Conversations That Feel Human
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The Problem
Why Insurance Agencies Are Moving to an AI Answering Service
Most callers who reach voicemail hang up and call a different agency instead. A traditional answering service can take a message, but it can't tell a routine billing question from someone reporting a loss, so callers end up on hold or repeating themselves after a transfer. Retell answers on the first ring, sorts the call by what the caller actually needs, and you pay only for the minutes used.
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Comparison
Retell VS. A Traditional Insurance Answering Service
Hours
What You Pay For
Wait Time
Busy Periods
Consistency
Languages
Handing Off To You
Setup
Your Tools
Traditional Answering Service
Business hours, or a paid add-on for nights and weekends
Per minute and per call, with hold time and monthly retainers on top
Callers hold for the next free operator
Limited by how many operators are staffed, so callers wait or drop during storm season and other surge periods
Varies with whoever picks up
Usually English, more languages cost extra
Takes a message or transfers with little context
Write scripts, brief operators, wait for training
Messages relayed by email or portal
Every call answered 24/7, including nights, weekends and holidays
Usage-based from $0.07/min, $10 in free credits to start
Answered on the first ring, no queue
20 concurrent calls included, higher on Enterprise, so a surge after severe weather doesn't mean busy signals
The same answer quality on every call
More than one language handled the same way
Warm transfer to a licensed agent with the full transcript, policy number and reason for the call attached
Start from a template, sync your knowledge base, go live
Connects to your agency management system and CRM and acts during the call
Cost per minute
$0.07-$0.31/min
LLM: gpt-5
$0.040/min
TTS: platform
$0.015/min
Voice Engine
$0.055/min
Background speech removal
$0.005/min
Safety Guardrails
$0.005/min
Buyer’s Guide
How to Choose an Insurance Answering Service
$0.07-$0.31 Per Minute
You pay for real call time, nothing else.
$10 in Free Credits
Try it before you pay anything.
No Monthly Retainers
Nothing extra for nights, weekends or busy periods.
Lower Bills Overall
Routine calls clear on their own, so spend drops.
Capabilities
What Our Agent Does on a Call
Sends Every Caller to The Right Place:
It works out why someone is calling, whether it's a billing question, a quote request or a claim, and routes them accordingly, with no phone menu to sit through.
Routing can follow your book of business, so callers reach their assigned agent or account manager instead of a general queue.
When a caller needs coverage advice or is reporting a claim, the agent warm-transfers them to a licensed team member along with the full conversation and policy details.
Answers from Your Own Policy and Agency Information:
It stays in sync with your knowledge base, so callers hear current answers about coverage types, office hours and how to make a payment.
It can look up a caller's policy or account mid-call and tailor what it says.
It can pull from your agency management system, CRM or billing tools over secure webhooks while the call is live.
Setup
Live in Four Steps
Step 1
Build
Set the agent up in a no-code dashboard or with the API, and point it at your agency website and policy FAQs.
Step 2
Test
Run it against the calls you really get and confirm it tells a routine question from a claim and hands off cleanly.
Step 3
Deploy
Connect your line over SIP trunking or take a new number, then go live on voice, SMS and chat.
Step 4
Monitor
Track resolution and transfer rates and caller sentiment from the dashboard, and refine over time.
Value
Why Businesses Choose Retell
A Clean Handoff to Your Team
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Reporting You Can Act On
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Built for Sensitive Data
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Overview
Built to scale with you
From quick-start simplicity to enterprise-grade security, compliance, and support. Retell meets you wherever you are.
Put Your Business Answering Service to Work Today
Start from a template, sync your knowledge base, and connect your line or take a new number. Try it on your real calls, then go live on voice, SMS and chat.
FAQ
Common Questions
Does Retell give insurance advice or quote coverage?
No. Retell's agent does not interpret policy language, determine what is covered, or bind coverage. It answers routine questions from your agency's own information, captures quote requests and policy details, and hands anything that needs licensed judgment to a person on your team.
How does Retell handle a claims call?
The agent recognizes when a caller is reporting a claim and treats it differently from a routine question. It captures the key details, like what happened, when, and who is involved, then transfers the caller to a licensed agent or your claims team right away with that information attached, instead of making the caller wait or repeat themselves.
Can Retell take quote requests over the phone?
Yes. It can collect what a licensed agent needs to prepare a quote, like the type of coverage, basic details about the property, vehicle or applicant, and contact information, then route the request to the right person on your team to follow up.
How much does an insurance answering service from Retell cost?
Retell is usage-based, starting at $0.07 per minute, with $10 in free credits to start. You pay for the minutes your agent handles, not a flat per-seat or per-call fee.
Can Retell handle calls in languages other than English?
Yes. Retell can hold a call in more than one language and handles callers the same way no matter which language they use.
How fast can I get an insurance answering service live?
Most agencies set the agent up from a template, connect their policy and agency information, and go live within days, not weeks. There are no scripts to write and no staff to train.
Will callers always be able to reach a real person?
Yes. Whenever a caller needs a licensed agent, whether for coverage advice, a claim, or anything else the agent cannot resolve, Retell warm-transfers the call with the full transcript and details attached so your team does not start from zero.
