RingCentral has made waves after announcing its entry into the agentic AI arena with its AI Receptionist (AIR).
This solution, fully integrated and managed via the UC provider’s platform, is designed to bring the power of AI to a company’s customer voice calls.
That’s right: when a customer calls in to speak to the business, RingCentral’s AIR is able to take the call and handle the customer’s query through a natural voice conversation.
Although released to limited customers and aimed at small and medium-sized businesses (SMB) communications, the potential of AIR as it expands could be revolutionary for the CCaaS sphere.
Yet before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s not forget about what it currently can do.
Following an exclusive call with UC Today, John Finch, Global VP of Product Marketing at RingCentral, highlighted how the AI Receptionist isn’t just another iteration of traditional Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems; it’s a significant leap forward.
Thus, with it being a new technology and having seen a demo of the solution in action, we picked up five key features that RingCentral’s AIR can bring call handling.
1. Handles Routine Inquiries with Ease
One of the primary benefits of the AI Receptionist is its ability to handle routine customer inquiries quickly and efficiently.
Instead of tying up staff time with answering common questions, the AI can tackle calls from people who just want to know additional information.
Providing instant answers frees up employees to focus on more complex tasks.
This capability is particularly valuable for companies that are trying to scale or deal with peak calling hours and may not have the resources to dedicate a receptionist to answering queries.
During the demo where the AIR was programmed to work for a dental practice, the AI Receptionist was able to answer questions such as:
– What kind of insurance do you take?
– What is a dental service?
– What kind of payment arrangements do you make?
– Are you open over the weekends?
2. Knowledge Base Integration for Accurate Information
To ensure the AI Receptionist can answer queries correctly, it integrates with a company’s knowledge base instead of relying on answer-path planning as with many IVRs.
This allows it to access and provide accurate information on a wide range of topics, ensuring callers receive consistent and reliable answers.
3. Intelligent Call Routing
Beyond answering questions, RingCentral’s AI Receptionist can intelligently route calls to the appropriate person or department.
For instance, if all callers are screened with the AIR when they first call, it can decide whether to resolve the issue itself, escalate the call, or route it.
If a caller asks about talking to a specific person or department, it can route the call accordingly.
This ensures customers are connected to the right resource quickly, reducing wait times and improving overall customer satisfaction.
4. Personalized Greetings and Tone
Brand identity is a big feature for companies. Even smaller ones put effort into their logo and aesthetic to convey the type of service or product they offer.
Thus, an AI agent must reflect that. For example, a robotic-sounding AI receptionist answering calls to an organic health and wellness center may come across poorly.
The AI Receptionist allows businesses to customize the AI’s voice and tone, creating a more personalized and engaging experience for callers.
Businesses can select a tone that aligns with their brand, whether professional, friendly, or enthusiastic.
5. Reduces Missed Opportunities
Perhaps the most compelling benefit of the AI Receptionist is its ability to reduce missed opportunities.
Previously, during peak times, calls might go unanswered if all agents were busy.
The AI agent allows calls to be answered when no one is available, ensuring no potential customer is left waiting, forced to leave a voicemail, or disconnect entirely.
Not only does this save human agents time from arranging callbacks, but it also ensures customers don’t go elsewhere, saving sales opportunities.
AI Receptionist in the Future
While the current iteration of RingCentral’s AI Receptionist offers robust features, the company plans to expand capabilities soon.
One key area is appointment booking, enabling customers to schedule appointments directly through the AI.
By leveraging RingCentral’s AIR solution, companies can increase customer interactions while reducing agent workload.
