The problem
Business owners ring a broker when they need money, often while you're on the phone to a lender or out seeing a client. If 15 calls a week go unanswered and 1 in 5 is a new inquiry, that's 3 new inquiries a week reaching voicemail, and many of them ring the next broker on the list.
What the AI does
Aircall's AI Voice Agent answers calls, with or without an Aircall phone system. It answers questions from knowledge sources you give it, qualifies callers, books meetings and transfers callers to a person with the conversation details. Give it process answers only: what you arrange, the documents lenders usually ask for and how to get started with you. Tell it not to quote rates or say whether a lender will approve, and to take the caller's name, business, amount and purpose for a call back.
A worked example
A two-broker firm in Swindon arranging asset finance and business loans misses about 15 calls a week. It sets up Aircall's AI Voice Agent to take those calls, averaging about 3 minutes each.
Before
About 15 calls a week to voicemail, 3 of them new inquiries
After
Every call answered and details taken, worth about 1 extra deal every 2 months
What it's worth
About $499£375€446A$720C$705 a month in profit, at an assumed 50% margin on $998£750€893A$1,440C$1,410 a month of commission from 1 extra deal every 2 months at $1,995£1,500€1,785A$2,880C$2,820. That is against Aircall's $101£76€90A$146C$143 a month minimum: about 65 calls a month (15 a week x 4.3) at 3 minutes is 195 minutes, about $96£72€86A$138C$135 at $0.49£0.37€0.44A$0.71C$0.70 a minute, so the minimum applies.
How to set it up
- Write the knowledge source: what you arrange, the documents lenders usually ask for, office hours and how you charge, with no rates or approval promises.
- Set up the AI Voice Agent and check with Aircall how to send your unanswered calls to it from your current phones.
- Tell it to collect name, business, amount and what the money is for, and to transfer anyone who asks for a broker by name.
- Ring it yourself with hard questions, such as 'will I get approved with a CCJ', and fix any answer that goes too far.
- Call back every lead the same day and review the call records weekly.
What goes wrong
- What the agent says is your communication. Where the finance could be regulated credit, FCA credit broking rules and Consumer Duty apply, so it must not suggest approval or quote rates.
- Callers' details are personal data. Add the AI answering to your privacy notice and make sure callers are told they are speaking to an AI.
- Pay as you go is $0.49£0.37€0.44A$0.71C$0.70 a minute with a $101£76€90A$146C$143 a month minimum; a busy month costs more, and the 500-minute bundle is $173£130€155A$250C$244.
- Some callers hang up on an automated voice. Check the call log for short calls and ring them back.