If you're a business owner today, you're probably hearing a lot about new ways to handle your phones. For many years, when you couldn't answer every call yourself, you likely looked into a phone answering service with real people. Now, there's something new: the AI answering service.
Maybe you're wondering what this AI answering service thing is all about and if it could actually work for your business. You're not alone.
I'm Aaron Boatin, and I've spent decades in the business of helping companies just like yours handle their calls the right way. Over the past year, I’ve really dug into the world of AI answering services, testing out different models to see what they can really do. The answer? A lot. But that's not the real question everyone's asking.
The question that everyone's asking? Is an AI answering service right for my business? Why should you care about 'efficiency', 'streamlining', or any of the combinations of AI-buzzwords? Can this new kind of answering service actually help you? Well that's what we're going to find out together—with 6 easy questions to ask yourself.
Before you even think about the cool tech behind an AI answering service, let's talk about what your business actually needs when the phone rings. Over my years helping businesses in and across the US, I've learned that every business is different. So, let's think about yours:
Do your phones ring off the hook all day long? Or is it more of a steady trickle? If you're swamped with calls, an AI answering service is definitely something to consider. Most scalable answering services are meant to grow with you, but many aren't. Can their human agents really handle your large volume of calls? If you're having doubts, an AI answering service might just be what you need.
But if you only get a few calls here and there, maybe a more personal touch is what you need most. Though, you may need to know how many minutes you'd use with an AI answering service first.
When people call your business, what do they usually want to know? Are they asking simple things like your hours or where you're located? An AI answering service can be really good at handling these easy questions quickly. But if your callers usually have complicated problems or need detailed help, a real person might be better equipped to handle that.
I've seen situations where a customer just needs to feel heard, and that's something a human agent excels at. An AI agent will certainly get there though—just give it some time!
Let's be honest, cost is always a big thing. Generally, an AI answering service is more affordable than having live people answer every call, especially if you get a lot of calls. But you also need to think about what you're getting for that cost of an answering service.
While many AI answering services are cheap, remember that the AI answering service is only as good as the training it gets. Bargain deals usually indicate a lack of training, and that will hurt your business' reputation.
Think about your brand. Do you want every interaction to feel personal and caring? For some businesses, like those in healthcare or certain service industries, having a real person answer the phone can build a lot of trust. Though if you are in healthcare you definitely want to ensure that the AI answering service is HIPAA-compliant—because most aren't!
Either way, an AI answering service is getting better at sounding human, but it's not quite the same as talking to someone who can really understand your feelings.
But there is a happy medium: AI-assisted answering services. These are AI answering services in all the best ways—they're efficient, have the same budget-friendliness, and are as easy to set up. But the difference? If a call is too complicated, an expert human agent can step in and help your caller out. It's exactly what great customer service is all about. Putting your caller first.
An AI answering service wouldn't work any different than a virtual receptionist service to you. What does that mean? Well, a virtual receptionist service forwards calls to the phone answering service who handles your calls. An AI answering service would forward calls the same, so to you it would be no different.
But, to fully make use of the AI answering service, you might want to think about setting up integrations to the software you use. This allows the AI answering service provider to forward information from the calls they handle for you, directly into your favorite software!
Example:
So, let's say you use HubSpot to manage your contacts. When a call comes in from a potential lead, the AI answering service will intelligently gather all the information you want it to and send it to your HubSpot account! Ta-da! You now have a contact automatically created for that potential lead. And you didn't even have to lift a finger.
That's the kind of technology that you'd expect from the future. But remember, great phone answering services offer integrations too!
One of the big pluses of an AI answering service is that it can work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, without needing breaks. If you have customers calling at all hours, this can be a real advantage.
Of course, many traditional answering services also offer 24/7 help with live people, so it’s about what fits your needs best.
So, after all that, how do you know if an AI answering service, maybe even an AI-assisted one, is right for your business? Here’s a simple checklist based on my experience:
If you answered “yes” to several of these questions, then exploring an AI answering service, especially one that includes human assistance, might be a really smart call for your business.
- Do you get a lot of simple, repetitive phone calls?
- Are you looking for ways to save money on your call answering?
- Do you need someone (or something) to be available to answer calls around the clock?
- Are you open to having AI handle the initial parts of some customer calls?
- Do you require help setting up integrations to make your work-life simpler?
- Are you prepared to have a plan in place for when the AI might not understand a caller's request?
The world of call handling is changing fast, and AI answering services are definitely a part of that future.
Helpful resources if you're shopping for an AI answering service:
Everything you need to know about AI answering services
Are AI answering services worth it?
If you're looking for an expert answering service, that understands the power of having humans to support it's AI agents, contact us today!