Start with what the agent has to do
Before comparing offers, write down what the agent has to handle. Picking up when you are busy? Booking appointments in your calendar? Filtering sales calls? Answering at night and on weekends? The answer shapes everything else.
An agent that really books appointments needs a calendar integration, which you will judge differently from a simple smart answering machine. Starting from your need keeps you from paying for features you will never use.
The criteria that really matter
Voice and latency make the first impression. A natural voice, in fluent French, puts the caller at ease. Response time matters even more: a few hundred milliseconds go unnoticed, but beyond a second the conversation becomes painful and people hang up. Ask to hear a real call, not a recorded demo.
Next comes what the agent can do with the call. Integration with your calendar, Google Calendar or Cal.com, or with your business software, decides whether it books the appointment or just takes a message. And handover to a person has to exist: when a request is beyond it, the agent passes the call to a real person, on a number you choose.
Three other points are quick to check. The languages it handles, if you get calls in English or Spanish. Data hosting in the European Union, to stay GDPR compliant, with a clear policy on call recording. And a readable all-inclusive price for your actual volume.
Questions to ask before you sign
A few simple questions show how solid an offer is. What happens if the agent does not know the answer? A good agent says so and hands over instead of making something up. Can I keep my number? How much do overages cost? Are there setup fees?
Ask about data too: where are call recordings stored, and for how long? A vague answer here is a signal to take seriously, especially for a medical or legal practice.
Test it in real conditions before you pay
No demo replaces a real test. Have a colleague who does not know the script call the agent with an awkward request, an accent, an off-topic question. You will see right away whether it keeps the thread, whether it hands over at the right moment, and whether it records the appointment correctly.
With Alyas, the ten-day trial with no credit card is there for exactly that: running the agent on your own requests before you decide.
Frequently asked questions
What latency is acceptable for a voice agent?
A few hundred milliseconds go unnoticed. Beyond a one-second delay, the conversation becomes painful and callers tend to hang up.
Can the agent transfer the call to a person?
Yes. A good agent transfers the call to a human, on a number you define, as soon as the request goes beyond what it can handle.
Does my data stay in Europe?
With Alyas, yes: data is hosted in the European Union. Always ask each provider where recordings are stored and for how long.
Can I keep my phone number?
Yes, it is possible. Check with each provider, because number portability and call forwarding are not always included in the base plan.