tether
Sign in Answer the everyday questions.
Build a useful starting point around the things callers ask most: what you do, when you’re open and where you work.
FOR CONTRACTORS & SERVICE BUSINESSES
An AI receptionist.
Built around
your business.
Give callers answers about your services, hours and coverage. Shape what your agent says, test a conversation, and connect a phone line when you’re ready—with help getting started.
Planned assisted pilots. No software integration required for the direct-business route.
YOUR BUSINESS. YOUR RECEPTIONIST.01 / PREVIEW
TETHER DEMO WORKSPACE
Draft
Your front desk
“Hi, I’m Tether’s AI demo assistant. I can help with questions about our services. What would you like to know?”
Knowledge Business details & FAQsPhone number Not connected
↳
You know your business. Start there.Services, hours and answers you’ve approved.
Illustrative interface · fictional business · no microphone access
DESIGNED FORRoofers / Plumbers / Cleaning teams
Running a business?
You don’t need to build software.
01 / MAKE IT YOURS
Your services.
Your answers.
Your way of speaking.
Start with the questions you answer every day. Add the facts your receptionist needs, decide what it shouldn’t promise, and hear how it responds before letting it answer your line.
BUILT AROUND YOUR BUSINESSIn staging
Start with what you know.
Add your hours, services, service area and approved answers. Refine your agent’s draft without changing what callers hear. Publishing and phone activation are separate steps.
WorkspaceTether demo
Agent boundaryExplain services. Don’t invent a quote.
KnowledgeReviewed by the business owner
Product walkthrough only. Nothing is saved or activated here.
Set limits on what it says.
Keep prices, promises and specialist questions within the answers you’ve approved. Test how the agent responds when it doesn’t know.
Start with a conversation, not a cutover.
The pilot starts with private testing. Connecting a phone line comes later, after you’ve reviewed the answers and agreed the setup.
02 / START WITH THE EVERYDAY CALLS
“Do you cover my area?”
That’s a good start.
A first agent doesn’t need to do everything to be useful.
Use your pilot to test the questions that interrupt your workday. The examples here show the intended scope: approved information, not automatic bookings, quotes or emergency advice.
SCRIPTED EXAMPLES · NOT REAL CUSTOMER CALLSSERVICES
“Do you clean offices?”
Your agent uses the service list you’ve approved, rather than guessing what you offer.
OPENING HOURS
“Are you open on Saturday?”
Give a clear answer from your business hours. Appointment availability is a separate integration.
KNOWING ITS LIMITS
“Can you guarantee a price?”
Set the expectation that a person must confirm a quote. The pilot does not automate estimates or callbacks.
03 / PAY FOR WHAT RUNS
Pay for usage.
Know what goes into it.
Plan around your call volume, not an unlimited-call promise. AI minutes, phone calls, number rental and messaging are priced separately so you can estimate the full cost.
PRICING PROPOSAL These are planning targets, not
final rates or binding quotes. Paid activation is not available here.
PROPOSED USAGE RATES
AI VOICE
The conversation.
$0.24/ AI minute
A proposed standard-model rate for the AI conversation layer.
- No mandatory software subscription
- Private tests are metered separately
- Phone transport billed separately
- Premium models need a separate quote
PHONE & NUMBERS
The connection.
Cost + margin
Country, number type and destination determine the underlying provider rate.
- Voice transport: provider cost + 25%
- Number rental: provider cost + 40%
- Rental continues while you keep a number
- Porting & registration quoted separately
MESSAGING
Beyond the call.
Per segment
SMS is counted by billable segments—not by chat bubbles.
- Provider messaging cost + 25%
- Plus $0.005 per billable SMS segment
- Carrier / registration fees itemized
- MMS quoted separately; rollout planned
A PLANNING TOOL, NOT A QUOTE
What could your monthly usage cost?
Provider budgets below are your inputs, not verified rates. All amounts are USD. No account or payment is created.
ILLUSTRATIVE MONTHLY TOTAL$284.00
- AI conversation
- $240.00
- Voice transport
- $12.50
- Number rental
- $14.00
- Messaging
- $17.50
Excludes taxes, registration, setup, optional storage, premium models and separately quoted services. Zero call minutes does not stop number rental. Draft rates—not live billing.
You won’t have to figure it all out alone.
The first pilots are assisted. Agent setup, knowledge review and phone-readiness checks can be scoped as a one-time service. Your usage charges remain separate.
WHAT YOU CAN PLAN FOR TODAY
Start small.
Know what’s ready.
In stagingAgent configuration & private-test infrastructureBeing tested in staging. Customer rollout requires a separately approved pilot.
PlannedSelf-service numbers, forwarding & portingNot self-service yet. Number ownership and routing need review before a line is connected.
Not offered yetAutonomous booking, transfers & business actionsThe initial scope is answering approved questions, not making bookings or changing business records.
04 / GOOD QUESTIONS
Before you connect.
Do I need my own software to use Tether?
No. We’re building a Tether workspace for businesses to manage their own receptionist, starting with assisted pilots. Public self-service is not open yet. If you build software for other businesses, see Tether for software platforms.
Can I hear my agent before connecting a number?
That is the planned pilot starting point: a private browser call using your saved agent settings. The underlying voice testing is in staging validation. This page is a walkthrough, not a live demo, and will not access your microphone.
Can I keep my current phone number?
We are planning separate paths for forwarding, supported SIP connections and porting. Availability depends on the number and carrier, and none is self-service today. Forwarding voice does not move SMS. Porting requires verification and an explicitly approved cutover.
Where do audio and business knowledge go?
Tether runs its communications infrastructure on operator-controlled servers. The current voice implementation uses an external AI provider. Recording and transcript retention are separate choices; self-hosted transport does not mean all processing is local. A pilot needs an agreed data-processing and retention policy.
Why separate AI, phone and messaging charges?
These are different services. A browser test can use AI without a phone carrier; a transfer can create multiple carrier legs. A rented number has a recurring cost even with no calls. Long or Unicode SMS can use several billable segments. We intend to itemize these instead of promising unlimited usage. Rates and billing increments must be agreed before paid activation.
Can I sign up or buy a plan now?
Not through this preview. Pricing is proposed, payment is not connected and the pilot brief below stays on your device. A verified contact channel, final terms and product acceptance must be in place before public launch.
LET’S START WITH YOUR BUSINESS
Make your first use case
a useful one.
Choose one kind of call: answering service questions, explaining opening hours or clarifying coverage. Define the answers that matter and what a good test call should sound like.
Local preview: download a brief to review.
No form submission,
mailing list or sales contact yet.