Hear an AI turn down a £40 deposit it can’t agree to at a Cardiff restaurant

What happened

JooVoice calls Rowan House in Cardiff for a table for two on Friday 6 November, between 7 and 8 pm. Rhys can do 7:30, but Friday evenings need a £40 non-refundable deposit to hold the table.

JooVoice says it’s an AI assistant calling for Ellis Morgan and that the call is recorded. It says it can’t agree to a deposit for Ellis, so it will leave the booking for now, and asks what would be needed.

Rhys says he can’t hold the table without the deposit, £40 by card. JooVoice thanks him and says they’ll come back to him.

The outcome

Booking

Not made, left for Ellis to decide

Offered

Friday 6 November, 7:30, for two

Deposit

£40 by card, non-refundable

Moments to listen for

1. A deposit is needed ▶ 0:14 we take a forty-pound deposit to hold the table, and it's non-refundable
2. Won’t agree it for Ellis ▶ 0:36 I can't agree to a deposit for Ellis
3. No hold without it ▶ 0:44 Without the deposit, I'm afraid I can't hold it.

The whole call

Tap a line to hear it.

1. Restaurant 0:00 Rowan House, Rhys speaking
2. JooVoice 0:03 Could I book a table for two, please – Friday, the sixth of November, any time between seven and eight in the evening? Have you got anything, at all?
3. Restaurant 0:14 Let me have a look... Yes, we can do seven-thirty for two. But Friday evenings, we take a forty-pound deposit to hold the table, and it's non-refundable.
4. JooVoice 0:24 Seven thirty would be lovely – and just so you know, I'm an AI assistant calling for Ellis Morgan, and the call's recorded so Ellis has an exact note of what's booked. Is that alright with you?
5. JooVoice 0:36 Ah, okay – I can't agree to a deposit for Ellis, so I'll leave the booking for now. What is it you'd need, just so I can pass it on?
6. Restaurant 0:44 Without the deposit, I'm afraid I can't hold it. It's forty pounds by card.
7. JooVoice 0:50 Thanks for explaining – we'll come back to you. Bye now.
8. Restaurant 0:55 Goodbye.

More calls like this

• United States · Spanish 2:29

  Keep up when the language switches

  The receptionist goes from Spanish to English and back. It books the physical.

  −10

  +10

  Share

• United States 1:59

  Stay calm with an angry dispatcher

  He demands a $49 fee. It calmly gets it waived and the delivery moved to Saturday.

  −10

  +10

  Share

• United States 2:15

  Answer “are you a robot?”

  Asked twice. It says it’s an AI both times, then books Saturday at 3:30.

  −10

  +10

  Share

• United States 3:13

  Correct a misheard date and number

  The receptionist mishears both. It corrects each and books Tuesday at 9:15.

  −10

  +10

  Share

• Glasgow 1:46

  Cancel a gym membership in Glasgow

  Turns down a freeze. Cancelled, with a reference.

  −10

  +10

  Full story→ Share

• Manchester 2:24

  Book a washing machine repair in Manchester

  Saturday 10 to 12, £50 call-out, and a quote before any repair.

  −10

  +10

  Full story→ Share

All get through the hard parts calls → Calls in UK → Every call →