AI Assistant or Call Center?
An honest comparison for businesses looking to improve their phone availability.
An AI phone assistant like Vokaro and a traditional call center solve the same problem – phone availability – in different ways. Call centers use human agents who work from scripts. AI assistants use artificial intelligence for natural conversations. For small and medium businesses, the AI assistant is often the better choice: cheaper (€99/month vs. €500-2000), available 24/7 at no extra cost, and no wait times. Call centers make sense when very complex advisory conversations are needed that require real expertise.
What is Call Center?
Call centers employ teams of phone agents who handle incoming calls for multiple companies. Staff work according to set scripts and can take requests, forward calls, or answer simple questions.
Detailed Comparison
Choose Vokaro if...
- You're a small or medium business (< 50 employees)
- 80%+ of your calls are standard requests (appointments, FAQ, forwarding)
- 24/7 availability is important but budget is limited
- You want fast, consistent answer quality
- Scalability is important (many calls simultaneously)
A call center is better if...
- Your calls regularly require very complex consulting
- Empathy and human judgment are critical (e.g., crisis hotline)
- You're already a large company with the appropriate budget
- Your industry has strict compliance requirements needing human review
Key Differences
Costs: 70-80% cheaper
An AI assistant costs a fraction of a call center. No surcharge for nights, weekends, or holidays.
Scaling: Instant, unlimited
With a call center, you need more staff for more calls. AI scales automatically.
Consistency: Always the same quality
No bad days, no turnover, no 'I don't know'. Every call is handled equally well.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do callers notice they're speaking with an AI?
Most don't. Our AI speaks naturally and responds in real-time. In surveys, only 15% of callers recognize it's not a real person.
What happens with very complex requests?
Vokaro recognizes complexity and forwards these calls to you or your team. You define the threshold.
Can I switch from a call center to Vokaro?
Yes, switching is easy. We help you transfer your existing scripts and FAQs.
Ready for the comparison?
Start with 30-day money-back guarantee and compare for yourself.
No obligation · GDPR compliant · Made in Germany