A guy calls me and says he’s got something that’s going to help streamline towing businesses.
I say, ok, what you got?
He says, it’s an Artificial Intelligence answering system.
So towing companies can cut costs and make more sales.
I listen to him and try to digest what he has to say.
But there’s just something about it that I don’t like.
Then a couple days later, I got a call from HONK.
But, rather than hearing the human recording that usually goes, “HONK Job Alert…” the voice on the other end was that of a well spoken young woman.
And because I talked to the streamline-guy and I’d heard that AI was getting pretty good, I had my doubts she was legit.
So, I respectfully I asked the question, (wouldn’t want to offend a bot), “Are you a real person?”
She/it quickly admitted that it was a machine but reassured me that she had the ability to ask and answer questions just as well as a human.
After a few minutes back and forth, I’d had my fill of amusement and decided to end the call.
Was the conversation perfect? Not at all.
Was it passable by motor club dispatcher standards?
Yeah.
At least it was English with no heavy accents. And there wasn’t the distraction of background noise from a call center.
But…If you’re thinking about using AI to handle your incoming calls, there are a few things to consider.
First thing is friction.
For towing companies, friction is anything that gets in the way of your customers interacting with your business.
That’s why you want your phone number quickly visible on your website and clickable…so people aren’t required to punch in the numbers.
Ain’t nobody got time for that. (Hat tip– Sweet Brown)
Good business owners know that the fewer hoops their customers are required to jump through the happier they are.
And in my humble opinion, AI introduces way too friction
Even more friction than an automated system where the caller must choose from a menu before speaking to a person.
Why?
Well, because with an automated system, callers at least know they’re not dealing with a person yet.
With AI, they might not be able to initially tell the difference.
But then, after a minute or so of speaking to a bot and getting nowhere, they might get p***d off and hang up.
Not just that.
You know as well as I that most people don’t know where they’re located, what type of car they’re driving, what’s wrong with the car, their direction of travel, or cross streets– or who’s president.
All the information that’s necessary (minus the president part) to provide service.
You know what motorists do know? What they have in common with real-life dispatchers who travel in the same areas as they do?
Landmarks.
“I’m over by the Mac Donald’s off Lindbergh.” “I’m on I-85 and I can see the Starbucks in my rearview by exit 65.”
Yes, there’s a lot of hype over AI right now, but did you know that what we’re seeing isn’t really “Artificial Intelligence?”
The term, “Artificial” breaks down to “not real.” As in artificial flowers.
The AI we’re seeing is real in the sense that it’s being powered by “real” man made information/intelligence to generate answers to our questions.
All this to say that human beings are far more superior to AI.
Did you know that AI can’t even get close to throwing a baseball as fast or as accurate at major league pitchers?
And you know what else?
AI doesn’t have the ability to react with empathy. Oh I’m sure it can make a show of it.
But when a stranded young mother with children crying in the background makes a call for help at 10:00 PM, you think she’s gonna want to talk to a bot?
So that’s how I come down on using AI for incoming calls.
I say AI call receiving is not a good idea but for one exception.
And that’s during high call volume.
But you’ve got to be 100% transparent about it.
I suggest that if you’re going to use AI you give the caller the option of either waiting on hold for the next available live dispatcher or speaking with a robot.
There you go.
Now go forth and grow your business.
Don Archer
P.O. Box 104432
Jefferson City, MO 65110
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