Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about Tenmist. Can't find what you're looking for? Get in touch.
Getting Started
What is Tenmist?
Tenmist is an AI-powered after-hours phone receptionist for businesses. When your business closes for the day, calls are forwarded to Tenmist. Our AI answers, has a natural conversation with the caller, captures their information, and sends you the details instantly via email.
How does setup work?
We handle everything. You tell us about your business — services, products, service area, hours, common questions — and we build a custom AI receptionist tailored to your business. Most clients are live within 24-48 hours.
How do I forward my calls to Tenmist?
We provide you with a dedicated phone number. You set up call forwarding on your business line to route after-hours calls to that number. We'll walk you through the setup — it usually takes 5 minutes and works with any phone system.
Is there a contract or commitment?
No long-term contracts. Tenmist is month-to-month after your first month free. Cancel anytime with 30 days notice.
Do I get a free trial?
Yes — new customers get their first month of service free. The one-time setup fee still applies to cover the custom build of your AI receptionist.
How the AI Works
Does the AI actually sound natural?
Yes. Our AI has real, conversational interactions — not robotic menus or scripted responses. Most callers don't realize they're talking to AI. The best way to judge is to call our demo line and experience it yourself.
What information does the AI collect from callers?
The AI extracts the caller's name, phone number, address, reason for calling, and preferred callback time. All of this is organized and sent to you in a clean email with a full transcript and AI summary.
Can the AI answer questions about my business?
Yes — that's what makes Tenmist different. Your AI receptionist is trained on your specific business. It knows your products, services, service area, and hours. When someone asks 'Do you service my area?' or 'Do you carry X product?', it gives them a real answer.
What happens if the AI can't answer a question?
If the AI encounters a question it's not confident about, it lets the caller know that someone from your team will follow up with the answer. It still captures all their contact details so you can follow up easily.
Are calls recorded?
Yes. Every call is recorded and transcribed. You can listen to recordings and read full transcripts in your client portal. The AI informs callers at the beginning of each conversation that the call is being recorded.
Lead Management
How do I receive leads?
You get an instant email notification the moment each call ends, containing the caller's information, reason for calling, preferred callback time, full transcript, and an AI-generated summary. You also get a daily summary email recapping all calls from the previous day.
What is the client portal?
The client portal is your dashboard for managing all after-hours leads. You can view all calls, listen to recordings, read transcripts, track lead status (New, Contacted, Scheduled, Completed), see analytics, and export data.
Can I categorize or prioritize leads?
Yes. Calls are automatically categorized as Service, Product Inquiry, Quote, or Billing. You can filter and sort by category, status, and date to prioritize your follow-ups.
Can multiple people on my team access the portal?
Yes. You can add multiple users to your account so your team can collaboratively manage leads and follow up on calls.
Pricing and Billing
How much does Tenmist cost?
We offer three plans: Starter at $299/month (up to 100 calls), Professional at $499/month (unlimited calls, our most popular), and Enterprise with custom pricing for multi-location businesses. All plans include a one-time setup fee. Visit our Pricing page for full details.
What does the setup fee cover?
The setup fee covers the custom build of your AI receptionist — training it on your specific business, services, products, service area, and common customer questions. It also includes your dedicated phone number, initial testing, and configuration.
Are there per-minute charges?
No. Unlike traditional answering services that charge $1-2 per minute, Tenmist is a flat monthly rate. No surprises on your bill.
What happens if I cancel?
You can cancel anytime with 30 days notice. Your service continues through the end of the current billing period. Call data is available for download for 30 days after cancellation, then permanently deleted.
Technical
Does Tenmist work with my phone system?
Yes. Tenmist works with any phone system that supports call forwarding — landlines, VoIP, cell phones, and virtual phone systems. If your phone can forward calls, it works with Tenmist.
What happens if Tenmist goes down?
We target 99.9% uptime. In the unlikely event of an outage, calls would fall through to your existing voicemail or phone system. We monitor our systems 24/7 and will notify you of any service interruptions.
Can I update my AI receptionist's knowledge?
Yes. If you add new products, services, or change your hours, let us know and we'll update your AI configuration. Updates are included in your subscription.
Is my data secure?
Yes. We use encryption in transit (HTTPS/TLS), secure cloud infrastructure, and access controls. Your call data is only accessible to your account. See our Privacy Policy for full details.
Still Have Questions?
Call our AI agent to hear the service in action, or reach out and we'll answer any questions personally.