# Phone

URL: /systems/phone · Id: `system:phone`

> Phone holds a Startup’s numbers and runs voice calls and SMS, with voice Agents, transcripts and handoff to a Human.

Phone holds a [Startup](/business/nouns/startup)’s numbers and runs voice calls and SMS, with voice [Agents](/business/nouns/agent), transcripts and handoff to a [Human](/business/nouns/human). Each call is filed against the [Contact](/business/nouns/contact) who made it.

## Summary
| Part | This System |
| --- | --- |
| Group | Communications |
| Status | Beta: it works, and its Verbs may still change |
| Shelf | Reference: documented, never offered first |

You can ask:

- “Get a phone number for support”
- “Get me a local number in Austin”
- “Have an agent answer the phone”
- “Text this customer that we are on the way”
- “Forward calls to my cell after hours”

## What you get
| Part | This System |
| --- | --- |
| Starts | Opt-in: it wakes with the Product Templates that need it. |
| Built from | [Telephony](/systems/communications/phone), [AI gateway](/code/platform/ai-gateway), [Media](/systems/marketing/media), [Phone numbers](/systems/communications/phone-numbers) |

## Nouns it owns
| Noun | Definition |
| --- | --- |
| [Channel](/business/nouns/channel) | A Channel is a place Messages flow, such as a chat channel, a Mailbox, or an SMS number. |
| [Message](/business/nouns/message) | A Message is one communication from any party over one medium, such as email, SMS, or chat, inbound or outbound. |
| [Recording](/business/nouns/recording) | A Recording is the replay of one Visit or one agent browser session, masked at capture. |

## Verbs
| Verb | Object | Approval | Event |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Channel.create](/business/nouns/channel/create) | [Channel](/business/nouns/channel) | None | `Channel.created` |
| [Message.create](/business/nouns/message/create) | [Message](/business/nouns/message) | None | `Message.created` |
| [Conversation.escalate](/business/nouns/conversation/escalate) | [Conversation](/business/nouns/conversation) | None | [`Conversation.escalated`](/business/events/Conversation.escalated) |

## Events
| Direction | Event | How |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Emits | `Channel.created` | By [Channel.create](/business/nouns/channel/create) |
| Emits | `Message.created` | By [Message.create](/business/nouns/message/create) |
| Emits | [`Conversation.escalated`](/business/events/Conversation.escalated) | By [Conversation.escalate](/business/nouns/conversation/escalate) |

## States
None.

## Who operates it
| Part | This System |
| --- | --- |
| Accountable | [Customer Lead](/agents/customer/customer-lead) |
| Team | [Customer Team](/agents/customer) |
| Seat | A role agent holds it until a Human is seated. |
| Autonomy | `supervised` |
| Also calls its Verbs | [Designer](/agents/product/designer), [Researcher](/agents/product/researcher), [Security Engineer](/agents/engineering/security-engineer), [Sales Engineer](/agents/sales/sales-engineer), [Prospector](/agents/sales/prospector), [Onboarding Specialist](/agents/customer/onboarding-specialist), [Success Manager](/agents/customer/success-manager), [Operations Lead](/agents/operations/operations-lead), [Delivery Manager](/agents/operations/delivery-manager), [Risk Analyst](/agents/operations/risk-analyst), [Finance Lead](/agents/finance/finance-lead), [Billing Specialist](/agents/finance/billing-specialist), [Treasurer](/agents/finance/treasurer), [Legal Lead](/agents/legal/legal-lead), [Compliance Officer](/agents/legal/compliance-officer), [Privacy Officer](/agents/legal/privacy-officer), [Contracts Manager](/agents/legal/contracts-manager), [People Lead](/agents/people/people-lead), [Communications Lead](/agents/marketing/communications-lead) |

## Approvals and limits
| Verb | Rule | Detail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [Message.create](/business/nouns/message/create) | Mandate `answer` for the [Customer Lead](/agents/customer/customer-lead) | Answers Conversations and sends Messages, each through the Startup’s Guards. |

