More businesses in the US have adopted AI in one form or another since 2023, but the biggest leap is the field of customer service. AI receptionists are becoming the new standard for many companies across different industries to manage calls. There are providers like signpost.com, which offer complete solutions for businesses and growing startups in various domains, including service companies. Signpost offers dedicated solutions with features that make call handling an easy task, even when the internal teams are small or on the field. Despite the advantages, there are many myths about AI receptionists, which prevents small businesses, in particular, from switching. In this guide, we are debunking some of these myths.
Myth: AI Receptionists Sound Robotic
Small businesses and startups usually want to offer personal and bespoke solutions to customers, and many believe that AI would be banal, which isn’t true. Today, AI voice agents provide accurate answers, thanks to natural language processing (NLP) and voice synthesis.
Myth: AI Can’t Handle Complex Requests
As the client, you are in control of what responses AI provides to your customers. The knowledge base of the service provider is always accessible to your team, and they can update scripts and information whenever needed. AI can take care of common requests, scheduling, and call routing without a pause.
Myth: AI Will Replace People
Again, this is a wrong statement. Instead, AI will offer additional support for your customer care executives. Instead of handling every caller or placing some calls on hold, they can focus on the ones that really matter. Yes, you won’t need more people, but it doesn’t mean you have to let your existing team go.
Myth: AI is only for Large Corporations
As we discussed, many providers are now designing AI receptionists for small and mid-sized US businesses. AI for customer care isn’t just limited to large companies alone. As a small business owner, you can use a voice agent to answer as many as a hundred calls at a time for a fixed price. The cost of hiring customer care experts is a lot higher.
Myth: Customers Dislike Talking to AI
Customers care for prompt responses and immediate support rather than waiting for a return call. You will be surprised how many regular calls can be closed with AI support alone. If someone needs more help, AI voice agents can easily route the call to live agents or executives. The perk of being consistently and constantly available for customers is a big relief.
Myth: AI Receptionists Can’t Handle Emergencies
AI receptionists can identify urgent calls and can transfer the same to your team without any delay. The caller will always get the help they need, even when the situation is stressful. The good news is AI works 24×7, which ensures all calls beyond business hours are answered.
Myth: Setup and Integration Are Complicated
That is untrue. Signpost, for example, allows easy integration of their AI receptionist with existing systems, tools, CRM, and software. You don’t have to worry about the initial setup either, which doesn’t take more than an hour in most cases. The onboarding steps are straightforward and planned, and calls can be managed immediately.
Myth: AI is Just Fancy Voicemail
Voicemail is all about leaving messages, and most customers would rather find an available service than do that. AI receptionists are interactive, can answer questions, and take action in real time. Your team doesn’t have to lose valuable time in the morning reviewing voicemail.
As you may have understood by now, most myths about AI receptionists come from wrong concepts and misplaced information. If you choose a renowned & feature-oriented service provider, everything from the initial setup to ongoing call management will be a straightforward process.
