Small businesses often hire front desk attendants and receptionists to interact with customers. When someone calls, these are the people who address concerns, resolve complaints, and offer answers about a company’s products and services. As Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues to invade business operations to transform productivity, it is about time that small businesses use AI to empower customer servicing. AI receptionists from top companies like Signpost perform the same tasks as front desk attendants and customer care experts, only in a better and more timely manner. This is your guide to AI receptionists for small businesses.
Understanding AI receptionists
As the name indicates, AI receptionists are programs that work like human receptionists and are powered by AI. Service providers usually leverage advanced Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Speech Synthesis to create AI models that can respond to clients in the same manner as regular humans. In fact, new-age tech and Speech Synthesis are so advanced that callers often cannot see a difference in response. AI receptionists have access to a knowledge base, which can be updated and improved as required, and the outcome would progress accordingly.
Are AI receptionists the same as virtual assistants?
Virtual assistants powered by AI and AI receptionists are the same. However, when talking of VAs, people usually refer to remote workers who work part-time for small businesses. The cost of hiring remote assistants is lower than a full-time employee.
Benefits at a glance
There are tangible and evident advantages of using AI receptionists, such as –
- Cost efficiency: As a small business owner, you know the costs of running a business can be high. Having a full-time team for attending calls is often not financially feasible, and traditional receptionists also need a space to work with other resources. In contrast, you can start with an AI receptionist almost immediately, and there is no need to spend on perks, benefits, and training.
- Better customer service: The last thing any caller expects is the call to reach voicemail. With AI receptionists, that is never likely to happen. Unlike humans, AI works around the clock, and even if you are serving clients across regions and time zones, you know calls will always be answered. This vastly improves customer satisfaction, and you can expect more loyalty and recommendations from the existing client base.
- Simple to manage: With a human team, you must also spend some significant time managing people. AI-powered receptionists need no assistance or help, and you have complete control over how the system responds to calls. Your AI model can take frequently asked questions, book appointments, and even transfer calls.
Should you spend on a real team?
While AI receptionists can serve as the first point of contact, there will be situations when AI alone cannot handle custom requests and queries. That’s where your existing staff members can step in and help a caller. This kind of approach not only automates call responses but also ensures the existing customer support executives aren’t burdened.
Are AI receptionists ideal for small businesses?
Yes, absolutely. Unlike big corporate firms, small businesses cannot afford to hire separate teams for customer support and client servicing. Missing one call could mean missing a sales opportunity or even helping out an angry customer. Losing even one existing customer could dent a small business’s profits, and with an AI receptionist, it is possible to show that your company cares. Many service providers have designed AI models for small businesses, and these are affordable and scalable at the same time.
As for the cost, you will typically pay a monthly fee for your AI receptionist, but a lot also depends on the call volume and typical length of calls. Check your options today!