FAQ

Questions people ask before they book a demo.

Grouped by topic. Each group links to the page where the subject is covered in full. If yours is not here, ask us.

The platform

What is Step Into AI, in plain terms?

It is one system that answers your calls, captures enquiries, keeps every customer in an organised record and follows up automatically. Phone, AI receptionist, CRM, follow-up, reviews and marketing in one login instead of six different apps.

Does the AI receptionist replace my staff?

No. It answers when your team cannot: when everyone is on a job, on another call or it is after hours. Calls can be transferred to a person whenever someone is free. Most businesses use it to stop losing calls, not to replace people.

What does the caller experience?

A natural conversation. The receptionist greets them in your business name, asks the questions you would ask, captures their details and tells them what happens next. If they want a person it can transfer or arrange a callback.

Do I have to move everything at once?

No. Many businesses start with the phone and receptionist, then add CRM and follow-up when they have seen it working. The platform is designed as a ladder you climb at your own pace.

Can I approve messages before they go out?

Yes. Every automated action can be set to always ask, to auto-send under rules you set, or to escalate to a person. Your approval inbox shows what is waiting and lets you approve, edit or reject in one tap.

Is my customer data kept in the UK?

The website and customer records are hosted in the UK. Some services we rely on, such as telephony carriers and AI models, may process data elsewhere under appropriate safeguards. Details are on our security and subprocessors pages.

How long does it take to get set up?

Phone and receptionist can be live in days. Grow plans with CRM and follow-up automation are usually live within one to two weeks, including a setup call and configuration around your workflow.

What does it cost?

Plans start at £29.99 a month for the business phone, with the AI receptionist from £79 and the full CRM and follow-up platform from £199. See the pricing page for what each plan includes.

More on How it works

AI receptionist and call answering

Will callers know they are speaking to an AI?

Yes, if you want them to. We recommend being open about it and most callers do not mind once they realise they are getting help straight away rather than voicemail. The greeting is yours to write.

What if the caller wants a person?

The receptionist can transfer to any number or ring group, take a message and promise a callback within a time you set, or flag it as urgent so someone on your team gets an immediate alert.

Can it book appointments?

Yes. Connected to your calendar it can offer available slots and book them, or take the customer's preferred times for you to confirm. Many businesses start with callback requests and turn on direct booking once they trust it.

Does it work with my existing number?

Yes. Either port your number to Step Into AI or divert unanswered calls from your current phone system to the receptionist. Both are common.

What does it cost?

The AI receptionist is included in the Answer plan from £79 a month. See pricing.

Is this a human answering service?

No. Calls are answered by an AI receptionist configured for your business, with transfer to your own team when someone is free. We are open about that with callers. The trade-off is instant answering at any hour for a fixed monthly price, with the enquiry saved to your CRM rather than emailed as a message.

Can it answer only when we cannot?

Yes. Overflow answering is the most common setup: your team gets a set number of rings first, then the service picks up. Out-of-hours and 24 hour cover are also available.

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Business phone

Can I keep my existing number?

Yes. Most UK landline and mobile numbers can be ported. We handle the paperwork and the old line stays live until the port completes, so there is no gap.

Do I need special phones?

No. The mobile and desktop apps work on the phones and computers you already have. If you want desk phones for an office we can supply compatible handsets.

What about call quality?

Calls run over your internet connection. A normal broadband or 4G connection is more than enough for clear calls. We can test your connection before you commit.

Is this related to the analogue switch-off?

Yes. Traditional phone lines in the UK are being retired in favour of internet-based calling. Moving to a cloud phone system now means you choose the timing rather than having it chosen for you.

More on Business Phone

CRM and follow-up

We already use a job management app. Is this the same thing?

Not quite. Job management tools are built for scheduling and invoicing once a job is won. Step Into AI is built for the part before that: answering, capturing and converting the enquiry. The two can work together through integrations.

How do I get my existing customers in?

Upload a spreadsheet during onboarding and we map the columns. Contacts from your phone can be imported too.

Can my team use it on their phones?

Yes. The mobile app shows the pipeline, tasks and customer records, and lets engineers add notes and photos from site.

What does the CRM cost?

