Can an AI Chatbot Handle Phone Calls?
Standard chat-based AI chatbots handle text only, but AI voice agents — a related but separate technology — can answer and route phone calls.
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The Short Answer
A standard chat-based AI chatbot handles text conversations only. AI voice agents are a separate, related technology that can answer and route phone calls, and adoption is growing quickly.
The two are often confused because they share similar underlying AI technology, but they're built and deployed differently — one lives on your website, the other on your phone line.
How the Two Technologies Differ
Chat-based chatbots live on your website and handle typed conversations; voice AI systems handle spoken conversations over the phone, often using similar underlying training principles.
What to Consider
Voice AI is a newer technology and works best for well-defined, routine calls — appointment scheduling, basic information — rather than complex, nuanced conversations.
How Businesses Typically Combine the Two
A dental practice might use a chat-based chatbot on its website for general questions and appointment requests, while a voice AI system handles overflow calls during peak hours when the front desk is already on another line.
Used together, they cover both channels a potential patient might use to reach out, without either one being stretched beyond what it does well.
Explore Your Options
Appcly can advise on whether chat, voice, or both would serve your business best.
Book a free consultation to discuss.
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