Ask these before you put a bot on your main line

A scripted demo always sounds good. These are the questions that predict what happens on a real Tuesday morning — and where our dataset already has the answer, we say so.

1. 01What happens when the bot doesn't know? Transfer, text, take a message, or dead air.
2. 02Can it transfer a live caller to my cell, and what does the caller hear while it happens?
3. 03Does it write to my actual calendar, or just email me a message to book it myself?
4. 04What's the overage rate, and do spam calls count against my allowance?
5. 05Can I hear a recording of every call, or only read a summary?
6. 06How does it handle a Spanish-speaking caller mid-sentence?
7. 07Who owns the phone number if I leave, and can I port it out?
8. 08How long does a change take — hours, or a support ticket and a week?
9. 09What does it say when someone asks for a price I haven't given it?
10. 10Is the monthly price the month-to-month price, or the annual-commitment price?
11. 11Will you sign a BAA / handle regulated intake, if that's my business?
12. 12Can I get a transcript of the demo call I just did with your sales rep?

Of the 18 vendors tracked here, 4won't answer question 10 publicly at all — their pricing is quote-only. The ones that do publish are here.