Latest news with #Vida
Entrepreneur
3 days ago
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Stop Losing $500+ a Month — The Mistake Starts With a Missed Call
Every missed call could mean a missed customer, and over time, thousands in lost revenue. Discover how AI voice agents are helping SMBs stay responsive, scale faster and serve smarter. Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. For many small business owners, the ringing phone is a lifeline. But what happens when it goes unanswered? According to a new survey by my company, Vida, 42% of SMBs estimate they lose at least $500 every month to missed calls. That's over $6,000 a year — vanishing without a trace. Yet despite growing awareness of the issue, only 22% have adopted AI-powered voice agents to help solve the problem. What businesses are doing When teams are stretched thin and customer demands keep growing, staying on top of inbound calls is tough, and usually means hiring more staff, which drives up costs. That's where AI voice agents come in. These tools step in to fill customer service and sales gaps, ensuring every call is answered, common questions are addressed, and new opportunities aren't missed. Many SMBs are already putting AI voice agents to work, handling inbound sales, responding to support inquiries and even serving customers in their preferred language, extending accessibility without the need for additional hires. Related: Is It Always PR's Job to Make the Phone Ring? Take Larry, for example, who runs an independent cleaning business. Before implementing an AI voice agent, Larry estimates he was missing 8-10 calls a week, often during jobs or after hours. Now, his AI agent books appointments, answers after-hours inquiries and provides updates to clients while his team is en route. He's not only retaining more leads but also improving customer satisfaction simply by being available, even when he can't pick up the phone. AI voice agents also offer a major advantage when it comes to scaling a business. Whether it's a seasonal surge or a promotional push, automation helps absorb spikes in call volume so staff can stay focused on more complex tasks. And it pays off — according to a global study by Qualtrics, customers who have a 5-star experience are 3 times more likely to recommend a business. Overcoming misconceptions Adoption still lags in part because many business owners associate AI voice agents with the clunky, robotic systems of the past, or feel overwhelmed by the idea of implementing them. There's also a lingering concern that customers will reject automation. But the reality? Most customers don't care how they get help, as long as they get it quickly and accurately. Today's AI tools sound natural, respond dynamically and work seamlessly alongside your team. Actually, Zendesk reports that 59% of consumers expect generative AI to change how they interact with companies within the next two years, highlighting just how quickly customer expectations are shifting. And the results speak for themselves. With the right setup, AI voice agents quickly go from a "nice to have" to a critical part of the team. How to get started Bringing AI voice agents into your business doesn't require a massive overhaul. In fact, the most effective implementations start small and scale up: Start small. Focus on high-volume, low-complexity tasks like scheduling appointments, qualifying leads or answering FAQs. Focus on high-volume, low-complexity tasks like scheduling appointments, qualifying leads or answering FAQs. Train your team. Help employees understand how to work with the AI agent, not against it. Help employees understand how to work with the AI agent, not against it. Scale gradually. As confidence builds, expand the agent's responsibilities to include other repetitive or time-consuming tasks. As confidence builds, expand the agent's responsibilities to include other repetitive or time-consuming tasks. Track and optimize. Monitor performance, gather insights and adjust workflows to improve outcomes over time. Getting started is easier than many business owners expect. Today's AI voice agents are built to plug into existing systems, whether a CRM, calendar or phone platform, making the transition minimally disruptive and requiring no technical expertise. Some solutions even allow business owners to simply forward calls to the AI agent. For business owners like Larry, setup took just minutes. He provided a bit of background, shared a few of his existing marketing materials and FAQ documents to help train the system, and the AI agent was ready to go. Now, it effortlessly handles appointment bookings, inquiries and client updates. And because these agents are adaptive, they learn and improve over time, creating more value the longer they're in use. According to Vida's SMB AI Voice Agent Adoption & Impact Survey, 97% of businesses already using AI voice agents reported increased revenue. Another 82% saw stronger customer engagement, and 80% saved five or more hours each week, time that can be reinvested into higher-value work. Related: How to Turn Your Key Employees Into Your Business Successors (and Avoid the Headache of Outside Buyers) Why it matters AI voice agents are becoming a strategic necessity for SMBs aiming to stay responsive and competitive. As more companies embrace digital tools, those who stay complacent risk falling behind. Small slips like a missed call might seem minor, but over time, they lead to lost revenue, missed connections and stalled growth. Forward-thinking businesses go beyond streamlining operations; they embrace intelligent systems that evolve alongside customer needs and technological change. In a world where speed, personalization and 24/7 availability are becoming the norm, AI voice agents help SMBs make every call count. Every missed call is a missed opportunity, one that your competitors may be ready to catch. Fortunately, staying competitive doesn't require a full operational overhaul. It starts with taking one smart step forward. And with the right AI voice agent in place, businesses can become more responsive, more reliable and more profitable, without burning out their teams or breaking the bank. The difference between a missed call and a booked customer is often just a few seconds. AI voice agents help you win those moments — and in business, moments matter.
