AI receptionists and AI phone assistants have gotten good, fast. That also means there are a lot of options, and the demos all sound great. These ten questions help you separate a setup that will work for your business from one that will frustrate your customers.
About the caller's experience
1. Does it tell callers it's an AI?
It should. Being upfront builds trust, and callers handle it better than most owners expect, as long as the assistant is friendly and helpful.
2. What does it do when it doesn't know the answer?
The right answer is: it says so, takes a message and gets it to you right away. It should answer only from the information you give it, not guess about your prices or policies.
3. How does it handle a follow-up question?
Call the demo and ask a second and third question. Does it stay patient and natural, or does it rush you off the phone? The demo is your best preview of what customers will feel.
About your business
4. What happens on an urgent call?
Ask exactly how urgent calls are recognized and where they go: transfer to a person, a text to the on-call tech, or both. You should be the one who defines "urgent."
5. Can I keep my current phone number?
You should be able to forward calls only when you don't answer, only after hours, or all the time, without changing the number your customers already know.
6. Where do the call details go?
A summary in your email is a start. Better is every call logged straight into your CRM, with the caller's details and what they need. If you don't have a CRM, ask whether one can be set up as part of the project.
7. Will it work with the software I already use?
Most modern CRMs and business tools can connect through an API or connector tools like Zapier. Ask for a straight answer about your specific tools before you sign anything.
About the deal
8. Who owns the phone number and the accounts?
Ideally you do. Phone numbers, hosting and software accounts set up in your company's name mean you're never locked in.
9. What will it cost in my busiest month?
Ask for a setup price and an all-in monthly number in writing, including phone and software costs, not just a starting rate.
10. Do I get to test it before it goes live?
You should. Real test calls before launch, adjusted until it sounds right for your business, and someone reviewing the calls it couldn't handle so it keeps improving.
How we answer these
At Salt Creek Systems, our assistants say they're AI, answer only from your information, route urgent calls by your rules, and log every call into your CRM. If you don't have a CRM, we build you one. Everything is set up in your name, you get pricing in writing before work starts, and nothing goes live until you've tested it.
Don't take our word for it. Call (949) 881-4008 and run through these questions with our own assistant.