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After-hours answering
You closed at five. Your phone did not have to.
The calls that come in at 7pm on a Sunday are often the ones that want you most. Tactly picks up, says the team is away, and helps them anyway.
- TactlyYou've reached Fernwood Pool Care. The team is out for the evening, and I'm the virtual assistant. This call may be recorded. How can I help?
- CallerOur pool went green over the weekend. Can someone come look this week?
- Looking up open times this week
- TactlyI can book a service visit Tuesday at 10:00 or Wednesday at 2:00. Would either work?
- CallerTuesday. My name's Dana Whitfield.
- Booked: Service visit, Tue 10:00 am
How does after-hours answering work?
Tactly answers your phone after hours. You set your business hours once in your own time zone, and any call that comes in while you are closed is answered by Tactly in your business's name. It says the team is away, then books the caller a time for when you are open or takes a message. Emergencies are told to call 911, and you get an email summary of each call.
Your day stays yours
Pick the after-hours mode and your phone rings as normal while you are open. Tactly only steps in once you close.
Honest from the first line
The greeting says the team is away and that this is a virtual assistant, so the caller knows exactly what they are getting.
Closed days count
Mark a holiday or a Sunday as closed and Tactly treats the whole day as after hours.
A clean inbox in the morning
Robocalls and sales pitches are politely ended, so what you read with your coffee is the calls that matter.
Straight talk
What it will not do.
Knowing the limits is how you set it up well.
- It does not dispatch anyone or wake anyone up. Urgent calls become bookings or messages for you to act on.
- It will not transfer calls outside your hours unless you change that setting.
- It does not decide what counts as an emergency for your trade. Write that guidance in your notes.
FAQ
Questions, answered
How does an AI receptionist answer calls after hours?
You set your hours and choose a mode that covers after hours. When you are closed, Tactly answers, says the team is away, and books a time or takes a message.
Can it cover daytime calls too?
Yes, if you want. Choose a mode that also covers calls nobody picks up, or every call. Or keep it to after hours only.
What if someone calls with a real emergency?
Anyone describing an emergency is told to hang up and call 911. Add any trade-specific safety guidance to your notes as well.
What will I see the next morning?
An email for each answered call with who called, what happened and a short summary, plus the full transcript.
More features
Appointment booking
Nobody wants to leave a message and wait for a callback just to get a time. Tactly looks at your calendar, offers what is open, and books it before the call ends.
Learn more →Call transfer
Tactly takes the routine questions off your plate. When a caller asks for a person during your hours, it puts them straight through to you.
Learn more →Call summaries
Voicemails get skipped and sticky notes get lost. Tactly sends you a short, readable account of each call, with the whole conversation underneath.
Learn more →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.