NDTV
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- NDTV
"Dear Girlies...": Flight Attendant Shares Meghan Markle's Handwritten Note
Meghan Markle left a handwritten note for an attendant on an American Airlines flight, and it's safe to say it made her day. Nina Vida, who served Ms Markle on board, has posted a video in which she explained how thrilled she was to receive a personal note from the Duchess of Sussex. Ms Vida, brimming with excitement, said, "You guys will not believe who I had on my flight, who I had the pleasure of serving. The queen, the princess, the Duchess of Sussex." Recounting the interaction, Ms Vida said that she and her fellow crew members wrote a note for her saying, "It's a pleasure serving you! Love you real bad," signed by "AA girlies." To their surprise, Ms Meghan responded with a thank-you note, writing, "Dear AA girlies, thank you for the love, hospitality and handwritten note - you know me well." She signed off the note with, "As ever, Meg." Ms Vida described her as beautiful in person and praised her for being so sweet. She complimented Ms Markle's handwriting, saying it gave rich vibes, and looked expensive and princess-like. She also said that Ms Markle even complimented her nails, which her previous captain criticised. "She also said she loved my nails, and the captain on my last flight said they were intense," she added. "But it doesn't matter what you think. The queen says she likes them." Nina Vida flight attendant for #AmericanAirlines had the pleasure of meeting the #DuchessofSussex on her flight and even received a thank you note from her #MeghanSussex #flightattendant #RoyalNews — (@blakjaxx) May 23, 2025 She captioned her TikTok video, "No picture, but I love a handwritten note." Ms Markle earlier shared her love for handwritten notes. In her old blog, 'The Tig', she once wrote that she thought handwritten notes were a "lost art." She said it felt special when someone took the time to write something by hand. "The idea of someone taking the time to put pen to paper is really special," she wrote.
News18
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- News18
Meghan Markle Leaves Flight Attendant Stunned With Handwritten Thank You Note: 'As Ever, Meg'
Last Updated: Flight attendant says Duchess of Sussex replied with a handwritten note after crew sent her a fan message mid-flight. Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, left a flight attendant stunned during a recent American Airlines flight after she responded to a fan note from the cabin crew with a handwritten message of her own. Nina Vida, a flight attendant who served Markle during the flight, shared the encounter on TikTok, calling it a moment she would never forget. 'You guys will not believe who I had on my flight, who I had a pleasure of serving," Vida said in the video. 'The queen, the princess, the Duchess of Sussex." The crew had initially passed Markle a handwritten message that read, 'It's a pleasure serving you! Love you real bad," and signed off as the 'AA girlies." Moments later, Markle surprised them by returning a napkin with her own handwritten note. 'Dear AA girlies, thank you for the love, hospitality and handwritten note — you know me well," she wrote, signing off with 'As ever, Meg." Markle also took the time to compliment Vida's manicure, something the flight attendant proudly mentioned in her video. 'She also said she loved my nails, and the captain on my last flight said they were intense," she added. 'So, sir, it doesn't matter what you think. The queen says she likes them." In the caption of her TikTok video, Vida wrote: 'No picture but I love a handwritten note," while fans flooded the comments in disbelief. One wrote, 'That note!!! Laminate it, frame it, put it in a lock box at the bank! I would cherish it forever." Another added, 'This is unreal. Wow. You are so lucky!!" Markle, a former actor known for her role in Suits, is also known for her love of handwritten notes. In her now-defunct lifestyle blog The Tig, she once wrote, 'Handwritten notes are a lost art form… The idea of someone taking the time to put pen to paper is really special." First Published: May 27, 2025, 20:16 IST
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
American Airlines flight attendant reads aloud handwritten note from Meghan Markle
