An AI receptionist is a voice assistant that answers your business phone 24 hours a day, weekends and public holidays too. It answers in your business's name, takes a message and passes it on to you, and it catches the calls your team can't get to, so no caller ends up on voicemail.
Outsource Digital's AI receptionist answers every call in your business's name, takes messages, books appointments into your business's calendar and puts urgent calls through to you, and it is running within minutes of sign-up.
What happens when a customer calls and nobody can answer?
The phone rings on your office number as usual. When your team can't get to it, the AI receptionist answers the call in your business's name and finds out what the caller needs. It can:
- take a message and pass it on to you by WhatsApp and email,
- book an appointment straight into your business's calendar, at any time of day or night, synced with Outlook, Apple and other calendars,
- put an urgent call through to you, and take a message if nobody answers,
- answer common questions you give it, like your opening hours, your address and your services.
It answers callers in English. Callers can always ask to leave a message for a person.
When does it answer?
It runs 24 hours a day, weekends and public holidays too. It picks up when your team can't: when everyone is busy with customers, when the receptionist is already on another call, at lunch time and when the office is closed. After hours, it tells callers your working hours. Your team still answers the calls they can take, and the AI receptionist picks up the rest.
Does it sound like a real person?
It speaks naturally and clearly. Callers deal with it like a receptionist: they say what they need, and it takes the message, makes the booking or puts the call through.
Is an AI receptionist the same as voicemail?
No. Voicemail only records a message, if the caller decides to leave one. A new customer who gets voicemail may simply phone the next business on the list. An AI receptionist answers the call. It talks to the caller, takes the message, books the appointment or puts an urgent call through to you. You get the details without the caller having to wait for a beep.
What will it not do?
It quotes no prices and makes no promises. Those questions are passed to a person. This is deliberate: you do not want a phone line agreeing to something on your behalf.
What do I need to tell it about my business?
The things your callers usually ask: your opening hours, your address, the services you offer, and how you want urgent calls handled. Your AI receptionist answers from what you give it, so the better the information, the better the answers.
Will it replace my receptionist?
No. An AI receptionist catches the calls your team can't get to. A receptionist knows your regular customers, handles the difficult conversations and does the other work at the front desk. Your people keep the calls that need a person, and the AI receptionist picks up the rest. If you have no receptionist at all, your calls get answered without hiring one.
How does it fit with my office phones?
It answers calls to your business number, alongside the rest of your phone set-up. With an Outsource Digital office phone system, that number rings on desk phones, on computers and on the phone app on your cellphone. South African landline numbers can be moved between providers (number porting), so you can keep the office number your customers already know.
For a business of 1 to 10 people, Outsource Office puts a landline number on your cellphone with an AI receptionist, business email and a website, month to month on one monthly bill. The AI receptionist is also sold on its own.
How do I get one?
WhatsApp us on 011 466 8510. Tell us how many people take calls, how many numbers you want answered, and whether you want appointments booked into a diary. We do the set-up for you, so you do not need to be technical, and your AI receptionist is running within minutes of sign-up. Read what it does on our AI receptionist page.
Frequently asked questions
What is an AI receptionist?
A voice assistant that answers your calls in your business's name, 24 hours a day, weekends and public holidays too, takes a message and passes it on to you.
What can it answer?
Your opening hours, address, services and other common questions you give it. It never makes up prices or promises.
How do I get the messages?
Your AI receptionist passes your messages on to you by WhatsApp and email.
Does it replace my receptionist?
No. It catches the calls your team can't get to, so nobody gets voicemail.