AIR AI Customer Service Demo Call

9 min readJul 17, 2023

This video was circulating in my LinkedIn feed for a few days already, people repost it and it made quite a buzz. Of course, I’ve noticed it as well, I listened a few times to it and transcribed it. I even decided to write an article about it. Here is the video:

AIR AI Contact Center Call

This video is being reposted on LinkedIn as: “Next big thing in AI”. Obviously, it’s a demo of the next level of conversational AI for Customer Service. It sounds human, shows empathy, and can relate to the feelings and experiences of the customer. TTS (Text to Speech) sounds great, it’s friendly and polite with some delays in replies, though. I believe automated phone calls will sound like that in the very near future. I want however to share some thoughts and a few experiments with LLMs.

So, James (human) and Alexander (bot) talk on the phone for around 4 minutes. This is an outbound call, meaning that the bot initiated this call. This is a multi-turn conversation, there are 12 turns to be exact. James and Alexander speak approximately the same amount of words.

How I understand the situation: James left his phone number on the “Tesla” website and agreed that an agent may call him back. Even though it’s not clear from the conversation, I believe this is how Alexander got James’s number. Alexander is a bot and has context on what James was doing on “Tesla’s” website, so the goal of Alexander is to pursue James to buy a “Tesla” by firstly learning some information and then inviting James to test drive as soon as possible.

Here are a few of my immediate thoughts:

1️⃣ At what point should James have been notified that Alexander is a bot? James calls him ‘my man’ a couple of times.

2️⃣ At what point should Alexander the Bot have notified James that the call is being recorded?

3️⃣ How did James know Alexander was from Tesla and not some scammer (he did share quite a lot of information about himself)?

4️⃣ Will Alexander follow up on how the test drive went? Will Alexander become Jame’s dedicated “Tesla” agent and manage their relationship in the future?

Transcription of the call

James: Hello!
Alexander [BOT]: Hey James!
James: Yes, who is this?
Alexander [BOT]: Hey James, it’s Alexander from Tesla Motors. How is your day going so far?
James: It’s going pretty good my man how about yourself? You said you are from Tesla right? The car company?
Alexander [BOT]: Yeah, that’s right, I am calling from Tesla Motors, the car company. Did you have any trouble or questions while customizing your car on our website?
James: Uh, no we are just kinda shopping around and you know just taking a look.
Alexander [BOT]: Gotcha that makes sense. Sometimes we’re just exploring our options before making a decision and I totally respect that. Can I ask you why you were looking into a Tesla in the first place?
James: Yeah, I mean. I’ve had my car for way too long now and so I’ve kind of taken a look at options that I have. A lot of friends who just absolutely rave about Tesla and you know me myself I am actually a big fan of Elon, Elon Musk so I figured I might as well take a look and I kind of explore my options there and see what you guys had available.
Alexander [BOT]: That’s a smart approach, James. It’s always good to explore your options and see what’s available. Out of curiosity what do you currently drive?
James: Yeah, I drive a.. It’s an old Ford Fusion my man.
Alexander [BOT]: Nice, a Ford Fusion. Why are you looking to switch things up and consider a Tesla?
James: Yeah, I mean I had this car literally since I got my first job years back um and it was just time for a change, so it’s like you know, it’s not super reliable anymore and it’s time for an upgrade. I am moving into the city now and I just think it’s time you know I’ll get the new apartment, might as well get the new car at the same time, you know?
Alexander [BOT]: I totally get that James, moving to a new apartment, it’s a great opportunity to make some fresh changes including getting a new car. Are you looking at purchasing any other cars at the moment or are your eyes just set on Tesla?
James: Oh you know. I am still looking around but mainly Tesla, I have a lot of friends who you know obviously have them. And I am a little bit jealous. I have to say when I you know test drive and they are super fast, obviously, it looks really really amazing, so mainly looking at Teslas and just kind of trying to figure out which is the right one, you know before making a decision on which one to go with.
Alexander [BOT]: Well, let’s change that as soon as possible then. It looks like you are in Omaha Nebraska is that right?
James: Yeah, correct.
Alexander [BOT]: Great, what if I do this for you. What if I schedule a time for you to come into a dealership near you to give a Tesla an official test spin and you can see if this is the car that makes sense for you? Is that something you would be down for?
James: Absolutely that would be amazing.
Alexander [BOT]: Awesome, well. It looks like we have a 7:00 pm or 11:00 am available in Omaha time. Which time works best for you?
James: Let’s do the 7 o’clock.
Alexander [BOT]: Great, I’ll lock in that time for you. You are all set for a test drive at 7 PM. Anything else I can help you with James?
James: Nope that’s it, I really appreciate you giving the call.
Alexander [BOT]: Well it was my pleasure speaking with you James. I can’t wait for you to give a Tesla a spin. There is nothing like it in my opinion. If you have any more questions or need assistance in the future, feel free to reach out. Have a great rest of your day.
James: You too, bye-bye, thanks so much.

