Skip to main content

Troubleshooting

Having issues? Find answers to common problems here.

Quick Reference
IssueFirst Thing to Check
Agent not answering callsCall forwarding setup
SMS not getting repliesSMS enabled toggle / credits
Chat not showingBrowser cache / embed code
Wrong informationBusiness profile / Knowledge
Can't log inPassword reset
Payment failedUpdate payment method
Appointments not syncingCalendar connection

Phone & Voice Issues​

Why isn't my agent answering calls?

Check your call forwarding:

  1. Did you set up forwarding? See call forwarding guide
  2. Test by calling your business phone from another phone
  3. Make sure you entered the correct Theo phone number

Check your phone number configuration:

  1. Go to Settings → Phone Numbers
  2. Make sure an agent is assigned to your number
  3. Verify the number is active

Check your subscription:

  • Make sure your plan includes voice features
  • Verify your payment is up to date

Test directly:

  • Call your Theo phone number directly (not through forwarding)
  • If that works, the issue is with forwarding, not Need Theo
The AI gave wrong information

Update your knowledge:

  1. Go to Settings → General and verify your business info
  2. Check Knowledge Base for incorrect information
  3. Add FAQs with the correct answers

Test what your agent knows:

  1. Go to your Agent
  2. Open Test Chat
  3. Ask the question that got the wrong answer
  4. See what your agent says

Common causes:

  • Outdated business profile
  • Missing FAQ for that topic
  • Information from old website content
  • Conflicting information in multiple places
My agent got the appointment time wrong

Check your timezone:

  1. Go to Settings → General
  2. Verify your timezone is correct
  3. Save changes if needed

Check your availability plans:

  1. Go to Scheduling → Settings
  2. Verify availability hours are set correctly
  3. Check that the correct days are enabled
  4. Verify the plan's timezone setting

Check calendar sync:

  1. Go to Settings → Integrations
  2. Verify Google Calendar is connected
  3. Check that your Google Calendar has the correct timezone
How do I cancel call forwarding?

Quick answer: Dial *73 from your phone (works for most carriers)

By carrier:

CarrierCancel Code
Verizon*73
AT&T##004#
T-Mobile##21# or ##61#
Rogers#21# or *93
Bell/Telus*73

Full call forwarding guide →

Callers say the audio quality is poor

Common causes:

  • Caller is in a noisy environment
  • Caller's phone has poor reception
  • Caller is speaking too fast or too quietly

What to check:

  • Review the call transcript — was the AI understanding correctly?
  • Listen to the recording to assess audio quality
  • Test calls from different phones/locations

Audio quality on Need Theo's end is typically excellent. Most issues are on the caller's side.

SMS Issues​

Why isn't Theo replying to text messages?

Check SMS is enabled:

  1. Go to Settings → Phone Numbers
  2. Click on the phone number
  3. Make sure SMS Enabled is toggled on

Check it's a Canadian number: SMS is currently available on Canadian phone numbers only. US numbers do not support SMS at this time.

Check your credits:

  • SMS uses credits (1 credit = 5 messages)
  • If you've run out of credits and overage is disabled, SMS replies will stop
  • Check your usage in Settings → Billing

Check agent assignment:

  • Make sure an agent is assigned to the phone number
  • The same agent that handles voice calls handles SMS on that number
SMS responses seem slow

This is normal: SMS responses typically arrive within a few seconds. Factors that can add delay:

  • Complex questions that require longer AI processing
  • High volume periods
  • Carrier delivery delays (outside Need Theo's control)

If responses consistently take more than 30 seconds, contact support.

Customer says they didn't receive the SMS reply

Check the conversation:

  1. Go to Conversations
  2. Filter by SMS Only
  3. Find the conversation and verify the reply was sent

Common causes:

  • Customer's phone has SMS blocked from unknown numbers
  • Carrier filtering (some carriers block automated messages)
  • Customer provided a landline number (can't receive SMS)

Website Chat Issues​

The chat bubble isn't showing

Clear your cache:

  1. Hard refresh: Ctrl+F5 (Windows) or Cmd+Shift+R (Mac)
  2. Or clear browser cache completely
  3. Try an incognito/private window

Check your code:

  1. View page source (right-click → View Source)
  2. Search for "needtheo" in the code
  3. Make sure the script tag is there and correct
  4. Verify it's before the closing </body> tag

Check deployment:

  1. Go to your agent's Web Deployments
  2. Make sure the deployment is active
  3. Re-copy the code and paste it again

Check for conflicts:

  • Other scripts might be blocking the chat widget
  • Check browser console (F12) for JavaScript errors
Chat isn't responding to messages

Check your subscription:

  • Make sure your plan is active
  • Verify your payment method is valid

Check the agent:

  1. Go to Agents
  2. Make sure you have an active agent
  3. Test the agent using the Test Chat feature
  4. Verify the agent has behaviors enabled

Check the deployment:

  1. Go to your agent's Web Deployments
  2. Verify the chatbot is assigned to your agent
  3. Make sure settings are saved
Chat widget looks wrong or has wrong colors

Verify customization:

  1. Go to your agent's Web Deployment
  2. Check your color and settings
  3. Save changes

Clear browser cache:

  • Changes might be cached
  • Hard refresh (Ctrl+F5 or Cmd+Shift+R)
  • Try an incognito window

Check for CSS conflicts:

  • Your website's CSS might be overriding the widget styles
  • Try the widget on a simple test page

Account & Login Issues​

I can't log in

Check your credentials:

  • Make sure you're using the right email
  • Check for typos in your password
  • Passwords are case-sensitive

Reset your password:

  1. Click "Forgot Password" on login page
  2. Enter your email
  3. Check your inbox (and spam folder)
  4. Click the reset link
  5. Create a new password

Still stuck?

