From the President’s Desk
We’ve had a busy spring and summer here at Vantage…I hope you did as well. It seemed that spring really was the growing season, as many of our customers added users due to organic growth and opening additional offices/locations. Of course MAXvoice allows multiple locations, and work-from-home staffers, to operate from a single communications platform – shared main # and receptionist supports all offices, full visibility across all users/sites and quick site-to-site call transfer. And when the summer 3-digit temperatures hit us hard, the heat turned-up on quick deployments for several new customers – many within 3 days, and some businesses were in service in less than 8 business hours.
The Vantage implementation team was smokin’ ! Thank you to our many partners who handled the site work (if needed) in a timely fashion. Quick work, repeatable processes, great communications, and sweat were the drivers of these successful summer quick turn-ups.
Here’s hoping we all stay hot throughout the summer, and into the fall.
- Mobility; AddVantage Mobile for IOS and Android, AddVantage Desktop for Win and Mac
- MAXcore built-in webphone, Simultaneous Ring
- Teams AddVantage – inbound & outbound calling to/from external parties via your Teams dialpad
- MAXcallcommand Contact Center Services; dynamic call routing based on real-time agent availability & call flow rules, multiple call distribution & queueing methods, real-time view of call center activity, call monitoring, call recording, and in-depth queue & agent reports
- 3rd-Party (CRM) Integrations; Salesforce, HubSpot, GoHighLevel, more
- SMS / MMS
- Call routing flexibility per number, user, department, hunt group, queue, or location
- Auto Attendant
- Hunt Groups – ring all, ring order
- Flexible Schedules / Time of Day Call Routing; main #, individual #s, auto attendant, hunt groups
- Afterhours Call Routing to Your On-Call Support Staff
- Afterhours Call Forward to Answering Service
- Voicemail to Email
- Voicemail Transcription
- Voicemail Text Notification
- ‘Local’ Phone #s in Remote Locations
- Call Recording
- Multi-Site Support / WFH Support
- Music / Messages On Hold
- Call Reports; main #, individual #s, auto attendant activity, hunt groups
- Calling Line ID / Calling Name ID
- Predefined ‘Other’ Holidays / Partial Day Holidays
- Electronic Fax
- Automatic Call Failover
- HP/Poly desk phones, Yealink desk phones, No phones
- Self-Administration plus Unlimited Live Support
Check Out Our new Website!!
Visit our new virtual home at www.vantageunified.com.
We’ve added a list of our current technology partners, and integrations.
Check out our new pricing plans to see if a discussion with our team can reduce your costs or increase your services.
Where do you stand with AI bots answering your phone calls?
You’ll find a summary of various small business owner surveys on the bot vs human
‘thanks for calling ABC Company’ debate.
Customer Preferences Remain Strongly Human-Centered
- 79% strongly prefer speaking with a human.
- 85% prefer human agents over AI agents.
- 89% believe companies should always offer a human option.
Top Concerns About AI Voice Bots
- Loss of personal customer relationships
- Reduced customer trust
- Difficulty handling complex issues
- Fear of creating a less personalized experience
- 30% of small business owners surveyed cite concerns about losing the “personal touch.”
- Many remain uncertain about how AI fits their business model.
Takeaway: Customers may accept AI, but they want human support available when needed.
Where Humans Still Win
- Escalations
- Technical troubleshooting
- Customer retention conversations
- Billing disputes
- Complaint resolution
- High-value account management
Where AI Works Best
- Appointment scheduling
- Call routing and transfers
- Order status inquiries
- FAQ responses
- After-hours call coverage
- Lead capture and qualification
Takeaway: Customers cite empathy, understanding, and confidence in issue resolution as primary reasons for preferring humans.
Industries Where Human Interaction Remains Critical
Healthcare
Humans are preferred for:
- Medical concerns
- Emotional support
- Sensitive diagnoses
- Escalated patient issues
AI can handle:
- Appointment scheduling
- Prescription refill requests
- Basic FAQs
Legal Services
Humans are preferred for:
- Fraud investigations
- Disputes
- Wealth management
- Lending decisions
AI can handle:
- Account inquiries
- Payment reminders
- Branch information
Financial Services
Humans are preferred for:
- Legal advice
- Complex case discussions
- Client counseling
- Negotiations
AI can handle:
- Intake forms
- Appointment scheduling
- Status updates
Technical Support
Humans are preferred for:
- Complex diagnostics
- Escalations
- Multi-product issues
- High-impact outages
AI can handle:
- Password resets
- Basic troubleshooting
- Ticket creation
Situations Where AI Voice Bots Struggle:
Emotional Conversations
Customers often want empathy and reassurance during:
- Complaints
- Service outages
- Billing disputes
- Account cancellations
Consumer surveys show people value human understanding and empathy in these situations.
Complex Decision Making
Examples:
- Selecting enterprise technology solutions
- Insurance claim disputes
- Legal matters
- Healthcare treatment options
Customer Retention
When a customer says: “I’m thinking about leaving.“
Human representatives consistently outperform automation because they can negotiate, build trust, and adapt in real time.
High-Value Customer Relationships
VIP customers and strategic business accounts often expect direct access to knowledgeable people rather than automation.
As AI functionality expands and improves, it’s going to take some serious thought and HI (human intelligence) to make the best decision for your business and your customers.
Call 6-1-1 for Unlimited Support!
Our Communications Concierge Team is here to help!
Refer a friend, reap a reward!
Email customerreferrals@vantageunified.com if you know any company who could benefit from our VoIP business solutions.
For your referral, we will credit your Vantage account with an amount equal to 1 month fee of the referred, new Vantage client (up to a max of 5 months credit). We award the referring individual with an Amazon gift card of $25 – $250 (based on the size of the referred). The individual has to be approved by your management to qualify for the award.
