Thanks for stopping by to check out my Smith.ai review.
It's not fun to worry about money and if it keeps you awake at night, you're not alone. I've been there too.
You may have bills piling up and debt to pay. Or maybe you have someone you're taking care of, and working at home is what you need.
Is Smith.ai a solution?
Is it legit?
In this review, I'll explain what Smith.ai is, what they do, and whether or not it's worth it. I'll also discuss the various responsibilities, qualifications, and compensation.
Here's a quick overview of the topics I'm going to cover…
- What is Smith.ai?
- How does Smith.ai work?
- Is Smith.ai Legit?
- Smith.ai Reviews
- Smith.ai Employee vs. Smith.ai Independent Contractor
- Smith.ai Virtual Receptionists
- Smith.ai Salary
- Smith.ai Hiring Process
- Where Do You Go from Here?
Disclaimer:
Please note, I am not a member or an affiliate for Smith.ai. This review has been researched with information and/or testimonials that are available online in the public domain. Any recommendations and/or conclusions are strictly opinions and may not apply to, or agree with, all persons or situations. See full disclaimer for more info
What is Smith.ai?
Smith.ai is a customer service-based company co-founded by Aaron Lee (Ex-CTO of The Home Depot and co-founder of Redbeacon), and Justin Maxwell (who has designed products and led teams for Apple, Google, Mint, and Sony).
They are based out of Palo Alto, CA, with receptionists in the US, Canada, and Mexico.
They also employ remote chat agents across North America.
Since its inception in 2015, Smith.ai has grown to employ over 100 people.
The industries that Smith.ai serves include:
- Automotive
- Construction and Design
- E-Commerce and Retail
- Education and Enrichment
- Finance and Accounting
- General Contractor
- Hiring and Staffing
- IT and Managed Services
- Landscape and Garden
- Legal and Law Firms
- Lifestyle and Events
- Marketing and Design
- Media and Entertainment
- Medical and Wellness
- Pet Services
- Software and Saas (Software as a Service)
How does Smith.ai work?
You may have seen a job posting for remote work at Smith.ai and wondered what they do.
As mentioned above, Smith.ai is a customer service company. They hire home-based virtual assistants and receptionists (you) to provide live calls, virtual phone, and online chat teams for various small and medium companies around the clock.
Of course, you don't have to work around the clock, but they do provide service around the clock.
Virtual receptionist work is great if you need to work from home or want extra income from a part-time job.
It does require some experience and a commitment though. It's not like owning an online business where you have more freedom. Or making money with simple online surveys that require no commitment.
Smith.ai is not always hiring either.
If they don't have any current job openings currently, you can make a little money sites like Survey Junkie and Inbox Dollars in the meantime. They don't provide an income like Smith.ai can, but they are a simple way get started if you've never made money online before.
They can also be a step towards something bigger like an online business.
You may be at home because of difficulties with your health, for example, or young ones to look after.
If that’s the case and a full-time income online is what you want, knowing how and where to get started is what you need in order to get what you want.
Now, I'm going to give you a free step by step beginner's guide to making money online and you can get it by Clicking Here
And Smith.ai helps online business owners.
They specialize in providing a times saving service to home-based businesses and entrepreneurs so they can expand their customer service capabilities without hiring large numbers of new employees.
As receptionist, their software screens and prioritizes your incoming calls while blocking spam and sales calls.
It also provides a detailed call history to personalize conversations and service.
Smith.ai's clients receive call notifications, daily call summaries, and notes.
Unlike some companies that only provide chatbot and voicemail services, Smith.ai hires you to connect with and engage in genuine conversation with their client's customers. There are no scripts for you to read or time limits.
Also, you won't necessarily be working for a single client company. This is important to know because each client will have its own set of guidelines and standards you must follow.
Is Smith.ai Legit?
Yes, Smith.ai is legit, but there is something important you need to be aware of. Scammers pretending to be from Smith.ai may post Smith.ai job opportunities on various boards and platforms.
These scammers also pull the same phishing scheme on other remote work platforms like Appen, Teletech, and Rev.com, among others.
It works like this…
You respond to a job posting that appears to be from Smith.ai (or another remote work website). The contact information provided, however, is fake.
In some instances, it's easy to identify. It'll be a WhatsApp ID or a generic email address from Outlook or Gmail. They may also try to get you onto Google Meets or a Zoom call.
These are big red flags, and it's not how Smith.ai will contact you.
In other instances, the scammers will create an entire site that looks exactly like Smith.ai… but it's not.
Therefore, when applying for a job at Smith.ai or responding to one of their job postings, make sure it is through their official site and channels…
Check that the proper web address (URL) is smith.ai (shown above).
