The client faced challenges with poor communication between patients and dentists.

• Calls were often missed, and lead responses were slow, leading to lost revenue opportunities.

• Appointment scheduling was manual and time-consuming.

• Scattered data systems caused confusion and delays, making the booking process frustrating for patients.

To solve the client’s challenges, we focused on finding an AI solution that required minimal involvement from human agents while allowing the AI to handle the heavy lifting of patient communication. Our goal was to implement a system that was quick to set up, easy to manage, and capable of providing natural, human-like conversations. 

We researched and tested three leading AI voice agent tools:

• Retell AI

• Bland AI

• Vapi AI

We used two main criteria: easy setup with minimal development resources and human-like conversation flow. After careful evaluation, we selected Retell AI for its quick deployment, simplicity, and ability to provide great communication experience.

Our team initially trained 2 AI voice agents to handle incoming patient calls, then optimized the setup for easy scalability to support dozens of AI voice agents. To streamline lead management and increase revenue opportunities, we integrated AI call results directly into the Close CRM. Since Retell.ai does not currently support SMS agents, we send out follow ups and reminders as text messages from CRM.

The AI voice agent:

➤ Answers inbound calls and engages patients in natural, friendly conversations.

➤ Collects key patient information to assist with appointment requests.

➤ Handles general inquiries about clinic services, location, and hours.

➤ Guides patients with emergency needs to appropriate care options.

➤ Logs call details for staff to follow up and confirm appointments.

✔️ Bookings became faster - AI-powered assistance reduced manual efforts, speeding up the appointment scheduling process.

✔️ Lower operational costs - Eliminating the need to train human agents lowered operational costs while maintaining consistent, high-quality patient interactions.

✔️ More calls answered - The AI solution increased answer rates and response times, ensuring patients receive timely assistance and reducing missed opportunities,  even during off-hours.

✔️ Patients get assigned to the right dentists - The system matches patients with dentists based on their specific needs, location, and availability, improving outcomes and patient satisfaction.

✔️ Easy to scale - As the system scales, further gains in operational efficiency and lead conversion are expected.