Hey there! Chris here from Aeva AI Receptionist for Healthcare.
There are frequent misconceptions about what we actually do.
This week, I had a clinic owner try to explain to their client what an AI receptionist is.
Immediately, the patient said, “oh no, I HATE speaking to those.”
When she asked where they tried it, they said at their bank.
(Banks don’t use AI receptionists yet… this is where the confusion starts)
They sent me this email to see if I could try to explain it better:
Chris please help!
She kept calling AI receptionists- the chatbot thing
I tried to explain it’s different, but couldn’t quite articulate it
Would be great to have an email to send her with the answer to this sometime
Here's exactly what you need to know so you don’t get stuck in this situation.
What are the old ‘chatbot things’?
These are actually called ‘IVR systems’.
Introduced in 1971, they are simple phone menus that tell you which number to press.
In more recent years, Voice-Activated IVR has become a more up-to-date version of this. (This is the one that people think is the same as an AI receptionist.)
This technology differs slightly as it allows the caller to say a few words to choose the correct menu rather than pressing numbers. It matches words like “billing” or “support”.
But if you say anything else. The system breaks.
So why are AI Receptionists not even in the same ballpark?
AI receptionists were only possible in the last few years. They use AI models so you can speak to them naturally, except that, compared to a normal ‘Chat GPT’ conversation, they sound like a real person and have been set up for a specific purpose. They are also given tools to assist better.
In Aeva’s case, the AI is set up as a receptionist whose sole purpose is to provide the best possible service to patients over the phone by managing appointments, taking payments, answering questions, and relaying messages.
When you say something unrelated, it doesnt’t just freeze and not know what to say.
The system interprets what they actually mean, not just the individual words they use.
Here’s the simple way to explain it:
“Old phone robots follow strict menus and if you say the wrong word, they get stuck. AI receptionists understand natural conversation and help like a real person.”
It’s not a chatbot.
It’s not your bank’s phone robot.
It’s a purpose-built digital receptionist designed for you to never miss a patient again.
That’s the difference.
Every call counts,
Chris Baxter
founder, Aeva AI Receptionist for healthcare
P.S. If you’ve got a fun story about your AI receptionist, I’d love to hear about it. Hit reply below.
www.aevaai.com
Follow me on Linked In
Book a call with me about product support or anything here.