What is call screening?
Call screening is the practice of intercepting unknown callers before they reach your phone — figuring out who they are and what they want, then deciding whether to ring you, take a message, or block. Done right, screening means your phone only rings for real customers; spam, robocalls, and warranty scammers stop at the gate. Done wrong, screening kills legitimate calls along with the noise — which is what carrier "Spam Likely" filters do every day.
VettedCalls is an AI-first call-screening service built for solopreneurs whose phone is their pipeline: trades (plumbers, electricians, HVAC, roofers), real estate agents, attorneys, insurance agents, mortgage brokers. Unlike consumer-grade spam blockers (Robokiller, Hiya, Nomorobo) that match unknown numbers against a blacklist, VettedCalls uses AI to understand the call in the first 10 seconds and route based on intent.
How VettedCalls' AI call screening works
- Carrier-level forwarding. When an unknown caller dials your cell, your carrier silently forwards the call to a dedicated VettedCalls number. Your phone never rings for spam. Works on AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, Xfinity Mobile, Visible, Spectrum Mobile, Cricket, Metro, Boost, Google Fi, US Cellular, and most MVNOs. No app required on iPhone.
- AI vets in 10 seconds. The AI answers as your business ("Thanks for calling Smith Plumbing — what can I help you with?") and listens for 5–10 seconds. It extracts the caller's name, what they need, and how urgent it is.
- Intent-based routing. The AI either bridges the call live to your cell with a whisper preview ("Sarah — kitchen remodel quote"), takes a structured voicemail, or blocks the caller as spam. Emergency-keyword callers (flood, gas, sparking, no heat, burst pipe, leak) bypass everything and ring through 24/7.
- Verified-caller bypass. Once a caller is vetted as real, they get a 60-day pass — next time they call, they ring through directly without going through the AI again.
Why carrier spam filters fail solopreneurs
If you've ever had a customer say "I tried to call you, your number showed up as Spam Likely on my phone" — that's the carrier filter problem. Carriers (T-Mobile's Scam Likely, AT&T Active Armor, Verizon Call Filter) are tuned for consumers, not for service businesses. They penalize numbers that make a lot of outbound calls — exactly what trades and agents do. The result: legitimate calls TO you get answered fine, but legitimate calls FROM your customers' new numbers (a phone they just bought, a relative borrowing a phone) get rejected as Spam Likely on their end.
VettedCalls fixes this from your side. Because every unknown caller routes through our AI first, the carrier filter on your customer's phone is irrelevant. They reach you. Spam doesn't.
Call screening vs. answering service vs. AI receptionist
Three terms that get confused. Here's the straight answer:
- Call screening = filter before you pick up. AI or human decides who reaches you. VettedCalls is here.
- Answering service = humans answer ALL calls and take messages. $200–$700/mo. Examples: Ruby Receptionist, AnswerConnect.
- AI receptionist = AI answers ALL calls and books appointments. $50–$300/mo. VettedCalls' After-Hours and Business tiers do this on top of screening.
Most solopreneurs need screening first, with AI receptionist as an option for after-hours or peak-volume days. Most "answering service" providers don't offer screening as a standalone product — they bundle the whole thing or nothing. VettedCalls Pro at $19.99/mo is screening-only; Smith.ai and Ruby Receptionist start at $250+/mo for the full bundle.
Built for service businesses where the phone is the pipeline
VettedCalls is configured per-trade. The AI learns the vocabulary of your business — emergency keywords, service categories, common urgencies — and triages accordingly:
- Plumbers: burst pipes, sewage, gas leaks, no water
- Electricians: sparking, no power, breaker tripping, burning smell
- HVAC techs: no heat, no AC, gas smell, frozen pipes
- Roofers: active leaks, hail damage, storm tarps, insurance claims
- Realtors: buyer leads, listing inquiries, closing-window calls
- Attorneys: urgent intake, custody emergencies, bond hearings — privilege-aware (recording off by default)
- Locksmiths, junk removal, and 50+ other trades via our full directory
Pricing
Three tiers, no setup fee, 14-day money back, cancel anytime:
- Pro — $19.99/mo — Screening only. Real callers ring through; spam blocked. Voicemail with AI transcription.
- After-Hours Receptionist — $79.99/mo — Screening + AI receptionist who books appointments after hours.
- Business Receptionist — $159.99/mo — Screening + 24/7 AI receptionist who books appointments, qualifies leads, and integrates with your CRM.
Start your free 14-day trial — use code WELCOME50 for 50% off your first month.
Frequently asked questions
Will my number change?
No. You keep your existing cell number. We use carrier-level conditional call forwarding — when an unknown number dials you, the carrier silently routes them to your VettedCalls extension. Your contacts ring through directly without going near our AI. Customers calling from numbers in your contacts list never see anything different.
Does VettedCalls require an app on my iPhone?
No app for the screening function. Apple doesn't allow third-party apps to intercept inbound calls the way Android does, so any service that requires an iOS app for screening is misrepresenting how it works. VettedCalls uses carrier-level forwarding plus a free SIP softphone (3CX) that hosts your VettedCalls extension. You install 3CX once during setup, then it just sits in the background. iPhone setup walkthrough.
What happens to emergencies?
Emergencies bypass everything and ring your cell directly, 24/7, regardless of tier or schedule. The AI listens for emergency keywords specific to your trade — "burst pipe", "no heat", "sparking", "flood" — and skips the vetting flow entirely. Read the full emergency-routing guide.
How is this different from Robokiller, Hiya, or Nomorobo?
Those apps match unknown numbers against a known-spam blacklist. They block KNOWN spam. They don't help with UNKNOWN callers — which is most of the spam tradies and agents see, and also most of the legitimate first-time customers. VettedCalls reads the call content, not just the caller ID, so it can tell a real customer from a robocall in the same 10 seconds.
Will my real customers be annoyed by the screening?
Most don't notice. The AI greets as YOUR business name ("Thanks for calling Smith Plumbing"), and the screening flow takes 5–10 seconds before they're connected. Verified callers get a 60-day pass, so repeat customers ring straight through after the first call.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. Monthly plans cancel anytime via your Stripe billing portal — access continues through the end of the paid period. 14-day money-back guarantee on your first month. See the refund policy.
What if my carrier doesn't support call forwarding?
If your mobile carrier doesn't support conditional call forwarding (some MVNOs and prepaid plans), we'll issue a full refund within the first 14 days even if you've used the service. Your VettedCalls number is released. Carrier code reference for AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, Cricket, Metro, Boost, Google Fi, US Cellular, and more.