Get an After-Hours Voice AI Agent Built for Your Business
Syntora is an AI consultancy specializing in after-hours voice agents for small businesses. We build custom Python agents that handle calls, qualify leads, and schedule appointments 24/7.
We built a voice agent for a 7-person plumbing company that was missing 30% of its after-hours calls. The agent went live in 3 weeks. It now handles over 50 calls per week, booking qualified emergency jobs directly into the on-call plumber's calendar.
The build complexity depends on the number of call paths and required integrations. A simple agent that qualifies leads and sends an email summary is a 2-week project. An agent that needs to look up order status in a custom ERP and schedule appointments in Calendly takes closer to 4 weeks.
What Problem Does This Solve?
Most small businesses rely on a standard voicemail or a rigid IVR phone tree for after-hours calls. These systems frustrate callers. A customer with an emergency will not wait to leave a message; they will hang up and call a competitor. Basic phone trees that say "Press 1 for sales" cannot understand nuance or handle any request that falls outside of 3-4 predefined options.
Off-the-shelf voicebot platforms seem like a good alternative, but they fail on customization. Their natural language models are generic and cannot be easily trained on your specific services or terminology. Trying to get one to integrate with a proprietary CRM or internal database requires complex workarounds that are brittle and hard to maintain.
A 15-person HVAC company illustrates the problem. They used their phone system's after-hours voicemail but were losing emergency jobs. They then tried a simple call forwarding service, but it woke up the on-call technician at 2 AM for non-urgent quote requests. The business needs a system that can distinguish a high-priority leak from a low-priority query, and basic tools cannot make that judgment.
How Does It Work?
We begin by mapping your most common after-hours call types. We analyze 10-20 past voicemails or call logs to understand exactly how your customers phrase their needs. This data informs the initial system prompt for the Claude 3 Sonnet API, which acts as the agent's conversational brain. We use this analysis to define 3-5 core intents, such as 'Emergency Service Request', 'New Quote', or 'Check Appointment Status'.
The core logic is written in Python using the FastAPI framework. The agent's conversation flow is a state machine, not a rigid tree, allowing it to handle conversational tangents and corrections gracefully. We use the Claude API for transcription and response generation, achieving a response latency under 800ms. For appointment booking, we integrate directly with the Calendly API. For lead qualification, we can check against a customer list in a Supabase database to differentiate new versus existing callers.
The FastAPI application is deployed on AWS Lambda for cost-effective, high-availability serving. This serverless architecture means you only pay for compute time when a call is active, keeping monthly hosting costs under $50 for up to 1,000 calls. We use the Twilio API for phone number provisioning and real-time call management. All system logs are sent to a structured logging service for transparent monitoring and rapid debugging.
After launch, every call transcript is saved for review. We build a simple dashboard showing call volume, intent classification accuracy (typically over 95%), and average call duration. If the agent fails to understand a caller three times in a row, the system is programmed to automatically transfer the call to a human or a designated voicemail and send a high-priority alert via Slack.
What Are the Key Benefits?
Never Miss an After-Hours Lead Again
The agent answers on the first ring, 24/7. We deployed a system for a roofer that captured 15 emergency leads in the first month that previously went to voicemail.
One-Time Build, Zero Per-Call Fees
A single fixed-price project. You pay only for base API usage and hosting from Twilio and AWS, not a per-call markup from us.
You Own the AI and the Phone Number
You receive the full Python source code in your GitHub. The Twilio phone number is provisioned in your own account. No vendor lock-in.
Smarter Than a Phone Tree
The AI understands natural language, qualifies leads based on your specific criteria, and handles complex queries that basic IVR systems can't.
Integrates With Your Existing Tools
We connect the voice agent directly to your CRM, scheduling software like Calendly, and internal databases via custom API integrations.
What Does the Process Look Like?
Scoping and Call Flow Design (Week 1)
You provide examples of common after-hours calls and access to any existing phone logs. We deliver a detailed call flow diagram and a technical specification document.
Core Agent Development (Week 2)
We build the main conversation logic using Python and the Claude API. You receive a private phone number to test the agent's core capabilities.
Integration and Deployment (Week 3)
We connect the agent to your CRM and scheduling tools. The system is deployed to AWS Lambda, and you receive credentials and deployment runbooks.
Live Traffic and Handoff (Week 4)
We activate a new number or port your existing line for live traffic. After a 2-week monitoring period, we hand off the full source code and system documentation.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How much does a custom voice agent cost?
- Pricing is a fixed-project fee based on complexity. A simple agent that qualifies leads and sends email summaries is on the lower end. An agent that needs to read or write from a custom database or multiple third-party APIs is more complex. We provide a fixed quote after the initial discovery call.
- What happens if the AI misunderstands a caller?
- The agent is designed to fail gracefully. After two failed attempts to understand a request, it will say, 'I'm having trouble understanding. Let me connect you to our 24/7 voicemail, and a human will call you back shortly.' A transcript of the failed interaction is automatically flagged for review.
- How is this better than a service like Smith.ai?
- Human answering services like Smith.ai are excellent for general reception but rely on scripts and human agents. Our AI agent integrates directly with your business systems. It can look up a customer's order status in your ERP in real-time or check complex service availability, tasks a human agent cannot do without system access.
- What are the ongoing monthly costs after the build?
- You pay for API usage and hosting directly to the providers. Typical costs for a small business taking 200 calls a month are under $100 total. This includes the Twilio phone number, per-minute call fees, AWS Lambda hosting, and Claude API calls. Syntora's optional maintenance plan is a flat monthly fee.
- Can the voice agent sound like a real person?
- We use high-quality text-to-speech APIs that sound natural and conversational, not robotic. We can select from dozens of voices and adjust pacing. However, we recommend including a brief disclosure at the start of the call, such as 'You've reached the automated assistant for [Company Name],' to set clear expectations with the caller.
- What do we need to provide to get started?
- For the discovery call, you just need to explain your after-hours process and what you want the agent to accomplish. For the build, we need API keys for any systems you want to integrate (e.g., CRM, scheduling tool) and a list of the 5-10 most common questions or requests your business receives after hours.
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