Let’s ask Open AI Model GPT-4 and Anthropic Claude for their opinion

Prompt #1 : What sales techniques does Alexander use to pursue James to choose Tesla?

Reply from GPT-4 Model:

Some of the sales techniques Alexander uses include:
1. Building Rapport: Alexander starts by establishing a friendly, personalized conversation with James. He asks how James’ day is going and nods to their shared interest (Tesla and Elon Musk).
2. Active Listening: Alexander noted James’ details throughout the conversation — his current car, reasons for changing it, and his location.
3. Open-ended Questions: Alexander asks questions like “Why are you looking to switch things up?” and “Are you looking at any other cars?”, which are designed to understand James’ needs and preferences better.
4. Reciprocity: Alexander offers a valuable opportunity of a test drive. This acts as a gesture that may make James feel inclined to return the favor (potentially by buying a Tesla).
5. Urgency: By proposing specific time slots for a test drive, Alexander creates a sense of urgency. This might push James to make a decision sooner rather than later.
6. Closing: From the moment Alexander discovered James’ interest, he navigated the conversation towards closing the deal (scheduling the test drive).

7. Post-Sale Service: Alexander assures James about future assistance, which can create customer loyalty.

And here is the reply from Anthropic Claude: https://claude.ai/

Prompt #2: Build a detailed customer profile for James as a potential buyer.

Reply from GPT-4 Model:

Customer Profile:
Name: James
Current Car: Ford Fusion (old model)
Location: Omaha, Nebraska
Likes: Elon Musk, speedy cars, looks to modernize and constantly improve his lifestyle (evidence of moving to a new apartment, looking to purchase a new car)
Driving Preferences: Desires a more reliable car than his current Ford Fusion, strongly considering Tesla due to its reputation among friends.
Customer’s Consideration Stage: James is in the consideration stage and is actively seeking information about the product, though he is leaning heavily toward a Tesla because of personal preference and recommendations from friends.
Customer’s Financial Status: Given James is moving into a new apartment and is considering buying a Tesla, it suggests he is financially stable.
Current engagement status: James has exhibited a positive response to Alexander’s proposal for a test drive at 7pm at his local Tesla dealership.
Potential barriers: James could be comparing other car options but it seems he is mainly focused on Tesla. He may need reassurance about the model of Tesla to choose based on his city lifestyle. James might also be concerned about price points or financing options for the new car.
Miscellaneous: Fan of Elon Musk, present CEO of Tesla Motors.

Here is the reply from Claude for the same prompt: https://claude.ai/

Prompt #3: When should Alexander schedule a follow-up call with James?

Reply from GPT-4 Model:

Alexander should schedule a follow-up call with James after his test drive. This could be the next day or a couple of days later. It would provide an opportunity to discuss James’ experience and answer any further questions he might have.

Prompt #4: Generate possible follow-up questions for Alexander to pursue James to buy a Tesla.

1. “How was your test drive experience? Do you see yourself driving a Tesla around town?”
2. “Are there any specific features you liked or disliked about the Tesla you test drove?”
3. “Have you considered how a Tesla can contribute to reducing your carbon footprint?”
4. “Tesla offers several financing options. Have you given thought to which could work best for you?”
5. “Would you like to learn more about Tesla’s autopilot and other unique features that set it apart from the competition?”
6. “Did you know about Tesla’s Electric Vehicle Incentives? Can I provide some info on it?”
7. “Many Tesla drivers have reported lower maintenance and fuel costs compared to traditional cars. Is that a factor in your decision?”
8. “Can I help you understand better the Tesla app and its features for accessing and controlling the car remotely?”
9. “Have you had the chance to explore the customization options in our models? We can create a car that’s tailored to your preferences.”
10. “Could I assist you in comparisons between Tesla models for a better understanding of the best one for your needs?”

It was only a 4-minute long conversation, and I just came up with a few prompts. You can copy-paste the transcript and play with it asking a few questions about this conversation. Let me know what you think in the comments! :)

Here is what we can see on Air.AI website as of today: https://www.air.ai/