You have probably encountered competitors who are using AI to manage calls and are now wondering whether the investment is worth it. No matter whether yours is a growing company or a new startup, ensuring your customers are served on time is paramount. Of course, there is the traditional choice of scaling your existing team, which can be a costly endeavor, especially for smaller businesses. What is the ROI of an ai voice receptionist? In this guide, we take a detailed look at various factors.
Role of an AI Voice Receptionist
Before anything else, it’s important to know the scope and function of AI receptionists. True to the name, these AI models leverage artificial intelligence, machine learning, voice synthesis, and natural language processing to answer calls. AI can capture caller information, understand their intent, and provide accurate and timely information.
Comparing the Costs: AI Receptionist vs Human Staff
Hiring receptionists and front desk executives is anything but affordable. There are recruitment costs, and you have to bear salaries, benefits, and perks. Even with all that, people need holidays and have lunch breaks, weekends, and paid leaves, which means your business will still miss a significant number of calls. With AI receptionists, you don’t have to incur these expenses, and many models start for as low as $75. In fact, you can scale and get a new package as and when call volume spikes. Compared to extending your human team, this is way more cost-effective for small and large companies alike.
Reducing Missed Calls and Lost Revenue
One of the best things about AI receptionists is how these models operate 24/7, ensuring no caller is left unattended. Missed calls only mean lost revenue opportunity, especially for service businesses. Customers interested in using your products and services are very unlikely to leave a voicemail message, considering it is much easier to find alternatives. By using an AI receptionist, you can ensure every call is answered and every potential lead gets attention.
Increasing Staff Productivity
Front desk staff and customer care teams have much more to do than handle routine calls. With AI on the frontline, they can focus on tasks that need more human intervention and expertise. Consider the number of hours you can save each week for every staff member, and by ensuring they use the time for other priorities, you bring down overall labor costs.
24/7 Call Handling Without Overtime Costs
As we discussed, an AI receptionist works around the clock, but unlike humans, you don’t have to pay for night shifts or weekends. Yes, you will buy a package, but if calls increase, you only pay for the extra minutes or according to the provider’s tiers. For companies that have customers across time zones, this is the best way to ensure service availability and customer satisfaction at the same time.
Improved Lead Qualification and Conversion
A regular front desk team member can make a mistake while taking caller details, and it is not unusual for that to happen. However, AI can understand intent and capture caller data in real time without such errors, and the data can be used for further training sales and service teams. Considering data is everything in today’s world, your business can collect valuable information using an AI receptionist.
Takeaways
There is no denying that adopting AI for call handling is still a new concept for many businesses, but the shift is truly essential and straightforward. In fact, many providers offer setup and installation of an AI voice receptionist within 15 minutes, and your business can immediately start taking calls. Get demos, consider the features, and look at pricing details to choose the right one!
