AI instead of IVR in your company switchboard
Here you learn how a transition from keypad choices to an AI phone agent works in practice. The guide covers what needs to be in place and how you begin at the right end.
A traditional interactive voice response system lets the caller choose a path by pressing buttons on the phone. An AI phone agent instead allows the person to state their issue using their own words. The system is designed to understand what the caller wants and conduct a real dialogue.
How does AI differ from a standard menu?
A traditional system with keypad choices requires the caller to listen through a menu. The person must then pick the option that sounds most correct. This works well when the choices are few and distinct.
With an AI phone agent the person avoids listening through a long list of options to reach the right place. The caller tells a conversational AI about their issue using their own words. The agent is designed to understand what the caller wants.
What needs to be in place before a switch?
Before you let an AI phone agent into the switchboard you need to map your current traffic. You need to know which issues come in and where they should be routed. It is also important to clarify what can be answered directly on the phone.
Automations are required for the agent to perform tasks during an ongoing dialogue. Automations connect the agent to the internal workflows of the company.
- Which types of calls are the most common.
- Which departments the issues belong to.
- Which questions can be solved with a routine answer.
How do we start with a portion of the traffic?
It is wise to begin with a part of the calls. You can start on a limited scale and expand the responsibility when you feel comfortable. One way is to keep your current setup and add the agent as one of the options in the menu.
You keep your existing phone system exactly as it is. We assign a phone number that you easily add to your current environment. You decide yourself if the agent should take all inquiries or just the ones your employees do not have time for.
How does the handover to staff work?
The conversation of the caller is forwarded if the person asks for human contact. You set how generously the agent transfers the calls. The conversation is then escalated to your human team or to another system.
During a handover the agent sends along a summary of the issue directly. Your colleague gets direct access to all collected data. This means the customer avoids repeating themselves and your staff can continue exactly where the dialogue was paused.
- Who will receive the call when the agent hands over.
- What information needs to be collected before a transfer.
- How the agent should handle calls outside your opening hours.
How does the agent from Real Talk work in our setup?
Real Talk provides an AI phone agent that receives incoming calls for medium and large companies. You add the AI phone agent behind your own switchboard and existing phone number. The service remains open around the clock and takes an unlimited amount of incoming calls at the exact same time.
We build a demo agent from the material you already have. You then call it yourselves to hear if the answers hold up before real traffic is let through. All storage and processing of personal data takes place in data centres within the EU. The content is encrypted and you own the insights from the analytics yourself.
Frequently asked questions
Do we need to change our telephony platform to use an AI phone agent?
No, you keep your existing platform exactly as it is. We assign a phone number that you easily add behind your current switchboard. From there you control which contacts are forwarded to the agent.
Can the AI phone agent check orders in our databases?
Yes, using automations the agent can be connected to your existing business systems. This allows it to retrieve information and perform tasks within your own databases during the conversation.
Which languages does the agent understand?
The agent commands Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, Danish and many other languages. It is designed to understand what the caller wants regardless of language. The agent can also switch languages in the middle of a call if the caller prefers it.
This guide is written by Real Talk, the Nordic AI phone agent.