What an AI receptionist can and can’t do, yet

An AI receptionist is a phone line that answers in a natural voice, knows your hours and services, and can book a customer in. It is useful. It is also not magic, and anyone who sells it as magic is setting you up to be disappointed.

What it does well

• Answers every call, including at 6:40 p.m. and on Sunday.
• Gives the basics: hours, address, what you do, rough prices you have approved.
• Books the job straight into your calendar.
• Texts back anyone who hung up, so they wait for you instead of calling someone else.
• Sends you a short summary of who called and what they needed.
• Speaks more than one language, if your customers do.

What it shouldn’t do

• Diagnose a tricky job or quote a price you haven’t set. It should take the details and pass them to you.
• Calm an upset customer as well as you can. It should recognise frustration and hand the call over.
• Know anything you never told it. Its answers are only as good as the information you give it.

How we set it up

Ours says it is an assistant for your business, never pretends to be you, and never makes up a price. When a call needs a person, it takes a message and tells you right away. You decide what it can say, and you can change that any time.

Used like that, it isn’t replacing anyone. It is catching the calls that were going to voicemail and then to your competitor.