With the voicemail app featuring an AI chatbot from "meiti," tradespeople are always reachable. Call forwarding takes customers to a digital answering machine, which receives their message, summarizes it using artificial intelligence, and can then answer initial questions via a WhatsApp chatbot. "When the tradesperson returns from the construction site, instead of ten missed calls, they have ten pre-qualified, structured customer inquiries," explains Sven Weidner, founder of the startup. (Photo: © meiti GmbH)
Read aloud:
October 2024
Did you miss 17 calls on your phone again? The "meiti" app could help. The answering machine with WhatsApp chatbot is always available and can pre-qualify customer phone inquiries using AI.
Who hasn't experienced this? Your smartphone rings. But the timing is inconvenient. You're standing on a ladder or lugging supplies down to the basement. The customer is annoyed because they haven't been able to reach anyone. The order is gone, and the tradesman is frustrated. But it doesn't have to come to that.
"Tradespeople are often stressed by too many customer calls," says Sven Weidner, drawing on his family experience and five years of experience in the digitalization of craft businesses. Last year, he and Max Borrmann founded the company "meiti ." Their voicemail app with an AI chatbot is designed to help micro and small craft businesses "centralize their overwhelming communication" and thus master the difficult balancing act between constant availability and focusing on their work.
"meiti" is an answering machine that uses artificial intelligence (AI) . After installing the app on a mobile device , call forwarding to "meiti's" voicemail can be activated with two clicks, according to Weidner.
For the recorded message, app users can use their own voice or a computer-generated voice . It is possible to record different messages addressed to specific groups of callers, or to have them played only at set times (outside business hours, weekends, holidays).
Operations management
Mobility - Electric drives
Operations management
Furthermore, users can specify which contacts should be recorded via "meiti" and pre-qualified by the AI chatbot. " Calls from family members or the wholesaler are then displayed as missed calls with or without a voice message," the startup's CEO explains as examples.
The voice messages that callers leave on "meiti's" voicemail from their landline or mobile device are converted into text messages and summarized by AI . "As soon as the tradesperson opens the app, they can see at a glance what the missed calls were about."
"meiti" now directly contacts callers who have the WhatsApp instant messaging service installed on their smartphones. Based on the voice message, a chatbot gathers further information. In the "Basic" version , the tradesperson must provide the digital assistant with some questions themselves. In the "Pro" version, AI dynamically responds to the chat's progress. "For example, the chatbot asks how long a problem has existed, provides advice on how to fix it, suggests appointments for repairs or consultations, or sends new customers a contact form," explains Sven Weidner, outlining the range of questions. To clarify their request, the customer can also send photos or documents to the tradesperson via WhatsApp.
The AI chatbot from "meiti" is based on the "Generative Pre-trained Transformer" (GPT) language model , which Microsoft provides under "Azure AI Services" on its "Azure" cloud platform . "Our data is securely stored on servers in Europe and is not shared for training purposes ," assures Sven Weidner.
The startup is currently working on providing each user who subscribes to "meiti" with their own personalized, customer-based AI model . This will allow tradespeople to, for example, correct the digital assistant's responses linguistically and use their feedback to ensure it adapts to their language use.
The "meiti" chatbot communicates via WhatsApp and SMS . "Four out of five mobile phone users have WhatsApp, and in the trades, almost all chat communication takes place via WhatsApp," explains Sven Weidner. From his perspective, however, it would be worth considering integrating another messaging app like "Signal ," which is considered very secure. "That depends on demand and the technical interface."
Once the tradesperson has their hands and mind free again, they can open the "meiti" app . This displays missed calls and the subsequent communication with the chatbot . Within the application, they can then create their own tasks , archive calls , document orders , chat with the customer themselves , or call them directly . "With 'meiti,' we don't want to automate customer communication, but rather prepare and structure it," emphasizes Sven Weidner. Personal contact is indispensable in the trades and must, of course, be maintained.
"meiti" aims to relieve the burden on tradespeople and customers alike . By using the voicemail app with its AI chatbot, the business is always reachable . Calls are answered, summarized, and then handled by the chatbot. "When the tradesperson returns from the construction site, instead of ten missed calls, they have ten pre-qualified, structured customer inquiries ."
But the customer also benefits. Even if they haven't been able to reach the business directly, "meiti" gives them the feeling that someone is already taking care of their request . "That's psychologically important," says Sven Weidner, summarizing the app's advantages : "Tradespeople are spared the tedious task of following up on calls. They have fewer no-shows, more orders, and a larger number of satisfied customers."
Users can choose between three pricing options : "Basic" is only available on a monthly subscription basis and costs €19,74 (plus VAT) . Included in the price are approximately ten open chats, a digital answering machine, and a configurable WhatsApp chatbot, which, however, does not use AI. Instead, users can assign a few questions to each of the company's services, which the chatbot then asks customers. "With 'Basic,' we are targeting businesses with relatively low customer demand who run their business as a side project," explains Sven Weidner.
The "Pro" plan can be booked monthly or annually . Monthly payments cost €49,58 , while annual payments cost €499 . This equates to €41,58 per month (both prices plus VAT) . In addition to the features of the "Basic" plan, "Pro" includes an unlimited number of open chats, a ChatGPT-powered chatbot, voice message transcription, and AI-generated message summaries. Furthermore, with "Pro," each customer receives their own WhatsApp bot and account, which can be customized with their company name, logo, and description.
A price for the "Individual" plan is only available upon request from "meiti". The service package includes the "Basic" and "Pro" plans. In addition, it includes features such as complex call forwarding to multiple numbers and the implementation of individual requirements for qualifying customer inquiries. "Because we can address very specific requirements with 'Individual,' this option is particularly suitable for businesses with an emergency service."
Anyone who wants to see the AI assistant for themselves can try it out "free of charge and without obligation" for 14 days . "The trial period ends automatically after that," assures Sven Weidner.
Digital Craftsmanship In our special feature "Digital Craftsmanship" on handwerksblatt.de you will find many more useful articles on the topics of Artificial Intelligence , ChatGPT , Chatbots or online appointment booking systems.
Digitalization should be fun. This is reflected in the logo of "meiti." The company founders chose a clever and friendly-looking fox . The startup's name is derived from the English adjective "mighty." " With 'meiti,' we've created a powerful app that helps tradespeople digitize their communication in a clever and playful way," says Sven Weidner.
Sven Weidner and Max Borrmann founded "meiti" in 2023. "Things got really serious when we were accepted into the start-up accelerator in Berlin in October," recalls Sven Weidner. Since the beginning of the following year, the application has been available in the app stores for the Android and iOS operating systems.
According to Weidner , roughly nine months after the app's launch, a "four-figure number" of businesses have already registered with "meiti ." The startup's managing director is very pleased with this . "With our very user-friendly solution, which offers real added value, we've clearly struck a chord. This shows us: The use of AI in the everyday operations of a craft business can be this simple!"
DHB now also available digitally! Simply click here and register for the digital German Crafts Journal (DHB)!
Newsletter
Write a comment