AI voice agent: a phone line that picks up every call, and knows when to hand over.

Merlin builds AI phone agents that greet your callers, understand their request in natural language, qualify, book appointments and transfer to your teams when needed, with the context already summarised.

Definition

What is an AI voice agent? Callbot, voicebot, phone agent.

Three names for the same idea: an agent that picks up the phone, understands the caller without imposing a menu, and acts inside your tools. Four things separate it from a glorified answering machine.

It picks up every call

At peak times, during meetings, evenings and weekends: no more lost calls or voicemails nobody listens to. Every call becomes a qualified message, an appointment or a transfer.

It understands, it does not impose a menu

No 'press 1, press 2': the caller explains their request in their own words, the agent asks the missing questions and routes correctly, even when the request is vague.

It acts inside your tools

A record created in the CRM, an appointment placed in the calendar, a message passed to the right person with a summary: the call does not end up on a sticky note.

It introduces itself and hands over

The agent presents itself as an automated assistant, and transfers to a human on request or as soon as it does not understand. The caller is never stuck facing a machine.

Use cases

What a voice agent can take over for you.

01

Reception and overflow

The agent picks up when your teams are busy or away: it answers, routes, takes a qualified message. Your phone line no longer rings into the void.

02

Inbound call qualification

Reason, contact details, urgency: every call reaches your teams already qualified, recorded in the CRM, with a summary of the conversation.

03

Appointment booking

Connected to your calendar, the agent offers genuinely available slots, confirms by SMS or e-mail and records the appointment in the right place.

04

Answers to frequent questions

Opening hours, addresses, case status, procedures: recurring questions get an immediate answer, grounded in your content, as with an AI chatbot.

05

Qualified message taking

Out of hours or when nobody is available, the agent captures the full request and passes it on by e-mail or into your tools: your teams call back already knowing what it is about.

06

Appointment confirmations and reminders

The agent confirms upcoming appointments and records rescheduling: fewer lost slots, without tying anyone to the phone.

Pricing

How much does an AI voice agent cost? Our ranges.

The same public ranges as on our general price list: the voice agent is a variant of our AI assistants.

Price ranges for Merlin's voice agents
30-min diagnosticFree
Process auditfrom €1,500
Voice agent / AI assistant€4,000 – €20,000
Production supportfrom €300 / month

Indicative ranges: every project is quoted after the audit. What moves the price: the call reasons covered, the connected tools, the call volume.

Firm quote after the audit: no time-based billing, no surprises. Telephony (numbers, minutes) is billed at cost by the carrier.

Method

From your real calls to an agent that picks up, in four steps.

Step 01

Audit

We listen to your real calls: reasons, volumes, peak hours, what gets lost today. That decides which cases the agent must cover first.

Step 02

Design

Conversation scenarios, voice and tone, transfer rules to humans, personal-data handling. Everything is settled before the first call.

Step 03

Build

The agent is connected to your telephony and tools, then tested on a dedicated number with your teams as judges. Nothing in production without your approval.

Step 04

Production

Conversation review, weak scenarios corrected, reporting: calls handled, appointments booked, transfers. A monthly review of what to extend.

The week-by-week method is detailed on the home page. Six to eight weeks depending on the tools to connect.

FAQ

Your questions about voice agents: price, IVR, transparency.

What is an AI voice agent?

A phone agent that picks up, understands the caller in natural language and acts: answering, qualifying, taking a message or an appointment, transferring. Also called a callbot or voicebot. Unlike a keypad menu system, you just talk to it.

How much does an AI voice agent cost?

The voice agent is a variant of our AI assistants: expect €4,000 to €20,000 depending on scope (call reasons covered, connected tools, volume). Production support starts at €300 per month. Our ranges are published in the Pricing section and every project is quoted as a fixed price after the audit.

How is it different from an IVR system?

An IVR imposes a menu: 'press 1, press 2'. An AI voice agent understands a naturally phrased request, asks the missing questions and acts inside your tools. The caller does not need to know your org chart to be routed correctly.

Does the caller know they are talking to an AI?

Yes, the agent introduces itself as an automated assistant at the start of the call. It is more honest, it is what European regulation requires, and it does not stop the conversation from feeling natural.

What happens if the agent does not understand?

It does not send the caller in circles: after a misunderstanding or on request, it transfers to a human with the context already summarised, or takes a qualified message if no one is available.

Can it book appointments in our calendar?

Yes. Connected to your calendar and tools (CRM, shared calendar), it offers genuinely available slots, confirms by SMS or e-mail and records the appointment in the right place.