Tactly or voicemail?
Voicemail records whatever the caller chooses to say and waits for you to listen. Tactly answers the call, replies to questions from your knowledge base and notes, books a real time on your calendar or takes a message with the number read back, and emails you a written summary and transcript. Voicemail costs nothing extra; Tactly plans start at $49 a month.
| Tactly | Voicemail | |
|---|---|---|
| What the caller gets | A conversation, answers and a next step | A beep and a recording |
| Questions answered | Yes, from your notes | No |
| Booking | Books open times on your calendar | No; you call back to book |
| Getting the number right | Repeats the number back before ending | Only as clear as the recording |
| What you receive | Summary and full transcript by email | An audio message to play |
| Spam and robocalls | Politely ended | Left in your mailbox |
| Cost | From $49 a month; calls under 15 seconds not billed | Usually included with your phone line |
Choose voicemail if
- You get few calls, and callers are happy to wait for you to ring back.
- Most of your callers are existing clients who will leave a message no matter what.
- You would rather not add another monthly cost right now.
Choose Tactly if
- New callers often hang up at the beep and try someone else.
- You want bookings made while the caller is still on the line.
- You want to read your missed calls instead of listening to them one by one.
FAQ
Questions, answered
What is the difference between an AI receptionist and voicemail?
Voicemail records a message. Tactly talks to the caller, answers from your notes, books a time or takes a message, and emails you a summary.
Can Tactly replace my voicemail?
Yes. In the missed-call mode your phone rings first, and if nobody answers in the time you set, Tactly picks up instead of voicemail.
Do I lose my voicemail if I try Tactly?
No. You can switch Tactly off or change its mode at any time, and your phone carrier's voicemail is still there.
Stop sending callers to voicemail.
Set up your receptionist, make a free test call from your own phone, and switch it on when it sounds right.