Having a personal assistant would be nice, wouldn’t it? Well, while only people on the top of the food chain can afford to pay someone to handle their everyday matters, it’s a lot easier and more affordable to have a virtual voice assistant, while still gaining many benefits from it.

With a voice activated assistant, users can check their messages, leave notes to themselves, look up directions, set reminders, and much more, just by speaking to their mobile device. These are already being seen in mainstream use, such as the iPhone’s (News - Alert) SIRI, but they also have great business applications.

A well-programmed voice assistant can provide detailed customer analytics, such as what information users ask for the most and when they get the most calls. These analytics can make it easier to help customers when they call, and businesses can fix their apps according to what the customers need.

Not to mention how more convenient they are than automated messages. Sure, no one likes talking to a machine on the phone, but it’s much easier to say “I need to speak with HR” rather than wait through a list to find out what combination of buttons one has to press to get to the menu that will direct them to the submenu that will possibly let them speak to someone from HR.

It’s also easier than one would think to make a voice assistant. Using tools like Angel’s Lexee, one can make a voice solution for their mobile app with a web-based tool, no coding experience required.

With a voice assistant, businesses can help their customers in a more interactive and verbal way, while still leaving it to their computers. Of course, portable devices with their own voice assistants are also useful, but being able to provide one’s customers with someone they can speak with for the assistance they need is not to be overlooked.