AI agents for customer service

Where should you start?

If you want to try one without a big monthly bill, start with Chatling: at $21 per month, billed annually, it has the lowest whole-plan price of the 19 listed (per-seat and per-minute prices aside). Suits a small shop or service business that wants to start free and keep costs low later: the free plan gives 200 AI credits, and Starter is $21 a month billed $250 annually. The catch: usage runs on AI credits, with 1,750 on Starter, and no trial of paid plans is stated. Lyro AI Agent from Tidio also has a free plan, and paid use starts at $32.50 a month from 50 Lyro AI conversations.

What is an AI customer service agent?

Software that handles a customer conversation by itself: it reads the question, answers from your help articles and past replies and, where it is connected to your systems, does simple tasks such as checking an order. A chatbot that only follows a script isn't an agent. A useful agent also knows when to pass the customer to a person, with the conversation so far.

How are AI customer service agents priced?

AI customer service agents are priced per seat, by use or as a monthly plan, and each adds up differently. Per seat: Text AI Agent, eDesk, Zendesk AI agents, Agentforce for Service from Salesforce and 3 others charge for each person on your team. By use: Lyro AI Agent from Tidio, Botpress, eesel AI, Help Scout AI and 1 other charge for conversations, resolutions or credits, alone or on top of a plan. A monthly plan, with no pricing model stated: Chatling, Chatbase and Hugo from Crisp. Of the 19, 4 sell only through sales or a demo. If a vendor bills per resolution, check how it counts one before you compare it with a price per seat.

Is there a free AI agent for customer service?

Yes, with limits: Chatling, Lyro AI Agent from Tidio, Botpress, Help Scout AI and Zia from Zoho state a free plan. 13 offer a free trial, so you can try one on your own help content first.

What about AI agents that answer the phone?

For phone calls, look at AI receptionists or AI voice agent platforms instead. AI receptionists answer your business line and book appointments (22 listed, 6 working as AI agents). AI voice agent platforms let you build your own phone agent (20 listed, 17 describing themselves as agents). The tools on this page handle chat and email, and some add voice.

What should you check before you turn one on?

• What it may do without asking: answer only, or also change orders, issue refunds or update accounts.
• How it hands a customer to a person, and who gets the conversation.
• Which help content it answers from, and how you correct a wrong answer.
• How usage is billed, and what a month of your volume would cost.