More small businesses are choosing AI receptionists: Here’s why!

Small business owners often have to stay involved in a wide range of operational activities. While some tasks can be assigned, they are still responsible for one aspect – Keeping customers happy. Most companies, including startups and growing businesses, have receptionists and front desk attendants who respond to calls and queries. Calls can come from customers looking for more information or support or potential leads who can be converted into business opportunities. Missing even a single call can mean losing the chance of serving a customer or turning a conversation into sales. More and more small businesses are now switching to AI receptionists from top service providers like Signpost for better customer service. If the concept of AI voice agent sounds new, here’s what you need to know. 

Decoding AI receptionists

As the name suggests, AI receptionists are virtual agents powered by Artificial Intelligence. Such models are built using advanced Natural Language Processing (NLP), machine learning, and deep learning. Many companies use additional tech, such as Speech Synthesis, to ensure their AI receptionists sound as human and conversational as possible. You just need to connect your business line to the AI agent, and it will answer all calls for your business. The AI receptionist has access to a knowledge base, which includes all relevant information, company details, and answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs), and you have the choice to train the agent further to answer better. 

Are AI receptionists and virtual assistants the same?

A virtual assistant is usually referred to professionals who work remotely and often part-time for your business. A virtual agent powered by AI may refer to an AI receptionist. 

Reasons why the switch matters

There are some evident reasons why more businesses are choosing AI receptionists for customer support & front desks – 

1. AI is always available: Even if you can afford to engage a complete team of customer care executives, these people will only work for fixed hours. That means these people will miss all calls after office time, and we all know how annoyed people get when calls reach the voicemail. AI receptionists can respond to calls around the clock. 
2. AI can be trained: The AI receptionist will share details you have included in the knowledge base, and the responses will be accurate and precise. Because of advanced tech, AI models can comprehend the intent and details of the caller’s voice, ensuring they get immediate help. You can further train your AI voice agent to do better. 
3. Your team can perform better: Another big reason why small businesses are using AI receptionists extensively is to increase the performance of their real people. AI can easily transfer calls of customers and callers who need custom assistance, and your customer care team will have less to deal with. The blended model, where AI handles initial responses with front desk receptionists taking care of complex queries, is always the best approach. 
4. It is cost-effective: Most companies offering AI receptionists and voice agents charge on a monthly basis, and the final amount is way less than what you would spend on hiring and training more people. If you are new to such services, we suggest you check the features and take a call on the pricing, which largely depends on factors like call volume.
5. More flexibility: Small businesses often see a seasonal increase in calls during holidays and particular months. Scaling your customer support team may not be practical. An AI receptionist can handle a million simultaneous calls at the same time. 

If you are still confused about whether your small business needs an AI receptionist, try out a popular service and see the difference in customer service and satisfaction.