Is your front desk team feeling the burn of incoming calls? Are you worried about losing potential customers on holidays and weekends? Have you recently seen a surge in complaints from callers who aren’t getting timely responses? These are all signs that you need to embrace AI. Providers like Signpost offer AI voice receptionists that can streamline operations and improve customer experience without expanding your team or increasing management tasks. If this is your first time choosing an AI voice agent, here are some mistakes to avoid.
Mistake 1: Not Defining Your Business Needs First
Many businesses just want to switch to AI because everyone is doing the same. However, the first step is to determine why you need an AI voice receptionist. Does your company need 24/7 call answering services? If yes, what are other options? Outsourcing isn’t the ideal choice for many companies, especially small businesses, because of the costs. It is also essential to determine the calls you usually get.,
Mistake 2: Prioritizing Price Over Functionality
If you choose a good provider, using an AI voice receptionist will reduce your operational and staffing costs anyway. Yet, companies often choose providers based on the price. There are many things that matter when you look for an AI voice agent, such as support, features, and customization. In short, don’t choose the cheapest one.
Mistake 3: Choosing a System That’s Too Complicated
Not all AI voice receptionists are the same. Some are designed for IT teams, while others are geared towards small and growing businesses. Don’t make the mistake of selecting a provider who expects deep technical expertise from your team. Fortunately, many AI voice receptionists are designed for quick onboarding and use, and some require a setup time of less than 10 minutes.
Mistake 4: Ignoring Voice Quality and Natural Interaction
While you should get AI to attend calls, it is also essential to check the responses. Many business owners end up working with providers who never really focus enough on the call experience. AI can sound natural and conversational with natural language processing and voice synthesis.
Mistake 5: Overlooking Customization Capabilities
Some systems aren’t designed for extreme customization. Just because you are using an AI voice receptionist doesn’t mean there has to be a compromise on greetings, scripts, and responses. Make sure to work with a provider who allows you access to and update the knowledge base for scripts and other details whenever required.
Mistake 6: Not Confirming Escalation or Transfer Options
Although AI voice receptionists can handle most common questions, requests, and conversations, there will be a time when a caller will need the expertise of your human staff. Choose a system that allows forwarding and escalating calls in real time.
Mistake 7: Skipping Data Privacy and Security Checks
Customers are often worried about data security and privacy, and no matter what type of business you own, it is crucial to address such risks. If you are choosing a provider, ask about the data protection standards they use. You should also check for data ownership and access.
Mistake 8: Choosing a Tool That Can’t Scale
One of the first reasons to choose an AI voice agent is to ensure availability. However, if the provider cannot scale the services with an increase in call volume, your entire investment could be a waste. Ensure you look into the details of how the system can handle peak traffic.
The last thing to check is support. If your team encounters a problem with accessing data collected by the AI voice receptionist, the provider should be responsive. Also, whether the provider will offer assistance to train your core customer care team is worth noting.
