From call to conversation: Why your phone should do more than just ring

We all know customers are a business's most valued asset. As a small business, you take this nugget of business wisdom to heart, treasuring each customer you gain and retain. The trusty phonehas always been the front door to your small business and plays a crucial role. It's where new customers call with questions, where loyal clients reach out for support, and even where opportunities begin. But what do you do when your phone lines can no longer keep up with demand? Phones that just ring or send customers into a phone maze just don't cut it anymore.

The average small business misses 62% of incoming calls during business hours every day.This can be catastrophic for a small business, resulting in lost revenue, frustrated customers, and overworked staff scrambling to catch up.

That's why AI phone answering services for small businesses, such as Zoom Virtual Agent Conciergefor Zoom Phone, are gaining traction. Instead of simply routing calls or taking messages, these solutions use agentic AIto take action and answer questions, book appointments, resolve common requests, route calls to the right team with full context, and, perhaps most importantly, help keep your business available 24/7.

It's not about replacing your team; it's about extending their reach with always-on frontline support that used to be available only to big enterprises, without the high cost or additional infrastructure.

From menus to conversations: Natural language AI phone systems that take action

Think about the last time you called a business and had to press your way through a maze of menu options. "Press 1 for sales. Press 2 for support." Even with the voice option, how many times did you have to repeat yourself before being understood? It's a frustrating experience that feels mechanical and long-winded, certainly not personal or efficient.

Now imagine calling that same business and simply saying: "I'd like to book an appointment tomorrow."Instead of pressing numbers, waiting on hold or shouting your response repeatedly down the phone, you get a helpful, natural-sounding response: "Of course. Let me check availability. Does 2 p.m. work for you?"

That's the power of natural language AI phone systems. Customers speak as they would to a person, AI understands, responds, and takes action. No menu navigation, less confusion, and reduced escalations, just fast, frictionless service.

For small businesses, this shift from menus to conversations isn't just about convenience and efficiency. It means fewer missed opportunities and less time spent triaging repetitive requests, freeing up your team to focus on more impactful work while creating an experience that feels personal, responsive, and modern for your most treasured assets: your customers.

The business challenges that AI concierges can solve

If you're a small business owner, you no doubt feel your time and staff are constantly stretched. It's hard to find the right balance between putting your customers first and being successful. Phones ring after hours, staff juggle repetitive questions, and customers get inconsistent experiences depending on who picks up. If any of these feel like familiar scenarios, here's how an AI concierge for phone calls solves these challenges:

• Missed calls after hours:Customers can book appointments, ask questions, or leave detailed requests around the clock, even on evenings, weekends, or holidays. Missed opportunities are a thing of the past.
  
  
• Staff overload:AI takes on straightforward tasks, like answering FAQs, booking appointments, or confirming hours, so your team can focus on higher-value work.
  
  
• Gaps in coverage:Every caller gets the same friendly, professional experience, any time they call.
  
  
• Backlog stress:Instead of returning dozens of voicemails each morning, your staff can start work ready to focus on new priorities. Routine questions, bookings, and requests that come in after hours are already handled, so no more facing yesterday's pile-up.
  
  

According to a Morning Consultresearch report, commissioned by Zoom, nearly 80% of customers expect short wait times, but this experience only happens about 60% of the time. An AI concierge can help your business remain accessible and responsive, even when your team can't be.

Why customers love AI phone answering services too

Customers can expect to enjoy shorter wait times when using an AI concierge. They'll also benefit from:

• Less of the frustration that comes with constant repetition: AI captures customer information upfront and passes it along if a call needs escalation. The live team member will have the context, so the customer no longer needs to repeat names, appointment times, or account numbers.
  
  
• 24/7 availability: Whether it's a late-night appointment request or a holiday question, customers can reach out and get help anytime.
  
  
• Natural, personable conversations:The interaction feels helpful and conversational, not robotic. With a range of voices to choose from, an AI concierge can reflect your brand's voice and tone.

Customers get what they need faster and leave with a better impression of your business. According to the Zoom-commissioned report with Morning Consult, 1 in 3 consumers stay loyal to a brand they like and trust for 10 years+. There's a lot to be gained from building a reputation at your own front door.

Zoom Virtual Agent Concierge: A solution for every kind of small business

We've designed our Zoom Virtual Agent Conciergeto make it easy for customers to get the kind of support they want, when they need it, in a solution that's easy for small businesses to set up and manage.

While every small business can benefit, let's dive into four industries where Zoom's AI concierge can make a big difference.

Healthcare: Don't make your patients wait for care

In fast-paced care settings, patients may be facing a life-changing moment and often need quick answers: "Are you accepting new patients?" "Can I book an appointment?"With natural language AI, Zoom's concierge can route the caller to the right department, schedule appointments, and get answers even after hours, with sensitivity and precision. This frees front-desk staff to focus on what they do best: care delivery.

Retail: Save customers time and boost sales

Shoppers don't want to wait to find out if an item is in stock or if curbside pickup is available. Zoom's AI concierge can confirm availability, even down to the aisle number, schedule pickups, and answer product questions instantly. That means more sales and fewer lost customers.

Manufacturing: After-hours troubleshooting and routing solved

For companies juggling service requests and product support, after-hours calls can pile up fast. Zoom Virtual Agent Concierge can log requests, guide callers through basic troubleshooting, and provide the right team with the right details, day or night, without tying up skilled staff.

Financial services: Personalized service, even during busy times

Personalized service is essential when money is on the line. Zoom's AI concierge can greet clients, gather their needs, and even provide updates (like loan status or application progress). When escalation is needed, the advisor receives the full context, reducing wait times and delivering a smooth, high-touch experience.

Why now is the right time for a 24/7 AI concierge

Until recently, AI phone technology was seen as too complex or expensive for small businesses. That's no longer the case. Today's AI answering services, such as Zoom Virtual Agent Concierge, are:

• Quick to deploy:Zoom's AI concierge can be set up in under 30 minutes with no coding required.
• Scalable:Easily start with one or two use cases and expand as your business grows.
• Affordable:Zoom's AI concierge is available as an add-on for Zoom Phone with pay-as-you-go pricing models, making enterprise-grade technology accessible to small business budgets.
• Insightful:Built-in analytics reveal why customers call, what questions they ask, and how often calls are resolved. This data can help you improve your support over time.
• Seamless handovers: When an issue needs to be escalated, Zoom's AI concierge routes to a real person with all of the call context.

Most importantly, these tools don't just route calls; they take action. By resolving issues end-to-end, they can create a white-glove-like experience for your customers and reduce pressure on your staff.

From ring to resolution: Get started today

The days of phones that just ring, or worse, send callers into endless button-press menus, have come to an end. Today's customers expect natural, helpful conversations that can resolve their issues and answer their questions in an instant.

For small businesses, adopting an AI phone answering service is no longer optional; it's a competitive necessity. It reduces missed opportunities, eases the burden on your team, and delivers the kind of 24/7 service that keeps customers coming back.

It's time to move from callto conversationand give your customers the experience they deserve.

Reach out to us today, we'd love to chat with you about how Zoom Virtual Agent Conciergecan help your business shine.

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