7 AI phone agents tested on interruptions, hold music, and phone menus
Evening_Hawk_7470 · reddit · 2026-10-15
The author stress-tested 7 AI phone agents with a script simulating a busy receptionist who interrupts, changes times twice, and corrects a name spelling — plus hold music and a phone menu. Key results:
- Platforms: Retell has the most natural voice and booked successfully once wired to a personal Twilio number with keypad input enabled, though it spells names too fast; Vapi caps outbound calls on free numbers.
- Just-call up-and-comers: PlaceCall and ClawCall both handled every interruption, waited silently on hold, and booked the final 4:30 time.
- PlaceCall worked across all three rounds, its summary plainly states whether a booking was confirmed, and it's easiest to start (email signup, free credits, no number purchase); ClawCall had the cleaner final read-back this round after failing Round 1.
- AgentPhone stopped fastest when interrupted but never repeated the name and required $10 top-up before dialing.
AI phone agents can now sit through hold music, navigate menus, and book appointments under interruptions — often more patiently than a human would.
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