RingCentral wants to give every enterprise an ‘AI receptionist’

RingCentral has released a new generative AI tool designed to perform the job of a receptionist, the firm has revealed.

The tool, dubbed ‘AI receptionist (AIR)’ will automatically answer front desk calls from customers and transfer them to the correct departments or areas of the company.

Using ‘smart call routing,’ the tool can connect callers to the right place based on natural language interactions, and can automatically send SMS confirmations based on certain inquiries.

It provides transcripts and analytics for every call, allowing businesses to study the trends around callers, and comes with customizable voice and language options as well as appointment scheduling in the near future.

RingCentral’s AI Receptionists can also resolve routine customer inquiries using context from FAQs and websites, such as those regarding business services, opening hours or location.

The firm claims the tool will be cheaper than existing contact center intelligent virtual agents (IVAs).

" RingCentral AIR is designed to work right out of the box, enabling any business, from local service providers to fast-growing enterprises, to automate customer interactions,” said Kira Makagon, President & Chief Operating Officer of RingCentral.

"Voice remains a preferred way in which customers communicate, and AI-powered call automation—integrated directly into the phone system—will redefine how companies of all sizes connect with their customers," Makagon added.

Some businesses are already getting value out of the platform, RingCentral claims, with one security company instantly resolving over 50% of its inbound calls by using RingCentral AIR.

A repair company reportedly captured 60% more leads through the increased speed of call answering and triaging, while one healthcare provider improved patient experience by cutting down call wait times.

There’s a lot of opportunity in automation

Using AI to automate entire processes or job roles in this manner has become an increasing focus for business, particularly as agentic AI becomes more deeply embedded within workplaces.

Some experts, such as Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, think AI agents are going to become an integral part of the workforce, with Benioff claiming that today’s CEOs will be the last to manage entirely human workforces.

The future of the IT helpdesk also seems uncertain with the advent of AI, with staff in these roles reportedly at risk of replacement according to research from Nexthink last year.

80% of global IT workers thought their current service desk model would be unrecognizable within three years, the research found, with a similar number saying new technology will make it redundant by 2027.

87% of respondents said that incident response has become unsustainable economically unless helpdesks can be given a more proactive role.

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