call the customer manually using the number on their lead card

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Edge Cases

Unusual situations that aren’t bugs — they’re just how things work.

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No Website During Signup

You don’t have a website and couldn’t provide a URL during registration. What to do:

1. During signup, select your industry — the AI loads a template with common services, pricing, and FAQs for your trade
2. After signup, go to Knowledge Base → manually add articles about your services, pricing, hours, and FAQs
3. Go to My Business → fill in your business details, service area, and hours
4. The AI works perfectly without a website — it just needs Knowledge Base articles

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Outside UK/US/AU

You’re in a country where we don’t provision phone numbers. What to do:

1. Phone numbers are currently available in UK, US, and AU only
2. Contact support with your country — we may be able to arrange a number through our provider
3. If you already have a VoIP number, we may be able to port it (contact support to discuss)

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Multiple Phone Numbers

You want different numbers for different services or locations. What to do:

1. Each Location can have its own phone number — set up locations in the Locations page
2. Provision a number for each location individually
3. Each location’s number connects to the same AI but can have location-specific knowledge

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Different Phone Each Call

The same customer calls from different numbers each time. What to know:

1. Caller intelligence matches by phone number — a different phone is treated as a new caller
2. The AI won’t recognise them as a returning customer from a different number
3. If they give their name, the AI creates a new lead entry
4. You can manually merge duplicate leads in the Leads page

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Minutes Don’t Roll Over

You had 200 unused minutes this month. What to know:

1. Unused minutes expire at the end of each billing cycle — they don’t carry over
2. Your minute allowance resets on your billing date each month
3. Check your usage on the Billing page to see how many minutes you’ve used
4. If you consistently have excess minutes, consider downgrading. If you’re running out, upgrade.

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After Cancellation

You cancelled your subscription — what happens now. What to know:

1. Your AI stops answering calls immediately when the subscription ends
2. Your data is kept for 30 days — you can re-subscribe and everything comes back
3. Your phone number is released and may be assigned to someone else
4. Call recordings are deleted according to your data retention settings

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Re-Subscribe After Cancellation

You want to come back after cancelling. What to know:

1. If within 30 days: your data is restored automatically when you re-subscribe
2. You’ll get a new phone number — your old one may have been reassigned
3. You’ll need to update call forwarding with your carrier to point to the new number
4. If beyond 30 days: your data has been permanently deleted (GDPR compliance)

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Flexible Business Hours

You don’t have fixed opening hours. What to do:

1. Toggle “Open 24/7” in My Business → the AI answers at all times without mentioning hours
2. Or leave hours blank — the AI won’t mention specific hours to callers
3. Use After Hours settings if you want a different message outside certain times
4. The AI adapts — if you don’t set hours, it simply doesn’t reference them

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Coverage Distance

You set a service radius but a customer outside it is calling. What to know:

1. The coverage distance is informational only — the AI mentions your service area but doesn’t refuse customers
2. The AI might say “We typically cover a 20-mile radius from Birmingham” but will still take the booking
3. You decide whether to serve customers outside your area — the AI just captures the lead

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Delete a Specific Recording

A customer wants their call recording deleted (GDPR right). What to do:

1. Go to Calls → find the specific call → open the call detail
2. Contact support with the call date, time, and caller phone number
3. We’ll delete the recording within 48 hours and confirm by email
4. For bulk deletion, use the Account Settings → Delete My Data option (deletes everything)

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Lead Without a Name

The caller didn’t give their name. What to know:

1. The AI creates the lead with their phone number only — the name shows as “Unknown”
2. You can manually edit the lead to add a name later
3. The AI will try to ask for a name, but some callers skip it — that’s fine, the lead is still captured
4. If “Capture Lead Info” is on, the AI always saves at minimum the phone number

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Duplicate Automation Messages

You’re worried a customer might get the same automated text twice. What to know:

1. The system deduplicates automatically — maximum 1 SMS per contact per event type
2. For example, a customer won’t get two “appointment reminder” texts for the same booking
3. Different automation types can still fire for the same customer (e.g., booking confirmation AND reminder — those are different events)

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