Entrepreneur
·6 min read

AI Call Answering Service: Costs, Features, and Legal Insights

Tired of Phone Tag? Let AI Answer the Call (Literally)

Does your phone feel like a needy toddler? Spam calls and customer inquiries can overwhelm any business. What if you could delegate those calls to something efficient, polite, and tireless? Enter AI Call Answering Services. Yes, robots are now answering phones, and they’re getting quite effective.

What Exactly IS an AI Call Answering Service? (Spoiler: It’s Not Your Grandma’s Answering Machine)

Forget the old beeps and robotic tones. Today’s smart AI systems change the game. They understand human language, engage naturally, and handle customer queries well. They serve as a virtual receptionist, leaving those outdated systems in the dust.

Need proof? Services like Dialzara enable businesses to create lifelike AI receptionists. Imagine an AI system handling calls, freeing your team for tasks needing human input. It’s like hiring a receptionist who never gets sick and is always cheerful. Sounds great, right?

Show Me the Money: How Much Does an AI Receptionist Cost?

Now, the burning question: Will hiring an AI receptionist be expensive? The good news is probably not. The cost for AI virtual receptionists varies, generally falling between $25 to $3,000 per month. Price depends on needed features and chosen plans.

Consider it like choosing a mobile plan; you get what you pay for. Pricing models usually involve monthly fees for a set number of features or calls, per-minute charges, or per-call charges for fluctuating call volumes. There’s an option for businesses of all sizes and budgets.

Top AI Answering Services: The Robot Receptionist Lineup

Let’s discuss the major players in AI answering services. Here are some top contenders:

  • Play.ai: They focus on AI-powered virtual assistants. Their agents learn from interactions and hold natural conversations. They can transfer calls to humans if necessary. Play.ai enhances customer service through automation.
  • Rosie: Rosie is a hyper-realistic, 24/7 AI phone answering service. She manages customer interactions and bookings, ensuring no leads get lost in voicemail. Rosie integrates with CRM software and offers real-time insights.
  • Mosaicx Engage: This is a conversational AI solution mimicking human interactions. It understands context and tone, anticipating customer needs while integrating with CRMs. Mosaicx Engage speeds up responses effectively.
  • Smith.ai: Smith.ai blends AI and human agents for phone answering and support. Their approach offers that necessary human touch.
  • IsOn24: This service provides AI voice assistants to handle calls and manage interactions smoothly.
  • Dialzara: They offer a more affordable AI answering service with simple pricing plans. This makes AI available for smaller businesses.
  • Curious Thing (Lucy): On a tight budget? Lucy is a free AI phone agent that manages missed calls, sharing information with callers. Perfect for startups exploring AI.
  • Slang.ai: Targeting restaurants, Slang.ai is a restaurant-centric voice AI. It handles calls and reservations, eliminating chaos during busy hours.
  • Simple Phones: They offer an AI answering service managing outgoing and incoming calls, broadening automation capabilities.
  • Goodcall: Goodcall focuses on AI phone agents for customer experience, aiming for positive interactions.
  • Synthflow: Synthflow emphasizes ease of use and integration, making it friendly for quick AI call answering setups.
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Giving AI a Voice: The Tech Behind the Magic

These AI receptionists can talk, but do they sound robotic? Not anymore! The AI voice technology has evolved, providing us with incredibly realistic voices. Interested in the tech behind these services? Here are market leaders:

  • Lovo.ai: Known for realistic voices, especially female ones. Their user-friendly platform makes voice generation accessible.
  • Murf AI: For studio-quality AI voices, Murf AI shines. They create engaging agent personas and offer a feature-loaded free plan.
  • ElevenLabs: Praised for realistic voice synthesis, ElevenLabs provides a variety of options. Ideal for nuanced speech delivery.
  • Synthesia: While mainly an AI video generator, Synthesia’s text-to-speech feature produces highly realistic voices, ideal for videos.
  • Speechify: A popular text-to-speech reader, it offers many AI voices and languages. It’s great for reading text aloud and creating voiceovers.
  • Play.ht: Known for podcast integration, it offers various voices. A solid choice for podcasters incorporating AI.
  • Respeecher: Trusted by industry leaders, they provide a white-glove AI voice service. Perfect for those needing top-tier voice quality.
  • Amazon Polly: Known for diverse voice options and SSML support. Ideal for nuanced speech applications.
  • Typecast: Typecast helps users generate realistic voiceovers with multiple file format support.

AI: Not Just Answering Calls, But Making Them Too!

