Growing businesses cannot compromise on how they handle calls and customer requests. First impressions matter the most, especially for sales, client retention, and acquiring paying customers.
If you have a small business with limited resources and in-house staff, you have to consider outsourcing call handling, for which you have two choices. The first one is traditional call centers, which have human agents who work remotely and serve your customers.
The second one is an AI receptionist from a known provider like signpost.com. Signpost has designed an AI voice agent exclusively for growing small businesses and service providers, and currently, they have countless clients in the United States. Their onboarding process is simple, while the AI agent also syncs with existing tools.
In this guide, we will compare the options.
What exactly is an AI receptionist? Just like the name says, it uses AI, along with other things, such as voice synthesis and Natural Language Processing (NLP), to provide accurate answers to callers. AI receptionists can answer calls, route them to real people when necessary, and take bookings – all without the need for manual intervention. Call centers, on the other hand, have agents – who are real humans – often in offshore sites to handle inbound and outbound calls. Agents can offer customer support, technical assistance, and handle tasks like bookings.
Response Time & Availability
AI receptionists are designed to handle as many as a thousand calls at the same time, which means callers don’t have to hold. Also, each call is answered within two to three rings. AI ensures 24/7 availability, even on weekends, during off-hours, and on holidays. Coverage with regard to call centers depends on the service level agreement (SLA). However, availability depends on operators, which means if agents are busy, your customers may still need to wait. You can still get round-the-clock support, but you have to pay a higher cost.
Consistency & Accuracy
AI voice agents may be a step ahead of call centers in that context. AI delivers exact and identical responses for similar questions and requests, which reduces the risk of incorrect information. AI models are constantly getting better, which means voice agents are now understanding accents and complex words better. Call centers have human agents who can comprehend contexts better and have a better understanding of nuances. However, responses may not always be consistent, considering agents are eventually people who can make mistakes.
Customer Experience
It is a common myth that AI will sound robotic, and customers don’t want such responses. The truth is, AI receptionists speed up interactions and ensure every caller gets a quick response, especially when there is no one to take the phone. Customers appreciate the speed and accuracy. What AI may miss is human empathy, especially during emergencies – an aspect that call center agents do better. If AI cannot respond to a call, it will have to route it.
Scalability
Now, let’s talk about scalability. If you decide to choose an AI receptionist, you can easily scale by paying for extra minutes. You just have to switch between packages, which can be of great help if yours is a small business that experiences a sudden spike in requests or seasonal demand. Call centers are also scalable, but the costs can be higher. Also, additional training is required for new agents.
Which One Should You Choose?
If you have the budget and want more human responses for every caller, a call center with its live agents can be a good choice. AI receptionists, on the other hand, are better for smaller budgets. Decide what you need based on your budget. Many small businesses also prefer a blended model for an ideal balance.
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