Voice AI vs. Chatbots: Which is Right for Your Business?

Voice AI and chatbots serve different purposes. Understanding when to use each—or both—is crucial for customer service success.

Voice AI excels when: customers prefer phone interaction, complex issues require nuanced conversation, immediate response is critical, or your demographic skews older.

Chatbots shine when: customers want quick text answers, interactions are simple and transactional, you need to serve multiple users simultaneously, or customers are browsing your website.

The best approach? Often, it is both. Many businesses deploy voice AI for phone calls while using chatbots for website and messaging app support.

Consider your customer journey. A hotel guest might use chat to ask about amenities, then call to make a special request. Having AI on both channels creates a seamless experience.

The hybrid approach also provides valuable data. Understanding how customers prefer to communicate helps optimize your service strategy.