Phone operations
When a call needs a human, not an AI, even a very good one
This is not a sales pitch for AI handling every call. The evidence on when people genuinely want a human, and what a well-designed AI receptionist should do about it, whichever provider you use.
This applies to any AI phone system, not only Ringar AI, and it is written against the honest limits of the technology, not around them.
The evidence that a preference for humans is real, not nostalgia
Five9's own 2024 research, a survey of 4,000 consumers across the US and UK, found 75% prefer talking to a real human, in person or over the phone, for customer support. Five9 sells contact-centre software, so disclose that commercial interest when citing it, but the figure is genuinely measured, not invented, and it is a large, current sample.
UK-specific research tells the same story from a different angle. MaxContact's 2025 survey of over 1,000 UK consumers who had recently used a contact centre found 36% say calling makes it easier to explain their query, and a further 36% simply prefer the reassurance of human conversation. The same research found 67% prefer phone for urgent matters, and 60% say phone resolves issues fastest. None of that is an argument against automation generally. It is evidence that a real, substantial share of callers want a person, specifically, not just a fast answer.
What kinds of calls actually need one
The pattern is not really about topic. It is about what the caller needs from the conversation itself: a complaint that needs to be heard and responded to with judgement, a negotiation with genuine back-and-forth, a sensitive situation where tone and reassurance matter more than information, or simply a caller who has decided they want to speak to someone they already know. None of these are edge cases dreamed up to look balanced. They are ordinary parts of running a business phone line.
What a well-designed AI receptionist should do about this
The honest answer is not to pretend an AI system can handle everything a human can, and it is not to make automation the caller's problem to work around. A system worth using recognises when a call has moved into this category and does the two things that actually help: it stops trying to resolve the matter itself, and it captures exactly what the caller needs and gets it to the right person quickly, with the context already attached, rather than making them explain it twice. What it should not do is loop a caller through more automated questions when what they actually need is a person, or quietly drop the request because it does not fit a script.
A worked example, not a claim about your business
A customer calls unhappy about a delayed job and wants to speak to the owner directly. Ringar AI does not attempt to resolve the complaint itself or talk the caller out of wanting a person. If the business has set a transfer number, it puts the caller through to it. If the call cannot be put through, it takes the caller's name, number, and exactly what the complaint is about, and arranges for the owner to call back, so the owner has the full picture before they dial, rather than the caller having to explain the whole situation twice.
Sources
- Five9, New Five9 Study Finds 75% of Consumers Prefer Talking to a Human for Customer Service, 23 October 2024. 4,000 consumers, US and UK combined, census-balanced, fieldwork 25-30 September 2024. Vendor-commissioned (Five9 sells contact-centre software).
- MaxContact, The Voice of the UK Consumer 2025: What Customers Want from Call Centres, 2025. Over 1,000 UK consumers who had used a contact centre in the prior 18 months. 36% say calling eases explaining an issue; 36% prefer the reassurance of human conversation; 67% prefer phone for urgent matters; 60% say phone resolves issues fastest. Vendor-commissioned (UK contact-centre software).
Do most people actually prefer talking to a human over the phone?
Five9's 2024 research, a 4,000-person US/UK survey, found 75% prefer a real human for customer support. UK-specific research from MaxContact found similar patterns: 36% say calling makes it easier to explain their issue, and a further 36% simply prefer the reassurance of a human conversation.
Does Ringar AI transfer a call directly to a person?
Yes, when you have set a transfer number. It puts the caller through to that number when they ask for a person or the situation needs one. If the call cannot be put through, it captures who the caller wants to reach and exactly what they need, then arranges a callback with the context already attached, so your team has the full picture before they call back.
Related reading
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