## Processes that use it
| Process | How it uses it |
| --- | --- |
| [Pricing](/workflows/processes/pricing) | A step calls [Message.create](/business/nouns/message/create) |
| [Security](/workflows/processes/security) | A step calls [Message.create](/business/nouns/message/create) |
| [Inbound sales](/workflows/processes/inbound-sales) | A step calls [Message.create](/business/nouns/message/create) |
| [Outbound](/workflows/processes/outbound) | A step calls [Message.create](/business/nouns/message/create) |
| [Onboarding](/workflows/processes/onboarding) | A step calls [Message.create](/business/nouns/message/create) |
| [Retention](/workflows/processes/retention) | A step calls [Message.create](/business/nouns/message/create) |
| [Support](/workflows/processes/support) | A step calls [Message.create](/business/nouns/message/create) |
| [Delivery](/workflows/processes/delivery) | A step calls [Message.create](/business/nouns/message/create) |
| [Books](/workflows/processes/books) | A step calls [Message.create](/business/nouns/message/create) |
| [Billing](/workflows/processes/billing) | A step calls [Message.create](/business/nouns/message/create) |
| [Runway](/workflows/processes/runway) | A step calls [Message.create](/business/nouns/message/create) |
| [Privacy](/workflows/processes/privacy) | A step calls [Message.create](/business/nouns/message/create) |
| [Customer research](/workflows/processes/customer-research) | A step calls [Message.create](/business/nouns/message/create) |
| [Vulnerability disclosure](/workflows/processes/vulnerability-disclosure) | A step calls [Message.create](/business/nouns/message/create) |
| [Legal notices](/workflows/processes/legal-notices) | A step calls [Message.create](/business/nouns/message/create) |
| [Takedowns](/workflows/processes/takedowns) | A step calls [Message.create](/business/nouns/message/create) |
| [Whistleblower reports](/workflows/processes/whistleblower-reports) | A step calls [Message.create](/business/nouns/message/create) |
| [Press inquiries](/workflows/processes/press-inquiries) | A step calls [Message.create](/business/nouns/message/create) |
| [Barrier reports](/workflows/processes/barrier-reports) | A step calls [Message.create](/business/nouns/message/create) |
| [Risk assessment](/workflows/processes/risk-assessment) | A step calls [Message.create](/business/nouns/message/create) |
| [Notify regulator](/workflows/processes/notify-regulator) | A step calls [Message.create](/business/nouns/message/create) |
| [Supplier payouts](/workflows/processes/supplier-payouts) | A step calls [Message.create](/business/nouns/message/create) |
| [Budget](/workflows/processes/budget) | A step calls [Message.create](/business/nouns/message/create) |
| [Trials and plan changes](/workflows/processes/plan-changes) | A step calls [Message.create](/business/nouns/message/create) |
| [Mail handling](/workflows/processes/mail-handling) | A step calls [Message.create](/business/nouns/message/create) |
| [Call routing](/workflows/processes/call-routing) | A step calls [Message.create](/business/nouns/message/create) |
| [Staffing](/workflows/processes/staffing) | A step calls [Message.create](/business/nouns/message/create) |

## Rail underneath
None.

## Views and dashboards
| View | Shows | Metrics |
| --- | --- | --- |
| The [Customer Lead](/agents/customer/customer-lead)’s view | The Metrics its accountable Role answers for. | [Month-3 retention](/agents/customer#month-3-retention), [Net revenue retention](/agents/customer#net-revenue-retention), [Logo churn](/agents/customer#logo-churn), [Repeat purchase rate](/agents/customer#repeat-purchase-rate), [First response time](/agents/customer#first-response-time), [First responses on time](/agents/customer#first-responses-on-time), [Resolution time](/agents/customer#resolution-time), [Agent resolution rate](/agents/customer#agent-resolution-rate) |

## Access
What each Access level may call here.

| Access level | May call |
| --- | --- |
| `owner` | Every Verb (13) |
| `admin` | Every Verb (13) |
| `member` | Every Verb (13) |
| `viewer` | Read only (6 of 13) |

## Import and export
None.

## Fees and pricing
Carrier charges for numbers, minutes and texts pass through at cost and post to the Ledger as they are billed.

## Availability and limits
| Part | This System |
| --- | --- |
| Status | Beta: it works, and its Verbs may still change |
| Limit | Business texting starts once carriers approve the Startup’s messaging registration. |

## Compliance notes
Texts honor Consent and STOP replies, and every agent call says it is an agent; call scripts stay the founder’s.

## Related Systems
- [Notices](/systems/notices)
- [Support](/systems/support)
- [Mailboxes](/systems/mailboxes)
- [Product analytics](/systems/product-analytics): also holds [Recording](/business/nouns/recording)
- [Discussions](/agents/discussions): also holds [Channel](/business/nouns/channel)

## Example
A [Licensed-human marketplace](/products/templates/licensed-marketplace) of remote notaries answers its main number with a voice Agent. The Agent books 70% of callers straight into a session. A caller with a contested estate document transfers to the notary on duty, with the transcript attached.