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Keypad FAQ

Keypad, by Smith.ai, is no longer accepting sign-ups
Unfortunately, we're not accepting new signups for Keypad right now. As our products have grown in the past few years, we're seeing features of Keypad better integrated as part of the overall Smith.ai product suite. In the meantime, we recommend Phone.com, Nextiva, and Grasshopper.

What next?
Keypad offered IVRs (menus), call analytics, call recording, and much more. Depending on your plan, we may offer these as add-ons for your Smith.ai call handling plans, but not independently as their own product. For more information, please let your account manager know you're interested.

Existing Keypad users
You may sign in here.

Before Getting Started

How is the call quality? Will I experience ring delays or poor clarity?

From former customers of phone systems like RingCentral and Grasshopper, we’ve heard about many issues with call quality (especially “latency” — that lag you hear between when you talk and the other person talks) when calls are made over Wi-Fi or LTE as opposed to cell networks. Often, quality issues here are the result of implementation errors made by the phone system.

Keypad is built on Twilio, a world leader in cloud communications. With 28 globally distributed data centers, their system is lightning-fast with guaranteed 99.999% uptime. They work with all major carriers (AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, Sprint, MetroPCS), so no matter what network you and your clients use, your calls will always follow the most direct path of communication to eliminate delays and maximize clarity.

In your Keypad dashboard, you will be able to track every call detail, including how many seconds the caller was placed on hold, who answered the call, how long the call lasted, who missed calls, and when calls occurred. Calls are tracked by the second.

Is there a free trial? 

No, but we do offer a 14-day money-back guarantee. If for any reason you are not happy with Keypad, we will give you a full refund up to 14 days after you signed up, no questions asked.

Are there activation or cancellation fees?

No, there is neither a setup or activation fee nor a cancellation fee. Cancellation must be made at least seven full days prior the end of the current subscription cycle. If the Subscriber cancels within seven days of the end of the cycle, they will be billed for the following month. 

Do I have to sign a contract?

No, you do not have to sign a contract. All plans are month-to-month, and you can cancel anytime. There is no cancellation penalty.

Getting Started

What happens after I sign up?

Once you pick your number and select any options (like call recording), you’ll be taken to your dashboard, where you can set up your call routing, greetings, voicemail, and much more.

When do I pick my phone number(s)?

This is the first thing you will do when you sign up! You can choose between local and toll-free.

I want to keep my phone and/or fax number. Can I port my number, and how long will it take?

Yes, you can port your phone and fax numbers. It will take up to three weeks. Directions for porting your number may be found here.

How do you block spam and unsolicited sales calls?

We cross-reference your calls against a database of 20 million known spammers and robocallers in real time. We will only block a call if we are 99% sure it is spam.

When can I start receiving calls on my new Keypad number(s)?

You can receive calls immediately after you sign up. However, you won't get them ringing to your phone until you configure your first call routing schedule.

Can I add more phone numbers to my plan?

Yes. In addition to the one number that comes with your plan (local or toll-free, your choice), you can add more numbers anytime for $5/month.

Does it cost extra to have a toll-free number?

No, it does not cost extra to have a toll-free number. When you sign up, you can pick one number — either local or toll-free. If you select a local number, 1,000 minutes are included; if you select a toll-free number, 500 minutes are included. If you choose to add more numbers to your account, local and toll-free numbers are just $5/month each.

Can I get a “vanity number”, and does it cost extra?

When you search for available numbers, you can search by alphanumeric characters (e.g., (213) HEY-YYYY). We don’t sell 800 numbers, but you can easily buy one from a third party and port it to us.

Are toll-free minutes included in my plan minutes?

Yes, they are. However, they are billed at two times (2x) the local-minute rate. The $25/month plan includes 1,000 local minutes or 500 toll-free minutes (or any combination thereof, if you have both local and toll-free numbers).

If I exceed my allotted plan minutes, what is the per-minute rate?

If you exceed your allotted minutes, you will be charged $.03 per local minute and $.06 ($.03 ⨉ 2) per toll-free minute.

Can I change my plan in the future?

Yes, you can change your plan anytime, and add (or remove) features as needed. However, please be aware that all call logs and historical data are associated with each Keypad number, and that data will be lost if you release the number. We encourage you to consider that before removing numbers from your account.

If I buy an additional Keypad number and decide to temporarily stop using it, can I resume and get the same number back?

No. We don’t have a “pause mode”. In order to secure your number, we have to own it. When you stop payment for the additional number, it will be released, and we can’t guarantee that you can buy it back. Additionally, all the call history and data associated with your number will be lost when the number is released.

When I signed up, I selected a local number, but now I want a toll-free one. Can I release my local number and get a toll-free number instead?

Yes, absolutely! Every account includes one number. You can also purchase additional numbers at $5/month. However, if you decide to release your number, all the calls and stats associated with them will be lost. In addition, if you pay for a number on day one and then decided to remove it on day two, you will still be charged for $5 (only for this month). Additional numbers are not refundable.

Are international calls included in my plan minutes?

You can only make calls within the U.S. and Canada from your Keypad number. We are working to expand your call coverage to other countries. If you’d like to be notified when international calling is available, please let us know at keypad+international@smith.ai.

