As the every-platform-has-to-have-AI battle heats up, more contenders arrive daily in our news inbox. Today’s turnout alone will see another half-dozen services unveiled in the coming weeks. Entering the fray today is GoTo, offering a Connect AI Receptionist, presumably for bootstraps, startups and SMBs that can’t afford a real one, or whose current receptionist needs help.
As part of the company’s new GoTo Connect Digital Workforce, the AI Receptionist complements how human receptionist work, boosting the employee experience. It automates simple tasks, answers phone calls and responds to messages when your actual receptionist is busy. Working 24/7, with no lunch breaks, there are many benefits for the business, plus a sigh of relief from hard-pressed receptionists.
Do you need good reception?
Requiring nearly zero configuration, AI Receptionist eliminates those missed business opportunities, welcoming prospects and clients with friendly, reliable, human-like conversations. It can intelligently route callers to the right person or department, and answers routine inquiries by tapping into company knowledge bases and FAQs. All that in 10 languages, making for a stronger customer experience.
As ever in software, this is just the starting package from GoTo, with more advanced features promised later this year. “GoTo Connect AI Receptionist isn’t just a tool – it’s a revolution for SMBs challenged to achieve more with less. With generative AI at its core, this solution doesn’t just answer calls. It provides businesses with an always-on, intelligent virtual receptionist that delivers immediate value to the existing workforce by handling peaks in call volume, supporting agents during off hours, and tackling mundane tasks to leave employees free to focus on the most valuable work,” said Olga Lagunova, chief product and technology officer at GoTo. Adding, “AI Receptionist is just the start of our GoTo Connect Digital Workforce capabilities. Pairing AI features with employee skills is the future of customer communication and a win-win for businesses and customers alike.”
With massive competition among AI agents, call centres and reception services, several questions leap to mind. How much smarter can they can get? When will the AI know the customer better than what’s in a few call logs?
More pragmatic questions include, how does your business choose one? do you take whatever comes with your latest SaaS updates, or invest in something new? And, come the next downturn, will AIs totally replace receptionists and other roles?