An American Airlines flight attendant has revealed a heartfelt note Meghan Markle had shared with the crew during her recent commercial flight. Flight attendant Nina Vida took to TikTok to read out a handwritten thank-you note Meghan gave the crew after Vida and her co-workers expressed their happiness at getting the chance to serve the Duchess of Sussex. Vida's now-viral TikTok video is captioned, 'No picture but I love a hand written note.' 'You guys will not believe who I had on my flight, who I had a pleasure of serving,' Vida said in the video from her hotel room. 'The queen, the princess, the Duchess of Sussex.' Vida said Meghan was 'beautiful' in person, and praised her for being 'so sweet.' She said that Meghan shared the note with the crew after they gave her a handwritten note that read, 'It's a pleasure serving you! Love you real bad.' The crew's note was signed off as the 'AA girlies.' 'Dear AA girlies, thank you for the love, hospitality and handwritten note — you know me well,' Meghan wrote in return. 'All love right back to you.' Vida added that Meghan signed off with 'Forever, Meg.' Vida also opened up about her brief personal exchange with Meghan, saying the Duchess complimented her manicure. 'She also said she loved my nails, and the captain on my last flight said they were intense,' Vida explained. 'So, sir, it doesn't matter what you think. The queen says she likes them.' Meghan is known for being very fond of handwritten notes. Years ago, she wrote in her now-defunct lifestyle blog, The Tig, that 'handwritten notes are a lost art form.' 'The idea of someone taking the time to put pen to paper is really special,' Meghan said at the time.
New York Post
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
American Airlines flight attendant reads out handwritten note from Meghan Markle after commercial trip
An American Airlines flight attendant has revealed the sweet note Meghan Markle had sent to the crew during her recent commercial flight. Taking to TikTok, flight attendant Nina Vida read aloud the Duchess of Sussex's hand-written thank-you note after she and her co-workers expressed their delight at getting to serve the 'Suits' alum. 'You guys will not believe who I had on my flight, who I had a pleasure of serving,' Vida said in the video from her hotel room. 'The queen, the princess, the Duchess of Sussex.' 4 An American Airlines flight attendant has revealed the sweet note Meghan Markle had sent to the crew during her recent commercial flight. Instagram/@ninavidavlogs The air hostess gushed over how 'beautiful' the former actress was in person, adding that the 'Confessions of a Female Founder' podcast host was also 'so sweet.' Vida explained that the crew received a response from Markle, 43, after they slipped her a hand-written note that read, 'It's a pleasure serving you! Love you real bad.' They signed off their note from the 'AA girlies.' Moments later, the crew received a small square napkin with a sweet message from the former working royal. 'Dear AA girlies, thank you for the love, hospitality and handwritten note — you know me well,' Markle wrote in return. 'All love right back to you.' Vida then pointed out that the duchess signed off with 'Forever, Meg' — however eagle-eyed social media users pointed out that Markle instead wrote, 'As ever, Meg,' in a nod to her lifestyle company, As Ever. Vida then dished on her brief exchange with Prince Harry's wife, saying the 'With Love, Meghan' Netflix star had complimented her manicure. 4 The air hostess explained that the crew received a response from Markle after they slipped her a hand-written note. Instagram/@ninavidavlogs 4 'Dear AA girlies, thank you for the love, hospitality and handwritten note — you know me well,' Markle wrote. 'All love right back to you.' Getty Images for TIME 'She also said she loved my nails, and the captain on my last flight said they were intense,' she explained. 'So, sir, it doesn't matter what you think. The queen says she likes them.' 'No picture but I love a hand written note,' Vida captioned her now-viral TikTok video. It wasn't long before fans of the duchess rushed to the comments section to react. 'That note!!! Laminate it, frame it, put it in a lock box at the bank! I would cherish it forever,' one person wrote. Another added, 'This is unreal. Wow. You are so lucky!!' A third penned, 'How does it feel to be living our way I would have had to sneak a selfie or something lol,' while a fourth wrote, 'She flies commercial? wow walking the walk she talks!' Markle's love of hand-written notes has been known for years. 4 'No picture but I love a hand written note,' Vida captioned her now-viral TikTok video. Instagram/@ninavidavlogs Writing in her now-defunct lifestyle blog, The Tig, years ago, the mom of two said 'handwritten notes are a lost art form.' 'The idea of someone taking the time to put pen to paper is really special,' the keen calligrapher said at the time.
