FAQ
The questions owners ask first.
Direct answers. No corporate non-answers.
Pricing & contracts
- How much does this cost?
- Setup fees range from $300 (Reputation) to $5,000 (Elite bundle). Monthly fees start at $149 (Website) and run up to $3,199 (Elite bundle). Single industry workflows start at $129/mo. Final price depends on which services you pick. We’ll quote a number on the first call.
- Are there long contracts?
- No. There is a 90-day handle period after launch where we ask you to stick with us so we can stabilize the system. After that, everything is month-to-month. Cancel any time with 30 days notice.
- Why monthly subscription instead of a project?
- Most AI work fails after launch because nobody is running it. We sell monthly because somebody has to be on the hook for keeping the AI working as your business changes, prices change, customers change, and AI itself changes. The monthly fee is what pays for that.
Setup & where to start
- How long does setup take?
- Single service: 1-2 weeks from kickoff to live. Bundle: 3-4 weeks. The big timing variable is how fast you can get us access to your calendar, phone system, and existing tools.
- I want help but I do not know where to start. What do you recommend?
- For most owners losing calls or struggling with reviews, start with Reputation ($199/mo). Tiny commitment, fast payback. If your phone is the actual problem, start with Receptionist. If you want everything handled, jump to a bundle.
- What is the difference between the menu and the industry workflows?
- The menu is broad services that work for almost any local business. Industry workflows are specific, smaller fixes tuned to one kind of business. If you only want to fix one thing (insurance verification, no-show recovery, estimate follow-up), grab the workflow. If you want broader coverage, pick a service or a bundle.
What if it doesn't fit
- What if it doesn't work for my business?
- During the first 30 days, if we set something up and it doesn’t move the numbers, we’ll fix it or refund the setup fee. After the 90-day handle period, you can cancel anytime with 30 days notice.
Ownership, data & security
- Who owns what we build?
- Your data is yours. Your customer list is yours. Your social posts are yours. The Throughway AI services are subscription products: you license them while you pay. If you cancel, we hand over your data, your call recordings, your reviews, all of it. We do not lock you in.
- Where does our data go?
- Most services use enterprise AI APIs (Anthropic, OpenAI, Azure, AWS) with data-handling agreements that prohibit training on your data. Some services use models running on infrastructure we manage in-house. We will show you the data flow before you sign.
- Is this secure?
- We have a cybersecurity practice in-house through Synthera Technology. Every service gets a security review before it touches your data. We don’t ship unsigned downloads, exposed APIs, or shared admin credentials. The Receptionist Big tier is HIPAA-ready with a BAA in place for dental, med spa, chiropractic, and other PHI-handling practices.
AI behavior
- What if the AI hallucinates at our customers?
- The Receptionist is constrained to your business info, your calendar, and your services list. It cannot make up prices it does not know or commit to things you cannot deliver. Anything outside its knowledge gets handed off to you. Social and review responses go through human approval before posting on bundles below Elite. On Elite, your dedicated operator approves them.
- Will the AI cold-call my prospect list?
- No. Our Sales service is warm-only by design. The AI calls warm leads (form fills, referrals, opted-in customers, reactivation lists) but never cold-calls and never works non-opted-in lists. The legal landscape around cold-calling is a minefield and we are not in it.
Tech stack
- Do we have to switch CRMs, accounting software, or scheduling tools?
- No. We integrate with what you run. Google Calendar, Outlook, Calendly, QuickBooks, Stripe, Square, most major practice management systems, most major DMS providers. If your tool has an API, we connect to it. If it does not, we build a bridge or recommend something better.
- Which AI models do you use?
- Whichever is best for the job. We are model-agnostic: Anthropic Claude, OpenAI GPT, open-source models, or specialized providers depending on the workflow. We will explain the choice.
- Does the AI voice sound like a robot?
- No. Modern voice AI has moved past the robotic-uncanny-valley stage of two years ago. Most callers cannot tell unless they ask, and we tell them honestly when they do ask. We will play you sample calls on the first call.
About Throughway
- How are you different from the big AI agencies?
- They sell strategy decks at $400 an hour. We sell working subscriptions at fixed monthly. They send junior consultants. You work directly with the founders.
- Is this a real company or a side project?
- California LLC. Two committed founders. Backed by nine operating companies and 42 combined years across IT, security, software, vending, EV charging, hospitality, and consulting. This is not a side project.