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social services

The people who need help most are least likely to speak English

AI agents handle benefit inquiries, case status checks, and resource referrals in 65+ languages, removing language barriers from critical safety-net services.

The short version: a named, dedicated agent from $5.80 an hour, and anyone in distress reaches a person immediately — that is not a service level, it is the whole point. Every contact leaves a timestamped record. AI voice at $0.15 a minute covers office hours, eligibility documentation and where to send a form.

A happy family with a social worker in a warm indoor setting, discussing child welfare.

how it plays out

Real contacts, minute by minute.

Phone Somali

"I need help with food assistance for my family"

SNAP/food assistance inquiry from refugee family

  1. AI responded in Somali and asked household details
  2. Screened for food assistance program eligibility
  3. Provided list of required documents for application
  4. Scheduled in-person appointment at nearest office
Appointment booked family connected to services
Web Chat Spanish

"When will I receive my next benefit payment?"

Payment status check from benefits recipient

  1. AI verified identity through case number and date of birth
  2. Pulled payment schedule from benefits management system
  3. Confirmed next payment date and amount in Spanish
  4. Flagged that recertification was due next month with deadline
Payment confirmed recertification reminder sent
Email Arabic

"My caseworker hasn't returned my calls in two weeks"

Escalation request from frustrated client

  1. AI logged the communication gap with timestamps
  2. Verified assigned caseworker and current caseload status
  3. Sent priority follow-up flag to caseworker's supervisor
  4. Provided client with alternative contact and expected response time
Escalation processed client not lost to follow-up
SMS Mandarin

"Where can I find free English classes near me?"

Community resource referral for new immigrant

  1. AI asked for zip code and schedule preferences
  2. Searched community resource database for ESL programs
  3. Provided three nearby options with registration info in Mandarin
  4. Offered referrals for additional settlement services
Resources shared integration supported

the team behind it

Faces, not a queue.

Callnovo agentCallnovo agentCallnovo agentCallnovo agentCallnovo agent real members of the global team

Social Services Specialists

  • Benefits eligibility screening and application assistance across programs
  • Trauma-informed communication for vulnerable and at-risk populations
  • Multilingual case navigation for housing, food, and healthcare access

65+ Languages

  • Native-speaking agents in English, Spanish, Mandarin, and 60+ more
  • Real-time AI translation for rare language pairs
  • Cultural context training for every market we serve

Follow-the-Sun Coverage

  • Operation centres in Canada, Bolivia, Nicaragua, the Philippines and China
  • Smooth handoff between time zones with shared context
  • Holiday and weekend coverage without overtime costs

what it costs

Published rates, so you can do the arithmetic first.

Most vendors in this category quote by form. These are our published packages — not a quote, since language mix, hours and volume all move the number. The per-minute figures are simply the monthly price divided by the included minutes.

OptionPublished pricePer minuteWhat it's for
Dedicated agent from $5.80 per hour, per agent A named dedicated agent for casework continuity, where being recognised matters
AI voice $0.15 per minute Office hours, document checklists and appointment scheduling — volume that would otherwise sit in the same queue as a crisis call
Web chat $0.05 per session Web enquiries about programme eligibility and what to bring
Live shared team from $300 / month includes 500 min → ≈ $0.60/min A shared live team for steady daily caseload contact
Live shared team from $650 / month includes 1,500 min → ≈ $0.43/min Enrolment periods and emergency response, when volume rises exactly when capacity is thinnest

Anything involving a person is a starting price. Two things move it: which languages you need, and how senior an agent the work actually requires — a bilingual agent handling refund authority is not the same hire as one taking bookings. AI voice and web chat are flat, because there is no hiring in them. And every model above is open to every business on this page: which one fits is a question about the shape of your volume, not about your industry.

Minimum engagement is half a seat — not a five-seat block. We also bill per resolved issue, from $1, where you pay nothing if it is not resolved; that model fits businesses where a customer problem actually gets solved on the call, not businesses where the call is intake.

who takes which call

Route by the cost of getting it wrong.

Most vendors sell you either an AI receptionist or a live answering service and leave the allocation to you. Since we run both, here is the split we would actually recommend — including the calls we think should never touch automation.

The callRoute toCost of getting it wrong
Office hours, appointment scheduling AI Low, and it protects the human queue.
What documents a programme requires AI Low, where the checklist is published.
Anyone in distress, at any point in the call Live agent High and uncapped. Immediate handover, always.
Safeguarding concern about a child or vulnerable adult Live agent High. Escalate by your protocol, immediately.
Benefit or eligibility decision the caller disputes Live agent High. Their income depends on this call.
Language other than English Live agent High. Not being understood is the same as not being served.

setup

Five days to put the right person on it.

Five days is our normal window to staff a live account — that is five days to find and place an agent who fits your business, not five days of software setup. AI voice can go live sooner because there is no hiring step.

your existing software

It goes into your system, with a record of who said what.

We work inside the CRM, practice system or case tool you already run, rather than handing you a second inbox to check. Every contact leaves a timestamped record — who called, what was asked, what was said back, what was promised — because in your line of work the question six months later is not "did someone call" but "what exactly did we tell them". Tell us what you run and we will say straight whether we connect to it today.

questions

What buyers ask before they sign.

How much does it cost?

AI voice is $0.15 per minute and web chat is $0.05 per session. Live agents start at $300 per month including 500 minutes — about $0.60 per minute — or from $5.80 per hour for a dedicated agent working only your account. The minimum engagement is half a seat, not a five-seat block.

How fast can you start answering our phones?

Five days is our normal window to staff a live account — that is five days to find and place an agent who fits your business, not five days of software setup. AI voice can go live sooner because there is no hiring step.

Do you answer in Spanish?

Yes, on the same number, with agents in our Bolivia and Nicaragua operation centres — native Spanish, not machine translation. English and Spanish share one queue, and we cover 60+ more languages if you need them.

Can I mix AI and live agents on one number?

That is the normal setup. You decide which call types go to AI and which reach a person, and you can change the split as your volume changes. Nothing about that decision is locked in at signup.

How do you make sure a crisis call never sits behind automation?

Two ways. First, the AI tier is deliberately narrow — hours, checklists, appointments — so it never has to judge whether a call is serious. Second, any signal of distress hands over to a person mid-call rather than at the end of a menu, and we build that trigger list with you before go-live. The reason to use automation here is not cost; it is to keep the routine volume out of the queue that a person in crisis is waiting in.

Do caseworkers get continuity, or is it whoever answers?

For casework we would recommend the dedicated tier so that the same named agents handle the same people. In social services being recognised is part of the service — a resident who has explained their situation four times to four strangers has been made to relive it four times. The minimum is half a seat, so continuity does not require committing to a full-time agent you cannot fill.

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Remove language barriers from safety-net services

See how social service agencies reach every community they serve