If you're unsure about anything, contact them at their official phone number (also shown above) to confirm the job posting is legit. And apply through their official application portal.
The purpose of this phishing scam is to get access to things like your credit cards, bank account, etc., and they have a variety of methods to do this.
For example, scammers may claim they need remote access to your computer to install the proper software. During this process, they may also “fake a bank deposit” into your account, giving you money to buy equipment.
They do this by editing the HTML of your bank's website.
It will look on your end like they've sent you money, but it's not real.
Part of this scam is to over-send money.
For example, they may say that they're depositing $1,000. However, they edit your bank's webpage HTML to make it look like they sent $10,000.
Then, because of the “keypunch” error, they ask that you send $9,000 back to them.
In reality, the only money transferred was from the victim to the scammer. And the victim is out $9,000 (or however much the scammers claimed to over-send).
Of course, most people don't fall for this. But enough people do, making it tremendously profitable for the criminals who run this scheme.
Again… this is NOT Smith.ai running this scam. It's scammers pretending to be from Smith.ai and other remote work platforms.
Smith.ai is legit. In fact, they were named as one of the 25 best places to work by the Business Intelligence Group.
In addition, they've received $5 million in VC funding as recently as 2021, so you shouldn't have any concerns working for them if you get hired.
Furthermore, Smith.ai donates annually to organizations such as the National Military Family Association, Operation Homefront, and Hope for the Warriors.
These are, of course, not things you'd typically find with a scam.
Smith.ai Reviews
Smith.ai is rated highly by sites like Indeed and Trustpilot, which is great because that's not always the case for work-at-home jobs. But if you're wondering how it is to work for Smith.ai, there are many reviews and examples from home-based virtual receptionists you can refer to.
On Indeed, they currently have an overall rating of 4.4 (out of 5), based on 83 reviews. Having reviewed hundreds of remote work companies and make-money platforms, Smith.ai is among the best, according to worker reviews.
Trustpilot does even better from the client company side with an overall rating of 4.8 (also out of 5) based on 184 reviews. This is important because the happier the clients are, the more business Smith.ai gets and the more work they have for you.
Some positive employee comments from workers include:
- Of all the places I've worked at, this is by far the best.
- The interviewers, trainers, receptionist team leaders and overall team of receptionist agents are welcoming, friendly and encouraging.
- There's constant feedback to achieve professional growth, and what's more important, your achievements are acknowledged and praised.
- Management offers the best support, you get more praise and kudos than from any in office company I have ever worked for.
- I've been a part of Smith.ai for the past 8 months. I really cannot praise this company enough.
- The management team is amazing! They give you all the tools and more to succeed and grow and work with you one-on-one to help you reach your goals.
I must admit, some of these comments and reviews were so good I thought they were fake. But they appear to be legit.
Fake reviews are usually easy to spot because their dates are clustered. So you'll see a bunch of positive reviews all dated within one or two weeks, sometimes within a month… and then no reviews for months before or after the cluster.
They also use repeated words and awkward language because scripts are often provided. That doesn't seem to be the case here. The positive Smith.ai reviews are authentic.
There are some negative reviews, though, which is expected. No company is perfect, and you can't ignore the disgruntled worker looking for payback.
And then there are legitimate remote worker complaints.
Remote work is not like being a full-time office employee.
For example, one reviewer said, “There is also no paid time off; no personal days, no sick leave, no vacation pay, not a single hour of any type of paid time off.”
Smith.ai Employee vs. Smith.ai Independent Contractor
Smith.ai's locations based employees receive regular salaries and benefits. They also report to a manager, as employees in traditional jobs do.
Remote work is different. You're an independent contractor, although less so with Smith.ai than with other remote work sites.
Smith.ai provides employee benefits to virtual receptionists who work more than 30 hours a week, which is rare for a work-at-home gig.
You also don't have a boss over your shoulder. At least, not in person.
Therefore, working from home and being an independent contractor differs greatly from being an employee.
If you approach Smith.ai virtual receptionist jobs (or any work-at-home job) with an “employee” mindset, you may feel frustrated because that's not what you are. You're not an “employee.”
At least, not in the typical sense.
For example, a current employee commented on Glassdoor that “The only con there was, was by being freelancers we had to pay our own taxes.”
They also followed up with that to say that policy had changed recently. That your taxes are taken out of your regular pay… but I'm not sure if this has changed for all virtual receptionists or only those who work more than 30 hours per week.
Either way, as a remote worker, perspective is everything. Think of yourself as a business owner and freelancer selling a service.
Think of Smith.ai as a client buying a service from YOU because, as a business and freelancer, you can have more than one client. And you can provide more than one service.
