Inbound Calls Overview
Inbound calling is one of the most powerful features of Caller AI. It allows you to replace a traditional receptionist or support queue with an AI that answers instantly, 24/7, for every single caller.
Infinite Concurrency
A human receptionist can only answer one phone call at a time. If three people call, two of them get a busy signal or go to voicemail.
Caller AI is different:
- If 10 people call your number at the exact same second, the system spins up 10 separate AI instances.
- All 10 callers get answered instantly.
- There are no hold times, no queue music, and no busy signals.
Caller Identification (Smart Lookup)
When an inbound call arrives, Caller AI checks the incoming phone number against your Leads Database.
If the number matches a lead in your system (e.g., Sarah Connor), the AI loads her profile immediately. It can greet her by name: "Hi Sarah, thanks for calling back."
If the number is new, the system creates a temporary Lead profile. The AI will generally start with a generic greeting: "Thanks for calling Caller AI, who am I speaking with?"
The Routing Flow
Understanding the path of an inbound call helps with troubleshooting:
- Carrier Layer: The call reaches our telecom partner (Twilio/Vonage).
- Assignment Check: The system checks which Assistant is assigned to this phone number.
- Connection: The audio stream is opened between the caller and the AI engine.
- Initial Message: The AI speaks the configured "First Sentence."
Costs & Billing
Inbound calls are billed at the same per-minute rate as outbound calls. Because the AI answers every call (including robocalls or wrong numbers), it is important to monitor your usage.
Spam Protection: Caller AI has internal filters to block known high-frequency spam numbers from connecting to your assistant, saving you money on minute usage.