Think AI only answers phones? Think again! AI can also make outbound calls, opening new possibilities for businesses. Tools like CallFluent offer AI voice agents to make and receive calls, 24/7.

These are not just dialers; they aim to convert prospects while handling conversations naturally. Other tools, like Convin’s Virtual Agent, automate both inbound and outbound calls, providing personalized interactions. Imagine AI agents proactively reaching out to leads or conducting surveys. The potential is vast.

Hold Up, Is AI Voice Even Legal? The Legal Lowdown

The question arises: Is this technology even legal? The short answer is: it depends, mainly regarding robocalls.

The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) states that using AI-generated voices in robocalls to deceive is illegal. They classify these calls as “artificial” under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), subject to the same restrictions as pre-recorded messages. So, tread carefully with those AI-powered political robocalls!

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Here’s the breakdown:

  • FCC Ruling: AI-generated voice calls are “artificial” under the TCPA.
  • TCPA Restrictions: Limits telemarketing calls and automated system use.
  • Illegal Robocalls: AI voices in robocalls for deceptive purposes are prohibited.
  • Consent is Key: TCPA requires written consent before using robocalls or sending automated texts. Always get permission!
  • Privacy and Publicity Rights: Using someone’s cloned voice without permission?
  • This can lead to privacy violations. You may lose control over the commercial use of your voice and likeness.
  • Legal Consequences: Unauthorized use of AI voices can bring fines and lawsuits.
  • No AI Cold Calling Without Consent: AI cold calling needs consent. Avoid acting like a robo-caller rogue.

Big Companies Are Already On Board the AI Train

If you doubt AI in customer service, look at big names. Verizon and Walmart are using AI to improve their customer service.

Verizon employs AI for:

  • AI-Powered Chatbots: They manage inquiries, track orders, and troubleshoot. The bot is getting smarter.
  • Personalized Assistance: AI identifies subscribers and offers tailored recommendations.
  • Agent Support Tools: AI aids human agents, enabling quick answers and better efficiency.
  • GenAI Initiatives: Verizon uses generative AI to enhance customer service. They introduced tools like “Personal Research Assistant” and “Virtual Agent.” They fully embrace AI.
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Walmart also adopts AI to:

  • Personalize Shopping: AI studies customer preferences for better recommendations.
  • Generative AI Search: Walmart’s search understands use cases instead of just product names. “Camping gear for families” beats just “tents.”
  • Customer Support Assistant: The GenAI assistant helps recognize customers for tasks like order lookups.
  • Adaptive Retail Strategy: Walmart merges generative AI with augmented reality for a tailored customer experience.
  • Content Decision Platform: AI anticipates what content attracts customers. Useful targeted ads?
  • Inventory Management: AI optimizes inventory and supply chains, ensuring availability.
  • AI-Powered Logistics: Walmart Commerce Technologies launched an AI-powered logistics product. AI integrates into shopping and shipping.
  • Merchant Sourcing: They use a generative AI assistant for merchants to find stock items. Even back-end processes benefit from AI.
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Beyond Call Answering: AI is Everywhere

AI transforms customer service and much more. Consider these examples:

  • Speechify: They claim to be the “#1 AI Voice Over Generator.” A bold statement, but they’re a major player.
  • Google Assistant: Google Assistant is among the top virtual assistants. “Hey Google…” is now common.
  • Sophia the Robot: Created by Hanson Robotics, Sophia imitates human behavior. It’s sci-fi but shows potential in physical AI forms.
  • Google Maps: AI powers Google Maps for routing and traffic predictions. It aims to get you to your destination on time.

Ethical AI: Playing it Straight with Smart Machines

As AI grows in business and life, ethics become vital. Companies like Walmart stress responsible GenAI use as part of their values. What does this entail?

  • Be Transparent: Companies must be clear on how they use AI. Customers and workers deserve this.
  • Stay Informed: Stay updated on AI advancements to grasp capabilities and limits. AI evolves quickly, so keep learning.

The Roadblocks: Limitations and Challenges of AI (For Now)

AI isn’t flawless. It faces limitations:

  • Programming Bugs: These bugs are hurdles preventing chatbots from achieving full potential. “Garbage in, garbage out.” If coding fails, so does the AI.
  • Data Privacy: Sharing info with chatbots raises data privacy worries. Information rests on servers, which hackers can hit. Think before oversharing. You lose control once data is out.

Though these issues remain, AI call answering and more are accelerating. As technology matures and ethics clarify, expect innovative applications. Robots are answering phones now; who knows what they’ll do next?