Why AI Voice Agents?

First up, in case you are not aware,

AI voice agents are virtual assistants that use artificial intelligence to handle tasks like answering customer queries and scheduling, automating routine processes for businesses.

They are an efficient way to streamline tasks like customer service, appointment scheduling, and data entry.

If you have ever handled customer service and interactions, you know how mixed up and difficult it can become.

But is this the right solution for you?

At first, the benefits & improvement might seem great…

1. Boost efficiency and productivity of sales processes

   • automating inbound & outbound communication

2. Improved Customer Service

   • providing 24/7 support means no one will ever have to wait.

3. Cost-Efficiency

   • hiring can be expensive, and so voice agents can handle increasing numbers and tasks at a fraction of the cost of a new team

4. Simplification of Data Handling

Reading this, you might think that this is the ideal solution for you. That a voice agent will solve your issues and improve your operations significantly.

Although this might be true, it is not necessarily what reality looks like.

Things to Consider…

What would you use the Agent for?

Although Inbound & Outbound are usually sales related terms, let’s take the terms in a wider context for a second.

Generally speaking, Inbound means that a client / customer / prospect reaches out to you directly. They call your help-line or your number.

Outbound is the opposite. It means you are calling them, for a reason or another.

Why this matters? 

Well, if somebody is calling you, it means they have a specific topic they want to address and talk about.

Depending on how repetitive the issues or questions are that your customers usually face, it could make sense to implement an AI-driven solution to automated part of this process.

To illustrate this, let’s consider a hypothetical example.

I am a bakery selling cupcakes and offer a variety of sizes, flavours, colours, occasions to my clients.

I have noticed that my clients usually call to ask about the same things when placing an order. They want 20 blue, 20 pink, 3 flavours, thick icing, in a small size. Every time somebody calls, it takes 20mins out of my day.

This is a process that could easily be automated. They call with a specific intention, the agent guides them based on their answers on a few select questions, and I receive their order in my bakery without having to touch the phone.

But, this would make less sense if I was actively calling a client to suggest cupcakes for their birthday.

Why?

Because the human element on the other end is generally more important when you are calling someone. You might want to warm them up, open with a nice sentence, ask them something personal.

This is a lot harder for a voice agent to deal with and react on.

So the first thing to consider is what you would actually use the bot for and whether it is the right solution for your problem.

Accuracy and Language

AI voice agents rely heavily on NLP to interpret and respond to human speech. However, accents, dialects, and non-standard phrasing can sometimes cause errors in interpretation, leading to customer frustration.

Limited Emotional Intelligence

While AI voice agents are excellent at handling transactional queries, they lack the emotional intelligence needed for more complex, emotionally driven conversations.

Customers with nuanced issues may feel dissatisfied with a fully automated response.

Hybrid models that combine AI voice agents with human customer support can help address this limitation. For example, AI can handle initial inquiries and escalate more sensitive issues to human representatives.

Security and Privacy

Handling sensitive data, such as customer information or business-critical data, through an AI voice agent may raise security concerns.

SMBs must ensure that their voice agents comply with data protection regulations, such as GDPR, and safeguard customer privacy.

So is it right for you? 

AI voice agents can greatly enhance efficiency and customer service for SMBs, but it's important to weigh out challenges. With careful planning, AI can become a valuable tool for scaling your business.

If you want to learn more about these debates around AI, join our waitlist today and become part of the next cohort of applicants!

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