What to ask a voice AI vendor: 13 questions and how to score the answers
Sado AI team · · 4 min read
In short
Before buying an AI voice operator, send the vendor 13 questions in writing: on language and call quality, number and telephony, results and CRM, money and control. A good answer is specific: a number, a price, a time limit, something you can check right now. A worrying answer is vague: “lots”, “we’ll tell you later”, “one click”. Ask every vendor the same questions, score each answer 0–2, then make a test call and work out the monthly cost at your own volume.
Language and call quality
The questions fall into four groups. Each shows what a good answer looks like and what should worry you. You can copy the list and send it to vendors as it is.
| Question | Good answer | Worrying answer |
|---|---|---|
| Does it understand mixed Uzbek-Russian speech? Can I call it right now? | Yes, here’s the number, or try it live on the site | We’ll send you recordings |
| What does it say when it doesn’t know? | That a manager will call back, and it creates a task | It always finds some answer |
| What if a caller asks “are you a robot?” | It never pretends to be human | Callers won’t notice, no need to say |
Why it matters: an invented price or address misleads the customer, and you’re the one who has to sort it out. Ask such a question on purpose in the test call.
Number and telephony
| Question | Good answer | Worrying answer |
|---|---|---|
| Do we keep our current number? | Yes, connected over SIP through your carrier | You must get a new number |
| How many calls can it take at once? | A specific number, no queue | “Lots”, no figure |
| Which number do outgoing calls come from? | Yours | Unknown numbers |
If the number changes, customers keep calling the old one, and the number on business cards, ads and maps has to be changed. And few people answer calls from unknown numbers.
Results and CRM
| Question | Good answer | Worrying answer |
|---|---|---|
| What’s left after each call? | Recording, transcript, answers, a short summary | Just a call count |
| How does it reach our CRM? | A ready connection or the team sets it up; there’s an API | “One click”, but they won’t show it |
| When does it transfer to staff? | By the rule you write | Never, or only manually |
Without a recording and transcript you’ll never know what the operator told a customer. After the test call, ask to see the result with your own eyes.
Money and control
| Question | Good answer | Worrying answer |
|---|---|---|
| What are the monthly, setup and per-minute fees? | The full price, in writing | “We’ll discuss it at a meeting” |
| Do we pay for unanswered calls? | No, only talked minutes | For every number dialled |
| How do we stop calls? | Hours, a daily limit, a stop button | Only by writing to support |
| How long is data kept, can it be deleted? | A clear period and a right to delete | A vague answer |
On money, don’t trust spoken answers: get the price in writing and work out a month at your own volume.
How to compare the answers
- Send every vendor the same questions in writing: spoken promises can’t be compared.
- Score each answer: specific and checkable 2, partial 1, vague 0.
- Make a test call with the top two, following how to choose an AI operator.
- Work out a month at your volume: calls a day × minutes × price × 30.
- Start with part of your calls, for example after hours only, and listen to the recordings.
How Sado answers these questions
In short: try it live on the site and at 78 778 01 23; when it doesn’t know, a task for a manager; never pretends to be human; connects to your current number over SIP, and outgoing calls use it too; more than ten calls at once; recording, transcript and summary for every call; Bitrix24 ready, other CRMs connected by our team. Price: 800 so‘m a minute, no monthly or setup fee (pricing). Everything else: frequently asked questions. Try it live.
Questions
How many vendors should we compare?
Two or three is usually enough. What matters is the same questions and the same test call for all of them.
What should we check in the contract?
Check that it states the price, any minimum payment, how to stop and how data is deleted. Take legal questions to a lawyer.
Can we compare against a call centre too?
Yes: by cost per call, hours and results. More: call centre or AI operator.