Does Keypad work with my existing hardware, like desktop phones and conferencing stations?

We can work with any existing phone systems that you have. You can set your destination number to be your landline, your desk phone, or your mobile phone. We work with all carriers. In addition, we support SIP phones, allowing you to dial out from your desktop phone using your Keypad phone number.

Can Keypad handle multi-person calls and conference calls?

We don’t yet support this, but please tell us what you are using now for multi-person and conference calls, and what you’d like to see Keypad do for you. We will do our best to incorporate your needs into future product releases. You can reach us at keypad+feedback@smith.ai.

Does Keypad allow me to have two users on the phone simultaneously?

Yes.

I have a business partner/associate/assistant. Can I share my login or will they get their own?

Share your account credentials with them for now. If you require team-member, or domain-level (e.g., anyone@mycompany.com) login ability, please let us know at keypad+feedback@smith.ai.

How do I place outbound calls with Keypad?

You can use our mobile-friendly web app from your laptop, phone, or tablet through any browser.

How do I make outbound calls from my Keypad number on my landline or desk phone?

You can use your phone, tablet, or computer to make outbound calls. We also support SIP phones. If you require dialing in to a number to call from Keypad, or use of a desktop SIP phone, please let us know at keypad@smith.ai.

What number appears to my contacts when I call them from Keypad?

Your Keypad phone number — the one your callers are dialing — shows when you dial out from Keypad. If you have more than one Keypad number, you can select which one appears on caller ID before making an outbound call. You can easily provision multiple numbers with different area codes if your business has multiple locations, so the correct one appears to your contacts.

Can I set up my Keypad account so all my outbound calls appear from my local number (and not toll-free)?

Yes. When you make an outbound call, you can choose which Keypad number to call from. So, you will need to get a Keypad number with the correct area code, and choose that number when placing a call.

If I choose to leave Keypad, can I take my numbers with me?

Yes, you can “port the number out” — the technical term for it. Please contact us at keypad@smith.ai for directions.

I want to change my number from local to toll-free. How do I do that?

You will remove your local number and then provision a new toll-free one. However, all call history and data associated with your local number will be lost if you remove it, so consider if you would prefer to add (and not substitute) a toll-free number for $5/month instead.

Smith.ai + Keypad

If I’m a client of Smith.ai Virtual Receptionists, how does Keypad work with my service?

Keypad works however you want it to with your Smith.ai receptionists! You can set your call routing path so that our receptionists greet all of your callers. Or, we can serve as an extension, much like pressing “0” gets you to an operator. Or, we can serve as a fall-back solution and only answer calls when several rings have gone through and no one on your staff is available to pick up. There are many more examples, but the bottom line is that Keypad controls your call routing, and you can plug Smith.ai into that wherever you feel we best fit.

Call Routing

Can I set different call routing rules based on time of day, day of week, and type of call?

Yes, you can define call routing rules down to the hour on any day (or set of days). For example, if you take a lunch hour from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. every weekday, you can set call routing rules just for that window of time. Better yet, you can have our receptionists answer your calls while you chow down.

Does Keypad have an auto-attendant feature (e.g., “Press 1 for Sales, Press 2 for Support”)?

Yes, this is called a “menu” in Keypad, and it can be added to any call routing schedule. You can configure the attendant greeting (the initial “prompt” that introduces the caller to the menu options), and each menu option. Upon selecting an option, the caller can be transferred to a destination number, sent to a voicemail, or played a message.

VOICEMAIL & GREETINGS

How is Keypad voicemail better than my basic voicemail?

Keypad allows you to have multiple voicemail greetings, so you can provide different messages to callers based on time of day, day of week, vacations, holidays, and more. You can also have your voicemails transcribed and sent to you via email or text message.

Can I personalize my greetings?

Yes, you can personalize every greeting, voicemail, and automated menu option. For greetings, you can upload your own files, or use our high-quality text-to-speech system to speak the words you enter in text.

Can I get a professional recording for my greetings & voicemail?

We don’t provide professional recordings in-house, but we can recommend the fine folks at Fiverr for this service. We use them as well.

Fax

Can I send and receive faxes with Keypad?

Yes, you can send and receive faxes with Keypad. 

Do I need a separate Keypad number just for fax?

Yes, you need to add a new number to your account to serve as a dedicated fax number. The cost of fax service includes the new number; you do not have to buy a new number separately.

How do I receive faxes sent to my Keypad number?

All faxes sent to your Keypad fax number will be sent to the primary email address associated with your Keypad account.

Messaging

Can I send SMS and MMS with Keypad?

You can send both SMS & MMS with your Keypad number.

Call Recording

Can I choose to turn on/off call recording as I need it?

Yes, you can turn it on or off anytime. When you turn on call recording, we will charge you for that current month and every month thereafter as long as you leave it on. There’s no long-term commitment, and you can turn it off anytime. (Note that we do not offer partial-month refunds, so you will still pay for the full month even if you turn it off before the end of the month.)

Will I need to add one of those “your call is being recorded” messages if I enable call recording?

Keypad does this for you automatically for all incoming calls. You do not have the option to enable or disable it. While each state has its own laws governing call recording, Keypad operates at a national scale and maintains compliance across all 50 states.

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