Imagine this – A homeowner needs immediate support to fix a power socket at their home and turn to your electrical contracting company. It is past 6 pm, and your office is shutting down. The receptionist has left, and there is no one to take the call. They eventually call your competitor and get the service. You lost a business opportunity because your team missed a call. Consider the number of calls your front desk assistants miss every year. Besides existing clients, these calls often come from leads who can turn into customers. If you wish to change how your business responds to calls and queries, it’s time to contact Signpost to get an AI receptionist. In this guide, we will discuss how AI is reshaping customer service.
Reviewing the role of AI receptionists
Think of AI receptionists as voice agents for attending calls. You may have received such responses when calling bigger companies, especially in the hospitality and medical industries. Today, AI models are way more advanced, and the responses are extremely customized, personal, and conversational. You need to forward your business line to the AI receptionist, and AI will answer all calls. Service providers rely on a wide range of advanced tech, including Natural Language Processing (NLP), Machine Learning, and Natural Language Understanding (NLU), to ensure accuracy in responses. Furthermore, speech synthesis technology ensures that AI receptionists sound as natural as possible.
An AI receptionist can do the following –
- Respond to more than a million calls at the same time
- Offer answers to queries and frequently asked questions (FAQs)
- Take appointments and bookings
- Suggest services and products
- Transfer calls to expert customer care professionals
Can small businesses benefit from AI receptionists?
Yes, absolutely! AI receptionists are ideal for small and large businesses alike. For smaller companies, resources are often limited, and handling increased call volumes during peak hours or holidays can be a challenge. With AI receptionists, it is possible to capitalize on each call and serve customers better. While you still need real people who can solve more complex assistance requirements, the burden of hiring more executives and front desk attendants is lower.
Finding the right AI voice agent
Not all AI receptionists or voice agents are the same. Choose a service provider based on the features they offer. We recommend asking a few questions, such as –
- How many calls can the AI voice agent answer simultaneously?
- What technology powers the service?
- Do you have the control to modify and expand the knowledge base?
- How real does the AI receptionist sound?
- How quickly is each call answered?
- Can the AI receptionist scale with your business?
As for the pricing, it largely depends on two factors. The first one is the average volume of calls expected, and the second one is the length of calls. Many of the top companies offer AI receptionists flexible monthly packages, and that’s always better than committing to a longer term.
When you choose an AI receptionist, ensure that calls are recorded for future quality checks and training. You should also look at the uptime assured by the service provider. Data security and privacy are relevant aspects to consider, too. You may also want to review whether you can change the script voice and other settings easily. Having more flexibility allows you to change the responses and answers of the AI receptionist as your products or services evolve.
Transform customer engagement
Connect with your customers effectively and serve them better with a dedicated AI receptionist. Happy customers often turn into brand loyalists and can bring in more business. Not to forget, you will have the choice to capture every lead and turn it into a business opportunity.
