The Age-Old Question
Should you hire a virtual assistant or use an AI inbox agent? Both can handle email replies, but they work very differently.
Virtual Assistants: The Human Touch
VAs are great for complex, nuanced communication. But they have limitations:
- Limited availability (they need sleep)
- Training takes weeks
- Cost $2,000-5,000/month for quality
- Inconsistent response times
AI Inbox Agents: Speed at Scale
AI agents like Underfive respond 24/7, within minutes:
- Always available, never tired
- Setup in under 5 minutes
- Fraction of the cost
- Consistent quality every time
The Verdict
For high-volume outbound? AI wins. For complex negotiations? Keep a human in the loop. Best of all? Use both — let AI handle the initial replies and hand off warm leads to your team.