Key Concepts
Here’s a quick overview of how Akol works and the main things you’ll interact with.
AI Agents
An AI Agent is your virtual phone receptionist. It answers calls, talks to customers, and takes action on your behalf.
Each agent has:
- A name and voice — Choose how your agent sounds (friendly, professional, etc.)
- A greeting — The first thing it says when it picks up (“Hi, thanks for calling Smith Plumbing!”)
- Instructions — What it knows about your business and how to handle calls
- Actions — Things it can do, like booking appointments or taking messages
Tips for a Great Agent
| Do | Don’t |
|---|---|
| Include your real business info (hours, services, pricing) | Leave instructions vague or generic |
| Write a natural greeting with your business name | Use a robotic greeting |
| Tell the agent when to transfer to a human | Let the agent promise things it can’t deliver |
| Keep instructions clear and specific | Write pages and pages of instructions |
Calls
A Call is a phone conversation between a customer and your AI agent. After every call, Akol saves:
| What You Get | Description |
|---|---|
| Transcript | A written record of the entire conversation |
| Recording | An audio file you can listen back to |
| Summary | A 2-3 sentence overview of what happened |
| Sentiment | Whether the caller seemed positive, neutral, or negative |
| Outcome | What happened — appointment booked, message taken, etc. |
| Duration | How long the call lasted |
You can view all of this in Dashboard > Calls.
Phone Numbers
Phone numbers connect your customers to your AI agent. When someone dials your Akol number, the assigned agent picks up.
| Number Type | Best For | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Local | Regional businesses (customers see a local area code) | $2.99/month |
| Toll-Free | National businesses (1-800 style numbers) | $4.99/month |
You can also forward your existing business number to Akol, so customers keep calling the same number they already know.
Business Profile
Your Business Profile is the information your AI agent uses to answer questions. This includes:
- Your business name and description
- Address and phone number
- Business hours (when you’re open and closed)
- Services you offer and pricing
- FAQs your customers commonly ask
The more complete your business profile, the better your agent can handle calls.
Integrations
Integrations connect Akol to the tools you already use:
| Category | What It Does | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Calendar | Book appointments during calls | Google Calendar, Outlook |
| CRM | Save customer info and call notes | HubSpot, Salesforce |
| Notifications | Get alerted after calls | Slack, Email |
| Automation | Connect to other apps | Zapier, Make |
You set up integrations from Dashboard > Integrations — just click Connect and follow the prompts.
Plans & Pricing
Akol offers plans for businesses of every size:
| Feature | Free Plan | Starter | Pro | Business |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $0 forever | $49/month | $149/month | $299/month |
| Call Minutes | 30 (one-time) | 100/month | 500/month | 1,500/month |
| AI Agents | 2 | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Phone Numbers | 1 | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Integrations | 2 | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
The Free Plan requires no credit card. All paid plans include a 14-day free trial — you can upgrade, downgrade, or cancel anytime from Dashboard > Billing.
What’s Next?
Ready to get started? Follow the Quickstart Guide to set up your first AI agent in about 5 minutes.