If you're working from home for a set number of hours, you may have more hours in the day that you can use to provide freelance services to different clients. For example, you may do some freelance writing, transcription work, or proofread documents.
You might even drive for Uber when you're not working for Smith.ai.
Freelancers are most successful when they use a diverse strategy and develop multiple sources of income.
Working from home provides a wealth of opportunities you don't often have when you're stuck in an office 8 – 10 hours a day with a long commute each way.
“Employee-minded” workers often get frustrated by work-at-home pay because it is generally lower, but “independent contractor-minded” workers earn money from multiple sources.
You can also combine remote work with simple money-making activities like online surveys with companies like Survey Junkie, or surfing the web with Inbox Dollars and even building an online business.
Smith.ai Virtual Receptionists
Virtual receptionist positions are great for people with experience in customer service, sales, marketing, administrative and clerical support, project management, and many other fields.
It's also an excellent job for people who want to make extra money while pursuing other interests and for those who want flexibility and freedom.
Work Schedule
Smith.ai operates around the clock. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week… all year. Even on Christmas day.
They hire both full-time and part-time workers. Full-time, as you would expect, is considered 40 hours per week.
The current schedule requires part-time workers to be available five hours per day, five days per week.
Shifts are divided into two – five hour blocks and scheduled according to Smith.ai's and its clients' needs, as well as your availability.
While it's not 100% flexible the way a freelance gig is, it's certainly more flexible than a traditional job.
Flexibility is one of the biggest benefits reported by employees. For example, one virtual receptionist on Indeed said, “It has given me a lot of time flexibility to spend on my hobbies and house tasks.”
It's also important to point out that although most virtual receptionist positions are in North America, your clients and their customers can be from anywhere in the world.
That provides late night shift opportunities for night owls and those most productive when the sun goes down.
Job Responsibilities at Smith.ai
Smith.ai virtual receptionists handle various responsibilities, from answering phones to taking payments and booking appointments.
Specific tasks include…
- Answering calls
- Taking notes during calls
- Responding to web chats
- Taking messages
- Collecting payments
- Screening new clients
- Booking client appointments
- Transferring calls
Of course, tasks are not necessarily the same thing as responsibilities.
You're responsible for your client's customers as a home-based virtual receptionist.
In other words, you represent Smith.ai's clients and should treat them as if they were your clients and, by extension, treat their customers as though they were your customers.
You also represent Smith.ai, which means you're an ambassador for the company you work for. So Smith.ai is trusting you to represent them.
You're also responsible for understanding caller needs, working as part of a team, and contributing.
Virtual Receptionist Requirements
In addition to being 18 years old and located in North America, you must have specific hard and soft skills to work for Smith.ai.
Soft skills include:
- You must have strong presentation and communication skills. Both verbally and in writing.
- You must pay careful attention to detail and be able to give and follow instructions.
- You must be reliable, responsible, and work with integrity.
- You must work well within a team and demonstrate support for others.
- You must be caring and respectful of everyone you work with and for.
- You must be teachable and adaptive to change.
- You must be resourceful.
In addition, Smith.ai expects you to have a strong work ethic, a polite demeanor, and to show up consistently for your scheduled hours.
Hard skills you must have include:
- Ability to type 40 words per minute with 100% accuracy. You can practice at LiveChat, where your typing speed will be tested.
- Read, write and speak English fluently.
- You must also be a competent computer user.
If you are not qualified or need to brush up on some skills, like typing for example, you can also make money online with survey sites like surveyjunkie.com and inboxdollars.com. They don’t pay as much as a Smith.ai does, but they’re a good first step to making money online.
They can also lead to something with more freedom and independence like an online business.
You may be at home because of difficulties with your health, have children to look after, or maybe you're just tired of your job.
If that’s the case and a full-time income online is what you want, knowing how and where to get started is what you need in order to get what you want.
Now, I'm going to give you a free step by step beginner's guide to making money online and you can get it by Clicking Here
Technical Requirements
As with most at-home phone jobs, you will need some equipment that meets specific technical requirements. These include:
- Desktop or Laptop computer.
- Quiet, distraction-free workspace.
- Headset with a built-in microphone.
- Google Chrome installed on your computer.
- Reliable high-speed internet connection, capable of 10 Mbps or higher download speeds and 3 Mbps or higher upload speeds.
Smith.ai Salary
This information is from Smith.ai's website, but just in case you're unaware, here are the current compensation rates for entry-level receptionists…
- The starting rate for entry-level employees is $15 per hour.
- Bilingual agents fluent in Spanish and English are eligible for a starting rate of $16/hour (entry-level)
- Pay starts at $11/hour if you're located outside the U.S.
- Training is paid.
- Agents working more than 30 hours per week are provided healthcare benefits.
