Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

AnswR ("we", "our", or "us") operates the answr.com.au website and AI receptionist service. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our service.

We are committed to protecting your privacy and complying with the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) contained in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide

• Account Information: Name, email address, phone number, business name, and payment details when you register for our service.
• Business Information: Details about your business, services offered, operating hours, and staff information to configure your AI receptionist.

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

• Call Recordings: Audio recordings of calls handled by our AI receptionist, stored securely for quality assurance and service improvement.
• Call Transcripts: Text transcriptions of calls for your review and our AI training purposes.
• Usage Data: Information about how you use our service, including call logs, booking data, and analytics.
• Technical Data: IP addresses, browser type, device information, and cookies.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the collected information to:

• Provide and maintain our AI receptionist service
• Process your transactions and manage your account
• Improve and personalize your experience
• Communicate with you about service updates, support, and marketing (with your consent)
• Train and improve our AI systems
• Comply with legal obligations

4. Data Storage and Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information, including:

• Encryption of data in transit and at rest
• Regular security assessments
• Access controls and authentication
• Employee training on data protection

5. Disclosure of Your Information

We may share your information with:

• Service Providers: Third-party vendors who assist us in providing our service (e.g., payment processors, cloud hosting providers, telecommunications providers).
• Legal Requirements: When required by law, regulation, or legal process.
• Business Transfers: In connection with any merger, sale, or transfer of company assets.

We do not sell your personal information to third parties.

6. Your Rights

Under Australia privacy law, you have the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you
• Request correction of inaccurate information
• Request deletion of your data (subject to legal retention requirements)
• Opt-out of marketing communications
• Lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC)

7. AI Receptionist and Call Recording Disclosure

AI Disclosure: Our service uses an AI-powered virtual receptionist to answer calls on behalf of your business. Callers are informed at the beginning of each call that they are speaking with an AI assistant.

Call Recording: Calls may be recorded for quality assurance and service improvement purposes. Callers are informed at the beginning of the call that the conversation may be recorded. You can access and download recordings of calls to your business through your dashboard.

8. Cookies and Tracking

We use cookies and similar technologies to improve your experience on our website. You can control cookie settings through your browser preferences.

9. Third-Party Services and Data Processors

Our service uses the following third-party service providers to deliver our AI receptionist service. Each provider processes specific types of data as outlined below:

9.1 Voice and AI Processing

• Vapi (Voice AI Platform): Processes call audio, manages voice interactions, and coordinates AI responses. Vapi receives call recordings and may retain copies according to their data retention policies.
• ElevenLabs (Text-to-Speech): Converts AI-generated text responses into natural speech. Receives text content to be spoken during calls.
• Deepgram (Speech-to-Text): Transcribes caller speech into text for AI processing. Receives call audio for transcription purposes.
• OpenAI (Language Model): Powers the AI assistant's natural language understanding and response generation. Receives call transcripts and conversation context.

9.2 Infrastructure and Telecommunications

• Twilio (Telecommunications): Provides phone number provisioning and call routing infrastructure. Processes phone numbers and call metadata.
• Supabase (Database & Authentication): Stores account data, business configurations, and call records. Hosted in secure cloud infrastructure.
• Vercel (Web Hosting): Hosts our web application and dashboard.
• Render (API Hosting): Hosts our backend API services.

9.3 Business Integrations

• Stripe (Payment Processing): Processes subscription payments and billing. Receives payment card details and billing information.
• Google Calendar (Scheduling): Enables calendar integration for appointment booking. See section 10 for details.

Each of these services operates under their own privacy policies. We have data processing agreements in place with our key providers to ensure your data is handled in accordance with applicable privacy laws. Links to provider privacy policies are available upon request.

10. Google Calendar Data

When you connect your Google Calendar to AnswR, we access your calendar data solely to:

• Check your availability when customers request appointments
• Create calendar events for confirmed bookings
• Update or cancel events when appointments change

We do not:

• Store your calendar data beyond what is necessary for booking functionality
• Share your Google Calendar data with third parties
• Use your calendar data for advertising, marketing, or profiling
• Use your calendar data to train AI/ML models unrelated to your service

You can disconnect your Google Calendar at any time through your AnswR dashboard settings.

11. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to provide our services and comply with legal obligations. Call recordings are retained for up to 365 days (1 year) by default, in accordance with Australian state recording laws. You can configure a shorter retention period in your account settings.

Important: Our voice AI service provider (Vapi) may independently retain copies of call recordings according to their own data retention policies. When you delete recordings from your AnswR dashboard, we mark them for deletion in our systems, but copies held by our service providers are subject to their respective retention policies.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date.

13. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

• Email: [email protected]
• Address: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia