Small business, in particular, has problems paying the high cost of staffing a reception desk all day. Companies are always looking to get more efficient without watering down good customer service. As we have already started seeing the decline of travel agents and travel agencies, AI front desks and artificial intelligence will replace “smiling humans” and check you in. Manual management of appointments, calls, and visitors leads to issues like scheduling conflicts, inferior services, and bottlenecking of operations during peak hours.
An AI answering service from signpost.com is a new, fresh, and up-to-date take on those old-school methods. These systems that are powered by artificial intelligence can process incoming communications, schedule appointments, and communicate basic information without human hands on the wheel.
A recent survey found that companies with AI on the front lines experienced a 40% decrease in operating costs. And findings from Accenture have shown that AI could boost business productivity by 35% by 2035. This transformation of technology poses a critical question in the years to come: Which will fill the gap in customer service: human touch or AI (artificial intelligence)? Let us find out in detail below!
Will AI Receptionists Replace Humans?
The matter of replacement is not simple. Artificial intelligence receptionists are getting smarter and more effective at managing mundane duties with uncanny accuracy. They never require time off, can handle several calls at once, and work 24/7 at no extra expense to the company.
We are not so sure the latter will happen to them, though. AI may be great at structured tasks and elementary communication, as it turns out, but human receptionists have emotional intelligence and flexibility that AI truly cannot replace. A mixed model is taking shape, in which robots answer the routine questions, while humans take charge if the questions are too complex or require empathy and judgment.
This balanced approach is actually what companies usually find is the most successful – the efficiency of AI, augmented by human touchpoints when appropriate. Research found that around 59% of executives feel that AI applications should assist humans instead of completely taking over from them.
What AI Receptionists Do Better Than Humans?
- Around-the-clock service – With the power of AI, computer programs are able to respond to requests 24/7 without breaks or overtime payments
- Uniform Performance – Each call is treated equally, independent of either time or volume of calls
- A variety of operations can be done simultaneously – multiple request processing with no delay.
- Perfect Memory – Remembers everything you’ve ever done together, without error.
- Cost Savings – Cuts operation costs up to 60% versus human staff for the same hours
What Humans Do Better Than AI Receptionists?
- Emotional Intelligence – Ability to empathize with and appropriately handle callers’ emotions
- Complex problem solving – Devising responses to novel, difficult, or complex problems
- Building Real Relationships – Developing real relationships that encourage customer loyalty
- Ambiguity -Interpreting ambiguous requests or responding to requests by reading between the lines.
- Situational Judgement - The ethical decision when there is no clear guidance
Which One Is Right For Your Business?
Whether AI or real receptionists are a better fit for you comes down to a few things your business needs. Think about your call volume and complexity – if you receive a lot of simple calls about low-level questions, AI is well placed to process these effectively to save you money.
Your personal brand also matters. If your business relies on the personal touch and building relationships, it is vital that you have some sort of human touch. A hybrid approach often works for many businesses, too, using AI for after-hours coverage or making that first screening of inquiries before turning to humans to handle more complex ones.
Also, budget constraints are a factor. It may require some initial investment, but ultimately, the cost of operating AI is generally lower than that of having staffed humans around the clock. Think about deploying AI to do simple work at the beginning, then increase its responsibilities as it becomes reliable for your specific use case.
