Checklist for Implementing 24/7 AI Phone Answering

Lost calls cost firms a lot of money each year. If you don't pick up every call - day or night - you are missing out on customers and cash. A 24/7 AI phone setup makes sure no call is missed, helping you grab leads, set meetings, and offer quick help without more workers. Here is how to start:

1. Find Call Problems: Keep track of lost calls, late-hour calls, and how long it takes to answer. If you miss a call, there's an 85% chance the customer won't call again.
2. Make Targets: Cut down on missed calls, answer faster, and get more bookings. Aim, for example, to take calls in 15 seconds or drop missed calls to below 5%.
3. Pick and Install AI: Connect your AI to your phone, CRM, and calendar. Test it all to make sure it works well.
4. Write Scripts: Make clear, nice scripts for usual talks like setting times or answering common questions.
5. Train Your Crew: Show your team how to use the system and deal with big issues. Keep checking feedback and call info to get better.

How to Build an AI Phone Answering System for Business

Check Your Current Phone System

Before you start with AI phone help, first see how well your phone set-up works now. This will show you the real problems that AI might solve.

Find Your Phone Issues

Track your phone info for a week to spot repeated problems. This will make it clear where you're losing time and money.

Missed calls:
Did you know US businesses lose over $30 billion each year from calls they don't answer? Also, 85% of people won't try again if no one picks up the first time. Each call missed could mean money gone.

After-hours calls:
When your place is closed, people still call. In fact, 92% of these calls could be new chances. If these go to your voicemail, you might lose customers without knowing.

Long wait times:
No one likes to wait. Studies show 75% of callers think it takes too long to talk to someone, and 80% will hang up if it takes too long. Worse, 80% won't leave a voicemail.

Different service levels:
Your team may not handle calls the same way, which can lead to lost info or things not done right. Some might get all the details right, while others miss important parts.

Busy times:
Think of a medium business getting 150 calls each day, with 30% about buying something. If you can only answer 100 calls, that’s 50 not answered. With 80% not likely to leave voicemails, you might lose 10 sales a day - that's about $850 lost each day.

"Missing just one call could have far-reaching consequences, impacting revenue, customer trust, and brand reputation."
– Quality Formations Blog

Staff Short on Busy Times:
Not enough people at work during rush times or when folks are out can make calls slip by.

Set Clear Goals

After spotting the issues, time to make clear goals we can check. Don't just say "answer more calls." Pin down exact, countable goals.

Cut down missed calls:
If 30% of your calls are now missed, try to drop that to 5% or less. Since 76% of buyers like to call for help, each call picked up is key.

Book more appointments:
If your team sets up 20 phone meetings a week, aim for 35 or 40. With 67% of people liking phone chats for help, good call handling can up your bookings.

Speed up answers:
Fast answers matter - 70% of people think they show top service. Aim to pick up calls in three rings or 15 seconds.

Get more lead info:
Make sure each call grabs important customer info. If you miss calls, 62% of people might go to another place.

Longer open hours:
If you see many calls after usual hours, think about staying open all day and night. This makes sure customers can always get someone, no time matter.

Write these goals with clear numbers and times. Like: "Cut missed calls from 35% to below 10% in 60 days" or "Double the phone meetings by quarter end."

"The impact of missed calls on customer satisfaction can be far-reaching and damaging."
– Jeff Harrison

Picking clear, easy-to-check goals will lead you to choose the best AI tools. It will also let you see how well things are going once you start using them. Buyers want help all day and night. If you don't give this, your business might lose a lot of money.

Pick and Set Up Your AI Phone Helper

Now that you've looked at your call issues and made clear goals, it's time to look at the tech side. Picking and using an AI phone helper that fits well with what you have now is key. Here's how to start.

Set Up Call Sending

The first step is to make calls go to the AI system with your old phone number. Here's how:

• Go to your phone service's send settings, online or by talking to support.
• Set up sending for times when the line is busy, it’s after work, or no one picks up.
• Test it in different ways to make sure calls go the right way.

Quick Tip: Many AI helpers, like Answering Agent, can take many calls at once, so this can help with lots of calls.

