What to Look for in an AI Receptionist

The demo always sounds good

A year ago almost nobody in Australia was searching for an AI receptionist. Now hundreds of people a month are, and there are plenty to choose from. Every demo sounds impressive. The differences show up on the fortieth real call, when someone asks something the setup didn't cover.

I've spent the past year designing a conversational AI for trades and service businesses. These are the things I'd check before signing up for any of them.

Five things to check

• Setup you can actually finish. If getting it ready means writing instructions into a blank box, most owners won't do it well. Look for setup that asks about your services, hours, areas and pricing in plain language.
• What it confirms. It should confirm the details that matter, like the address and the job, without reading everything back three times. Ask to hear a real call, not the demo.
• What it does when it doesn't know. A good one takes a message, books a callback or passes the call to you. A bad one guesses.
• Where the details end up. A call summary in your inbox is a start. Better is the job, the customer and the next step landing in the tools you already use.
• Who can correct it. You should be able to review calls and fix its answers yourself, without raising a support ticket.

Choosing one, or building one

If you're choosing an AI receptionist, I can help you work out what it needs to do for your business before you commit. If you're building one, I design the setup, conversation and review flows that decide whether owners trust it enough to switch it on. Either way, get in touch.