Chatbot or voice assistant: which tool fits your customer requests?

A chatbot answers in writing, usually on a website or in a messaging app. A voice assistant handles a conversation over the phone or by voice. For a small business, the right choice depends on the channel your customers use, the questions you need to handle, and how your team picks up the requests from there.

In brief

• Pick the channel your customers already use: your website or your phone line.
• The assistant answers from information that has been approved and is kept up to date.
• The handoff to a person has to be built into the scenario, not bolted on afterward.
• Measure answer quality and the requests that get passed along, not the number of conversations.

Before you choose, look at the conversations already coming in. A tool on your website won't necessarily fix missed calls, and a phone assistant isn't necessarily the best way to explain a detailed catalog.

Which requests should you start from?

Gather examples of common questions: business hours, services offered, how a service call works, documents to have ready, or a callback request. Identify the ones that can get a consistent answer from approved information.

Set aside the requests that call for judgment: special pricing, a complaint, a sensitive file, an emergency, or an unusual commitment. The handoff to a person has to be part of the scenario.

Every reference document needs an owner. An assistant that relies on outdated information can repeat the same mistake across many conversations.

How do the two channels compare?

Exact availability, call transfers, and integrations depend on the solution you put in place. Define and test them before you promise them to customers.

How do you write the rules for handing off to a person?

A useful scenario covers more than the assistant's answers. It spells out when the conversation stops, who receives the request, and what happens if that person isn't available.

For example, a general question can be answered from approved information. A question about a specific file can be routed to your team. If the assistant can't find the answer, it should say so and offer a realistic next step.

Here is an illustrative handoff scenario:

1. General question ("What are your business hours?"): the assistant answers from an approved source.
2. Specific request ("Where does my file stand?"): the assistant doesn't try to answer. It offers a transfer or a callback request.
3. Someone is available: the conversation is transferred along with a summary.
4. Nobody is available: the assistant says so, takes down the contact details and the topic, gives a realistic callback window, and logs the request where your team will see it. It promises nothing your team can't deliver.

The person who picks up the exchange needs the useful context: the topic, confirmed contact details, and the action expected. Avoid collecting information that doesn't help you handle the request.

What should you test before expanding?

Put together a list of real situations, or test scenarios clearly labeled as such. Add different ways of phrasing the same question, missing information, and requests that fall outside the scope.

For voice, pay particular attention to names, addresses, and numbers given out loud. For the web, test the links the assistant provides, answers that would rely on a source that doesn't exist, and requests to talk to a person.

Track answer quality, the requests that actually reach your team, and the correction work involved. The number of conversations alone doesn't tell you whether the tool is useful.

What scope should you start with?

Start with a limited set of requests, with approved answers and a clear path to a person. The choice can evolve from there based on results and on your customers' habits.

Our sales and customer service page describes how Gamache.ai puts web and phone assistants to work. Our case studies also include a web assistant where a person can take over the conversation. To see where this choice fits among other options, read AI for small business: how to pick a useful first project.

Let's talk about your customer requests and choose the channel and setup that will genuinely help your team.

Frequently asked questions

Can a chatbot replace customer service?

No. It can answer stable, frequent questions, take down a request, and pass it along with its context. Complaints, emergencies, and special cases should go back to a person.

Can a voice assistant handle Quebec French and local accents?

That's a capability to test with the tool you choose, not something to take for granted. Quality varies with the solution, the phone line, the accent, and the vocabulary of your trade. Test it with real calls, paying close attention to names, addresses, and numbers.

What happens when the assistant doesn't know the answer?

It should say so and offer a realistic next step: a callback, a transfer, a form. An assistant that makes up an answer does more harm than one that admits its limits.

Do you have to choose between a chatbot and a voice assistant?

Not necessarily. Start from your real requests: look at where they come in and where they get lost today. We recommend starting with that channel, then adding the second one only if the need is confirmed.

Can the assistant handle requests in both French and English?

That depends on the solution you choose, and it has to be verified through testing. Several tools handle both languages, but quality isn't always equal, especially by voice and when a customer switches languages mid-sentence. Plan for approved sources in each language as well.

Can the assistant book appointments in our calendar?

It's possible with some solutions, provided your calendar offers an integration, the permissions are granted, and the rules are clear: durations, service areas, minimum lead times. It isn't a given. It has to be defined, connected, and tested before you promise it to customers.