Check If Systems Work Together

Before you pick an AI phone helper, be sure it works well with your current phone set and work tools. Not checking this can cause calls to drop or other problems. Use this list to help:

• Be sure your phone system can use VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol).
• If the AI gives a new number, look for ways to keep your old number and update your send settings if needed.
• Test how well calls work during a sample time to make sure it's good.
• Make sure it works with key tools like your CRM, calendar, and other work software.
• Look at how calls move and change. Make sure the AI helper can send calls smoothly to your team when needed, and that your old system can do this too.

Once you've made sure everything works well and calls go the right way, you’re set to tailor voice options and call talks.

Set Up Voice Settings and Call Scripts

Once your system is in place, you need to make sure the AI talks to your clients well. This stage makes sure the AI shows off your brand right from the first chat. How it sounds, the words it picks, and its style can make a big or small mark.

Make Your Phone Greeting

This hello is usually the first thing customers hear, and it shapes how they see your brand. It tells callers they've found the right spot and shows what your company feels like.

Start with a greeting that fits your brand's feel. If your company is more formal, use neat and kind words. If it's more laid-back, use a warm, friendly way. It's all about consistency - your hello should match the feel of your website, social media, and other ways you meet customers.

Keep your hello short yet helpful. It should say your company name, offer a warm welcome, and share what comes next. For instance, "Thanks for calling Smith & Associates. How can we help you today?" This makes sure callers know they're in the right spot and helps the call go smoothly.

The sound, clearness, and overall feel of your greeting tell a lot about your company’s care for customers. Pick a voice that’s easy to hear and suits your brand. Test a few to see which works best.

Write Scripts for Common Calls

After your greeting, work on scripts for the calls you get most. Think why most people ring you - maybe to set up meetings, ask for prices, or check on orders. Use these reasons to shape your scripts.

Pick the top five reasons people call. For each, jot down what the AI should say and ask. Like, if someone wants to set up a time to meet, the script might list questions about their name, phone, when they want to meet, and why.

Make the scripts feel easy to talk to. Instead of, "Please give us your full legal name", try, "Can we get your name?" People like a friendly voice more than a hard, cold one.

Add room for different replies in your scripts. Not all callers will say what you guess, so your AI should know how to handle many answers. Say someone needs help with their account, the AI should know to ask more to find out the exact issue.

Test your scripts out loud. Have your team do fake calls and test out different replies. This helps find any weak spots or mistakes in the scripts and fix them before real customers use them.

Make Talks Feel Real

When your welcome lines and plans are in place, aim to make the AI adjust well to real talks. This means it should deal with cuts in, get different ways of saying things, and react right to feelings.

Your AI should catch how people feel and change how it talks to fit that. For example, a mad buyer needs a different way in than someone who has a normal thing to ask. Make the AI spot and act to these feeling signs to make talks seem more real.

Let it deal with cuts in and fixes, too. Talks aren't in just one line - people might switch what they think, recall more things, or make clear what they've said. Your AI should handle these shifts well without forgetting what the talk was about.

If the AI isn't sure about something, it should ask to make it clear, not guess. Like asking: “I want to make sure I get it. Are you wanting to set a new time or change the old one?”

Tools that help with real talks, like those from Answering Agent, can make chats feel more one-on-one - almost as if talking to a real person. This adds ease, makes buyers happy, and gives better results in calls.

Lastly, keep making the AI better with data from real calls. With more calls it takes, it gets better at knowing what your buyers need and how they talk. Watch the early talks well and change the system as you find out more.

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Step 4: Link With Your Business Tools

Once you've got the right voice and scripts set for your AI, the next move is to connect it to your business tools. This link makes sure data moves smoothly and tasks like setting up times to meet and telling your team are done by the system. This way, the AI can put call info into your CRM, plan times to meet, and tell your team, cutting out the need for doing these things by hand and making fewer mistakes.

Connect CRM and Calendar Tools

To work well, your AI phone set-up needs to be part of your CRM and calendar tools. It will automatically save caller info, keep customer records up to date, and set meetings - no need to type in data by hand.

Start by knowing what CRM and calendar tools you use now, like Salesforce, HubSpot, Google Calendar, or Outlook. Make sure these can easily link up for a smooth start. Once linked, set the AI to grab and save caller info, and update records with new notes from each call. If a caller is already in your records, the system should add new info to their file without a hitch.

Calendar link-ups are just as key. Your AI should check when you're free to book times that fit your plan. If you work with people in other time zones, check that the system can adjust for that. It should also send out emails to confirm and put new meetings in calendars right after they're set.