I'm not receiving emails from Need Theo

Check spam/junk folder: Most issues are caused by emails going to spam.

Add us to contacts: Add no-reply@needtheo.com to your address book.

Check your email address: Make sure the email in your account is correct.

Wait and retry:

  • Email can sometimes be delayed
  • Wait a few minutes and try again
How do I change my password?
  1. Click your name/avatar in the top right
  2. Go to Account or Profile
  3. Find Password section
  4. Enter your current password
  5. Enter your new password
  6. Confirm new password
  7. Save

Billing Issues​

My payment failed

Update your payment method:

  1. Go to Settings → Billing
  2. Click Update Payment Method
  3. Enter new card details
  4. Save

Common causes:

  • Expired card
  • Insufficient funds
  • Card blocked by bank (call them to authorize)
  • Incorrect billing address
I was charged incorrectly

Contact us at billing@needtheo.com with:

  • Your account email
  • The invoice in question
  • What you believe is incorrect

We'll review and respond within 1-2 business days.

How do I cancel my subscription?
  1. Go to Settings → Billing
  2. Click Cancel Subscription
  3. Confirm
Before Cancelling
  • Access continues until your billing period ends
  • Phone numbers will be released and may not be recoverable
  • Consider downgrading instead of cancelling if you might return

Scheduling Issues​

Customers can't book appointments

Check availability plans:

  1. Go to Scheduling → Settings
  2. Make sure you have a plan set up
  3. Verify hours are configured
  4. Make sure the plan is set to Active

Check agent configuration:

  1. Go to your agent settings
  2. Make sure a scheduling behavior is enabled and has an availability plan assigned

Check calendar connection:

  1. If using Google Calendar, verify it's connected
  2. Make sure you're not marked as busy all the time in your calendar
Appointments not showing on my calendar

Check calendar integration:

  1. Go to Settings → Integrations
  2. Make sure Google Calendar shows as connected
  3. Try disconnecting and reconnecting

Check which calendar: Appointments go to your primary Google Calendar. Make sure you're looking at the right one.

Allow time: New appointments may take a few minutes to sync.

Wrong times are being offered

Check timezone settings:

  • Settings → General → Timezone
  • Scheduling → Settings → Each availability plan's timezone
  • Google Calendar timezone (if connected)

All three should match your actual business timezone.

Knowledge & Response Issues​

My agent says "I don't know" too much

Add more knowledge:

  1. Go to Knowledge Base
  2. Add FAQs for common questions
  3. Import your website content
  4. Complete your Business Profile with details

Be specific:

  • Instead of general info, add specific answers
  • Include pricing, services, policies, and procedures
  • Add variations of common questions
My agent is giving outdated information

Update your content:

  1. Check Settings → General for business info
  2. Review Knowledge Base for old content
  3. Delete or update outdated items
  4. Re-import your website if it's changed significantly

Check for conflicts: If the same question has different answers in different places (FAQ vs website import), the agent may get confused. Keep information consistent.

My agent responds in the wrong language

Check language settings:

  1. For voice: Settings → Phone Numbers → Language setting
  2. For SMS: Uses the same language setting as the phone number
  3. For chat: Agent → Web Deployments → Default Language

Multilingual mode: If enabled, the agent responds in whatever language the customer uses. If you want a single language only, make sure multilingual is off.

Integration Issues​

Google Calendar won't connect

Try these steps:

  1. Disconnect the integration if already connected
  2. Clear your browser cache
  3. Try connecting again
  4. Use a different browser if issues persist
  5. Make sure you're signed into the correct Google account

Check permissions: Make sure you granted all requested permissions during the connection process.

Calendar shows as connected but isn't working

Test the connection:

  1. Book a test appointment through your agent
  2. Check if it appears on your Google Calendar
  3. Check if busy times are being respected

Reconnect:

  1. Disconnect the integration
  2. Wait a few minutes
  3. Connect again
  4. Test

Performance Issues​

The dashboard is slow

Try these steps:

  1. Clear your browser cache
  2. Try a different browser
  3. Check your internet connection
  4. Try an incognito window
  5. Disable browser extensions

If the issue persists, contact support.

Chat widget is slow to load

The widget is designed to load asynchronously and shouldn't slow your page. If you're experiencing issues:

  1. Check your website's overall performance
  2. Make sure the script is placed before </body>
  3. Check for JavaScript errors in browser console

Getting More Help​

Contact Support​

Email: support@needtheo.com

Include in your message:

  • Your account email
  • Description of the issue
  • Steps you've already tried
  • Any error messages you see
  • Screenshots if helpful

Response time: Usually within 24 hours (business days)

Billing Questions​

Email: billing@needtheo.com

For billing-specific inquiries like:

  • Invoice questions
  • Charge disputes
  • Plan changes
  • Refund requests

Emergency Issues​

Service Outage

If you believe there's a system-wide outage affecting all users, email urgent@needtheo.com with a brief description. We monitor this inbox closely.

For urgent issues affecting your business during business hours, include "URGENT" in your email subject line to support@needtheo.com.

Still stuck? Email us at support@needtheo.com — we're happy to help!