Beyond the Bot: What Conversational AI Gets Wrong | BDC Small Business Week 2026

AI receptionists, AI answering services and AI voice agents are everywhere right now. But what’s it actually like to put one on your business line? Every vendor sells the same promise: never miss a call again. But answering the phone was never the hard part. What matters is what happens next. Does the customer get booked, followed up with, and remembered the next time they call? Do they feel like they’re dealing with your business, or with a script? In this session, we look at AI the way a business owner should: as part of how customers experience your business. Business owners who’ve used these tools share what they’ve learned, good and bad. What we cover: What AI receptionists, answering services and voice agents actually do, and what they don’t Why answering calls isn’t the same as running a front desk Where these tools break, and what customers notice How to adopt AI without losing what makes your business personal If you’re considering AI for lead engagement, or weighing an AI receptionist or AI front desk, book a call with us: [BOOKING LINK] Recorded live as part of @BDC Small Business Week 2026. Hello Gubby is the AI front desk for businesses, across every channel. https://hellogubby.ai #AIFrontDesk #VoiceAI #SmallBusiness #AIReceptionist #AIAnsweringService #AIVoiceAgent #ConversationalAI #LeadEngagement #CustomerExperience #BusinessAutomation #AIForSmallBusiness #SmallBusinessTips #BDCSmallBusinessWeek #SmallBusinessWeek #CanadianBusiness #VancouverBusiness #VancouverTech #HelloGubby