Glassdoor currently reports the average Smith.ai salary at $59,360, based on 62 salaries. This seems high considering the starting pay of $15/hr.
The nearly $60K salary is broken down into base pay ($38,981) and additional pay ($20,378), presumably bonuses, commissions, overtime, etc.
Smith.ai Pay Complaints
First, let me say that for a remote job, $15 per hour is not bad at all. But, of course, you won't get rich from $15 per hour, which may be less than what you're accustomed to making.
Working from home also provides a quality of life, though, that for some, is incomparable.
It's not always about money.
But this is an important topic to address because there are some complaints that $15/hour is too low, and that's understandable, especially if you live in an expensive metropolitan area.
Without a complete analysis of Smith.ai's competitors and the market, it's hard to say there's more money for everyone and that Smith.ai should be paying more.
What I do know is that Smith.ai charges $240 per month for 30 calls per month. So we can do some simple math.
In a hypothetical situation where you take 10 calls per hour, Smith.ai would make $240 for three hours of work or $80 per hour($240 divided by 3 hours).
Of course, it's not that simple or precise, but for this example, if they make $80 per hour (based on the above math), it might seem unfair that they are only paying you $15.
The numbers get better for Smith.ai if the client buys 150 calls per month or more.
However…
… it's not as one-sided as it sounds.
Of course, Smith.ai is making money. It's a business. But they also have expenses.
They have full-time employees to pay, office leases and/or mortgages, utilities, outreach campaigns, and other marketing costs. In addition, they have taxes, lawyers, insurance, etc.
And, regarding the number of phone calls, those 30 calls might get spread out over ten hours on some days, not three.
Some calls are longer than others, and Smith.ai may also have additional capacity (hours) that are undersold. Meaning they need more clients to cover their fixed expenses.
I'm not defending a $15 per hour pay rate. Whether it's fair is a matter of opinion and depends on where you live and your circumstances. I only bring it up because there are often unrealistic expectations regarding working online and making money from home.
While high-paying opportunities exist online, the majority are low to moderate-income opportunities.
Could Smith.ai pay more without raising its client price?
Maybe.
If they increase client prices, will they lose clients?
Also maybe.
Fewer clients mean less work for everyone. Or layoffs.
It can also open the door for competitors to steal clients but getting them back is difficult and expensive once they're gone.
It should also be noted that most are not complaining about the pay rates.
Many experienced remote workers know it's not a bad rate for a work-at-home job. Of course, they would like more, but they also don't have expenses like commuting, expensive lunches, coffees, office clothes, etc.
And not having an office to go to means you can live in an area that's much less expensive.
So, for some people, in certain instances, $15 per hour might be the equivalent of $30 or $40 an hour if they had to work downtown in an expensive city.
Benefits
The Smith.ai team offers employees a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental, and vision insurance, as well as retirement plans such as 401k plans and cash bonuses.
In addition, they provide paid training opportunities for employees to advance their careers within the company.
Additional potential earnings and benefits include:
- Employee referral bonus of $150
- Team award-earning opportunities
Smith.ai Hiring Process
The application process at Smith.ai begins with an online application that must be completed before you can move forward. If you're having difficulty with their hiring portal, they request that you use Google Chrome when applying.
The application looks like this…
The questions you'll need to fill out are located on the right-hand side (highlighted above) and include basic information such as name, email, and phone numbers. You're also asked where you live, whether you have the right equipment, and specific questions regarding experience.
Where Do You Go from Here?
You want to work from home and have more time and flexibility in your life. That's understandable, and you're not alone.
I definitely think Smith.ai is worth it if you get hired. And with the many positive Smith.ai reviews, it certainly sounds like an excellent workplace. That's uncommon for companies that provide remote work.
If the timing is right, and you're qualified, Smith.ai is a great way to start your work-from-home career.
If you are not qualified, however, or they are not currently hiring, there are alternatives.
You might be a student in school or a single parent at home. You may have health challenges that make regular work difficult, or maybe you just hate your job and you’re desperate for a way out.
If that's the case, an online business might be what you want.
With all the scams and schemes out there though, knowing how and where to get started the right way is what you need in order to get what you want.
Now, I'm going to give you a free step by step beginner's guide to making money online and you can get it by Clicking Here
If you're just looking for a simple way to make some extra spending money, online survey and get-paid-to sites are good way to get started.
Sites like Survey Junkie will pay you for your opinion and Inbox Dollars offers rewards for doing things like watching videos, visiting websites and searching the web.
Of course, they won't make you rich, but if you've never made money on the web before, they can be a good way to make your first dollar online.
I hope my Smith.ai review has been helpful. Please share any comments, questions, or experience with Smith.ai in the comments section below.
