My AI Assistant Isn't Answering Calls

Category: Troubleshooting Reading time: 4 min

If calls to your AI number are going unanswered — ringing endlessly, going to voicemail, or returning an error — work through these checks in order. Most issues come down to setup steps that were partially completed.

Check 1 — The AI Assistant Add-On Is Enabled

The AI Voice Assistant requires the aiAssistantAddon on your account. If this isn't active, the AI section in your dashboard may still be visible but the assistant won't function.

Fix:

1. Go to Settings → Billing
2. Look at your current plan and active add-ons
3. If the AI Assistant is not listed as active, enable it:

- If it's included in your plan tier: go to the AI Assistant section in your sidebar — it should be ready to configure - If it's an add-on purchase: go to Settings → Billing → Add-Ons, enable AI Voice Assistant, and complete the Stripe checkout

1. After confirming the add-on is active, check whether calls are answered

Check 2 — A Phone Number Hasn't Been Assigned

The AI assistant needs a dedicated phone number to answer calls on. If a number wasn't provisioned during setup, there's nothing for callers to reach.

Fix:

1. Go to AI Assistant in your sidebar
2. Look for a Phone Number field or Get Number button
3. If no number is assigned, click Set Up Phone Number and follow the provisioning steps
4. Once a number is assigned, share it as your shop's public line
5. Test by calling the number yourself

Check 3 — The System Prompt Is Empty or Incomplete

The AI assistant requires a system prompt to function. An empty or very sparse prompt can cause the AI to respond incorrectly, fail to engage, or drop calls.

Fix:

1. Go to AI Assistant → Configuration
2. Check the system prompt field
3. If it's blank or has only a few words, the assistant isn't properly configured
4. Write a full system prompt including your shop name, hours, services, prices, and behavior instructions

For a full guide on writing an effective system prompt, see How the AI Voice Assistant Works →

Check 4 — You're Calling the Wrong Number

It's easy to test by calling your old business number instead of the new AI number.

Fix:

1. Go to AI Assistant in your sidebar
2. Note the phone number displayed there — this is your dedicated AI line
3. Call that exact number from a phone not associated with your account
4. Confirm whether the AI answers

If you've been giving clients a different number (an old personal number, a previous business line), update those touchpoints to the Groomera AI number.

Check 5 — Vapi Service Disruption

Groomera's AI assistant runs on Vapi. If Vapi is experiencing a service disruption, calls may not be answered or may behave unexpectedly.

How to check:

• Check the Known Issues page in your Help Center dashboard for any active platform incidents
• If there's a Vapi outage noted, this is outside Groomera's direct control and will be resolved as the service recovers
• No action is needed on your side during a provider outage

Check 6 — Call Is Connecting But the AI Isn't Responding Correctly

If the call connects but the AI gives wrong information, doesn't answer the question, or behaves unexpectedly — the issue is in the system prompt, not the connection.

Common system prompt problems and fixes:

After any prompt update, make a test call to verify the change took effect.

Check 7 — Call Logs Are Empty (No Calls Being Received)

If you go to AI Assistant → Call Logs and see no entries at all — even after you've made test calls — the number may not be properly provisioned or connected to the Vapi configuration.

Fix:

1. Go to AI Assistant and confirm the phone number is displayed and active
2. Try calling the number again
3. Wait 2–3 minutes and refresh the Call Logs page
4. If the call log remains empty after a confirmed call to the number, the connection between the number and the Vapi assistant may have a configuration error — submit a support ticket

Check 8 — You're Using Call Forwarding and It's Misconfigured

If you set up call forwarding from another number to your Groomera AI number and calls aren't reaching the AI, the forwarding setup may have an error.

Fix:

1. Call your Groomera AI number directly (not through the forwarded number) and confirm it answers
2. If the direct call works, the issue is with your carrier forwarding setup — not Groomera
3. Contact your phone carrier or check your forwarding settings

Still Not Resolved?

Submit a ticket from the Support section of your dashboard. Include:

• Your AI phone number (last 4 digits)
• Whether the add-on shows as active in Billing
• What happens when you call the number (rings endlessly, silence, error message, wrong response)
• Whether any calls appear in your Call Logs
• A copy of your current system prompt if the issue is about incorrect responses

Related articles:

• How the AI Voice Assistant Works →
• Setting Up Your Subscription and Billing →
• Submit an Error Ticket →