Before you start using it live, check these links well. Make test calls to see that CRM updates and meeting books work as they should. Fix any issues to make sure it's smooth for both your team and your customers.

For an easy process, tools like Answering Agent can manage these links, making sure each call is noted and every meeting is set without adding more work for your team.

Set Up Alerts and Reports

Alerts and reports help keep your team in the know and ready to act. Put in place alerts to point out important calls while putting regular call info into simple daily emails.

Start by setting up alerts based on priority. For example, set instant alerts for top leads, unhappy customers, or big-deal calls. Regular calls can be summed up in a daily email. This makes sure your team keeps an eye on what's key while staying up-to-date on the usual stuff.

Give alerts based on who needs what. Sales leaders might need to know about all new leads, while those in charge of customer care will want info on complaints. Tech help might need to know about system issues but can skip sales talks.

Then, put together reports that look at key things like how many calls, response times, and how often calls lead to something more. Weekly reports are often enough, but in busy times or when you first start, daily updates might be better. Pick metrics that match your goals. For example, if getting new leads is key, look at how many calls lead to chances to sell. If you care most about helping customers well, watch how often problems get solved on the first call.

Make these reports simple to read and share. Use graphs and charts to show trends, and add comparisons to past times to spot better parts or spots that need work.

At the end, put in alerts to find tech issues soon. Alerts must show when there are problems, like calls not made, AI not working right, or broken links. The faster you spot these, the quicker you fix them. This keeps everything working well and your customers happy.

Step 5: Teach and Fit Your Group

If you want each call to help your money grow, two key things are a must: a good system and a team that knows how to use it. Before you start using your AI phone system, double-check that it works well and that your people are ready to use it well.

Make Test Calls

First, make test calls from different devices to make sure the system gives clear sound and works as it should. Next, try fake real-life calls using example data to solve normal issues, replies, and hard talks. Watch important things like how many calls finish, how long calls last, and if users are happy. Set up warnings for any odd actions.

Go further by looking at call records. This can show you trends in how customers talk and help you make your AI scripts better. When tests show the system works smoothly, get your team ready for real calls.

Teach Your People

With the system set up, it's time to teach your group. Show them how to use the control board, know what call reports mean, and react to prompts. Sales teams should know how to follow up on possible sales, while customer help teams must be ready for more tough talks. Also, practice easy changes from the AI system to real people to make sure customers get a smooth service.

Listen and Make Better

Feedback is your hidden tool for ongoing betterment. Get thoughts from both customers and your people through polls or quick talks to find any problems with how clear calls are or how they sound. Use these responses to improve your scripts and AI settings. Check call records often - every week is fine - and keep up a system for fixing issues when they pop up. You can also reach out to the Answering Team's help team for more ideas and to fix problems.

End: Turn More Calls Into Money

Use this list to make sure every call is picked up and to change how your work runs. With an AI on the phone, leads are taken all day, meetings are set on their own, and every call gets expert help, no matter the hour.

Save money right away by not having to pay staff for nights, weekends, and holidays. Your AI can take endless calls at once, bringing in more money while keeping customers happy. This smart setup ties better work methods right to more money made.

No more busy tones or missed messages after hours. Callers get answers right away and can set times to meet then and there. At the same time, your group can focus on big tasks, since regular calls are sorted out on their own and full call logs help you see what customers like and need - letting you tweak your methods and grow your work.

By using the five steps we talked about before, your work can get the most out of every lead and time set. Answering Agent's talking AI, script you can change, and linked calendar for booking work together to make sure every talk with customers is as good as it can be.

Check on call logs and what customers say often to make sure your AI keeps up with your changing work needs. With AI answering calls all day, you’ll book more meetings, make customers happier, and run a smoother operation that grows with your work.

FAQs

How do I make an AI phone system work well with my CRM and calendar tools?

To make an AI phone system work well with your CRM and calendar tools, pick one that offers easy APIs and good data sync. This makes sure that customer info, call records, and meeting times are kept up to date on all platforms.

It's also key to set it up with a step-by-step plan. Take time to fully test the system to find and fix any issues before it goes live. It is just as key to train your team well, so they can use the system with ease and keep workflows smooth. These steps will help the new system fit well with your current tools.

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