The CRM, pipeline and follow-up automation are included in the Grow plan from £199 a month. Phone and Answer plans include basic contact records.

Will customers find automated follow-up annoying?

Not when it is done well. Short, polite messages, sensibly spaced, that stop as soon as the customer replies. We help you set the timing and tone and you can change either at any time.

Can I write the messages myself?

Yes. We provide starting templates for your industry and you can edit every word. Messages can include the customer name, job details and quote reference automatically.

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Websites and hosting

I already have a website. Can you connect it?

Usually, yes. We can connect existing forms and phone numbers to the platform without rebuilding the site.

What does a website cost?

Websites are quoted individually depending on size. Hosting and updates are included in Business plans and available as an add-on to others.

Can you host a WordPress site?

Yes. We host WordPress and static sites and apply updates for both.

What about email?

We can set up and manage business email on your domain, or connect the domain to Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 if you already use them.

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Automation

What can the assistant actually do?

Summarise calls, draft replies to messages and emails, prepare quote text from your price list, update CRM records, create tasks, and run multi-step workflows such as "when a job is marked complete, send the invoice reminder, then request a review after 3 days".

Can it make mistakes?

Yes, which is why approval exists. Start with everything set to "always ask", see what it produces for a few weeks, then move the routine things to auto-approve.

Is my data used to train AI models?

No. Your data is used to produce your outputs and nothing else. See our data processing terms.

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Pricing, contracts and setup

Is there a contract?

Phone and Answer plans are monthly rolling. Grow and Business plans include onboarding work, so we ask for an initial term of three months, then monthly rolling. Bespoke agreements are scoped individually. You will always see the terms before you commit.

Can I keep my existing business number?

Yes. In most cases we can port your existing landline or mobile number to the platform. Porting usually takes a few weeks and your old number keeps working until the switch happens. If you would rather add a new number alongside your current one, we can do that too.

Are there setup fees?

Phone and Answer plans have no setup fee. Grow and Business plans may include a one-off onboarding fee depending on how much configuration and data import you need. We quote it separately and clearly before you sign anything.

What about call minutes and messages?

Each plan includes a fair-use allowance for calls to UK landlines and mobiles, and a monthly allowance of SMS messages. If you regularly go beyond it we will tell you and suggest the right plan, rather than surprising you with a bill.

Who owns my data?

You do. Your customer records, call records and content belong to your business. You can export them at any time, and if you leave we will provide an export and delete your data in line with our data processing terms.

How does cancellation work?

Give us notice by email before your next billing date. Rolling plans stop at the end of the paid month. If you are porting your number away, we will keep the service live until the port completes so you are never without a phone line.

What does onboarding involve?

A short setup call, a look at how enquiries reach you today, then we configure the phone, receptionist scripts, CRM stages and follow-up rules around that. Most businesses are live within one to two weeks.

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Security and data

Where is our data held?

This website and customer records are hosted in the UK. Some services we rely on, such as telephony carriers and AI model providers, may process data elsewhere under appropriate safeguards. The detail is on the security and subprocessors pages.

Is our data used to train AI models?

No. Your data is used to produce your outputs and nothing else, and our AI providers are contracted on that basis. See the data processing terms.

Who owns the customer records?

You do. You can export them at any time, and if you leave we provide an export and delete the data in line with our data processing terms.

Are calls recorded?

Calls answered by the receptionist are transcribed to produce the summary. Recording of calls answered by your team is optional and off by default. Where recording is on, you are responsible for the notices your callers need, and we help you set them.

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Support

What support is included?

Email support on every plan, phone support from the Grow plan, and priority support on Business plans. Support is from the Manchester team who built the platform, during UK business hours.

What if the receptionist gets something wrong?

Every call is summarised in the CRM so you can see exactly what was said. Tell us, and we adjust the script or knowledge base the same day. Early on we review calls with you to tune it.

Can we change things ourselves?

Yes. Greetings, opening hours, ring order, knowledge base answers, pipeline stages, follow-up wording and approval settings are all editable from the app. Anything you would rather we did, ask.

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What happens to your next enquiry?

See how Step Into AI could answer it, organise it and follow it through to the next step.