If you’ve been researching ways to improve your business’ phone systems, you’ve probably encountered the concept of an AI Virtual Receptionist. While it may look intimidating and a bit technical, thankfully it’s easier to implement than most business people expect. If you own a small business, operate a busy office or just want to ensure all your customer phone calls are answered, an AI Virtual Receptionist eliminates the need to become a technology whiz.
Do you need technical skills to implement one? The answer is most likely no.
What is an AI Virtual Receptionist?
An AI Virtual Receptionist is a logical call handing system designed to work and integrate with your VoIP phone system to answer calls, welcome customers, direct callers and respond to queries. Unlike a standard voicemail system or an auto-attendant system, AI systems can truly interpret customised spoken responses and even answer them to assist in call correspondence. Because of the modern technology that VoIP systems are using, the systems are designed to operate via the internet, meaning that these systems are flexible, scalable and can be managed from virtually anywhere.
How Does an AI Virtual Receptionist Work?
An AI Virtual Receptionist is software-based technology that takes the first call and integrates seamlessly with your VoIP phone system. When someone calls your business, the AI picks up the call, introduces themselves and engages the caller through the aid of speech recognition technology. Using intelligent routing, the AI directs the caller to the correct destination. The AI is able to transfer calls, schedule events, take down caller’s contact information, provide answers to the calling party’s questions and even redirect calls of higher urgency to the human team if manual assistance is required. The AI works entirely from the cloud, relieving your team of the burden of additional on-site hardware.
Who Can Use AI Virtual Receptionists?
AI virtual receptionist functionality comes in handy for almost any business supported by a VoIP phone system. Some of the businesses that are benefitting the most are medical and law firms, eCommerce businesses, real estate firms, corporate offices, trades, reception/support staff and even entire customer service teams are implementing the AI reception call software. These systems are incredibly scalable; being useful to the smallest businesses that only require a handful of calls per day, up to enterprises that have thousands of calls per day.
Do AI Virtual Receptionists Transfer Calls?
One amazing feature of an AI Virtual receptionist is that they can be used to transfer calls to the right person or department. AI Virtual receptionists have the capability of answering client queries and if needed, can immediately transfer calls to the corresponding department. They also have the ability to transfer calls to remote staff and to after-hours services.
How to Setup an AI Virtual Receptionist
Setting up an AI-based virtual receptionist is generally quite simple. Your VoIP provider may even include this option in your package. Typically, you log into your phone system’s management dashboard, select the virtual receptionist menu option and record or generate the greeting you want. After this, you select the method for call distribution and fill in the types of business information you need. Almost all of the virtual receptionist’s basic parameters, such as working hours, after hours call distribution, greeting message and the most frequently asked questions, can be chosen and set in a matter of seconds. Once the system is operational, the virtual receptionist will immediately attend to customer queries.
Can People with No Tech Skills Can Do the Setup?
Definitely! Modern VoIP systems are made for people with no IT background. It’s designed to be used by a business and not an IT professional, and users usually report it as very easy and visual. Most providers give you a drag-and-drop call flow builder and a step-by-step setup wizard. Many of the providers offer customer assistance and navigational support to let you know that you’re not all on your own, and other providers have an onboarding and done-for-you setup support available.
Are AI Receptionists Expensive?
AI receptionists for VoIP phone systems are often included in your phone system package, alongside a range of other advanced communication features. Pricing will alter with features, volume, and integrations. For the majority of small to medium businesses, adding AI receptionists is an inexpensive way to improve supporting clients and for businesses to save in lost opportunities.
Can an AI Virtual Receptionist Work After Business Hours?
AI virtual receptionists operate through cloud-based VoIP systems which means that they can answer calls 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This means your business never has to miss an enquiry just because your office is closed. The AI can answer common questions, collect caller details, book appointments, send messages to your team or route urgent calls based on your after-hours rules, helping your business stay responsive around the clock.