AI in customer service for mid-sized and large companies
Read our guide on AI in customer service. We explain how an AI phone agent and a chat bot receive issues, transfer calls and relieve staff.
Artificial intelligence is used today to receive calls and written inquiries from customers seeking help. An AI phone agent or chat bot answers common questions and retrieves information from a knowledge base. It handles routine matters and transfers complicated cases to a human.
How does the technology work in different channels?
The agent manages customer service in several channels independently. On the phone, an AI phone agent conducts a spoken conversation. The agent is designed to understand what the caller wants, even when a matter is described in their own words. It answers recurring questions and transfers calls based on your rules.
The same technology drives chats on the website. There, the visitor receives a written reply. Both the chat bot and the AI phone agent rely on one shared knowledge base. If you change an instruction, the update takes effect in both channels at once.
Where do companies usually begin?
Many choose to start with a portion of their calls. Fault reports are a common first step, as they involve clear details to collect. This gives you time to observe the flow at your own pace. Later, you can expand the agent's scope to cover invoices and opening hours.
Another method is to let the agent answer outside your opening hours. You can also use it as overflow when the queue grows. The agent then takes the calls your staff do not have time to answer. More calls get an immediate response.
What happens when an employee needs to take over?
Sometimes a human needs to step in. If the caller asks for personal contact, the issue is forwarded to your staff. The agent then includes a summary of what has been said. The employee receives the collected context, and the caller avoids repeating their story.
The agent finds its answers in a knowledge base. This is built from your material. Once it is connected to your system, the agent can also retrieve information. It then checks orders or updates customer profiles while the conversation is ongoing.
How are the conversations evaluated?
After the call, the system reads through what was said. Each case receives a short text and is sorted into the right category. This shows you which questions are frequently transferred. You then decide if the agent should be allowed to answer those questions all by itself in the future.
The data is gathered in a dashboard. There, you measure how often the caller received the right help from the start. This shows you exactly where an AI phone agent adds the most value to your customer service.
What does the service from Real Talk include?
Real Talk offers an AI phone agent that answers calls and chats using the same knowledge base. The agent takes incoming calls in Swedish, English and many other languages. It is added behind your current switchboard on a dedicated phone number.
We build a demo agent from your material, and you then get to test call it. All personal data is stored and processed in data centres within the EU. The setup is free of charge, and the monthly fixed price includes free minutes.
Which questions should we ask a vendor?
When you face a decision, there are a few things to find out. Ask the vendor about the technology and the setup.
- Does the agent work with our current switchboard?
- Is our data processed in data centres within the EU?
- Is a chat bot included that uses the same knowledge base?
- Does the agent hand over a summary of the case to the staff?
- Can we test call a custom version before we decide?
Frequently asked questions
What is an AI phone agent?
It is an AI agent that answers incoming phone calls and conducts a dialogue with the customer. It understands the issue, answers questions and retrieves information. The agent handles the routine matters so the staff have time for more demanding cases.
Do we have to change our phone system?
No, you keep your current switchboard. We assign a phone number that you add to your existing environment. From there, you control which contacts are forwarded to the agent.
Does the agent tell the customer that it is an AI?
Yes, the caller gets to know this at the beginning of the call. You decide the exact wording yourself. The caller then states their issue using their own words and avoids listening to long keypad menus.
Which tasks can the agent manage?
It answers based on your knowledge base and handles fault reports, transfers in the switchboard and common questions. Once it is connected to your system, it performs tasks and retrieves customer data during the call. The matters it cannot resolve are handed over to your team.
This guide is written by Real Talk, the Nordic AI phone agent.