"We use the AI receptionist after a certain number of rings, but also during lunch, outside business hours, and as extra relief. This way customers get help even when we cannot answer ourselves."
Miia Gråsten
Customer Service at Smartphoto
About Smartphoto
Smartphoto is one of Europe’s leading providers of personalized photo products—from photo books and calendars to canvas prints and home decor. With customers in several countries, availability and smooth customer communication are absolutely critical. That is why Telavox became a natural partner for their telephony and PBX solutions—and now also with the AI receptionist as a new colleague.
Flexibility from day one
Smartphoto started using Telavox as early as 2015, at a time when most employees were office-based. With Telavox’s solution, working from home suddenly became possible—a benefit that later proved invaluable, especially during the pandemic.
“The biggest difference is that today we can work from home and everyone can answer the same incoming call. Previously, calls went in a loop where it only rang for one person at a time”, says Miia Gråsten, Customer Service at Smartphoto.
Today, Telavox PBX functions are used daily by Smartphoto’s customer service in Sweden, Finland, Norway, and Denmark, as well as by staff in the marketing and finance departments.
When AI becomes an extra colleague
In 2025, Smartphoto began testing the Telavox AI receptionist in Sweden. The idea was simple: relieve customer service, improve availability, and provide customers with faster answers.
“We use the AI receptionist after a certain number of rings, but also during lunch, outside business hours, and as extra relief. This way customers get help even when we cannot answer ourselves”, Miia explains.
One of the biggest advantages is that the AI can answer simple questions about, for example, products, deliveries, and opening hours—especially important when customers struggle to navigate the website.
“Many customers want quick answers and not everyone is able to find the right information themselves. Some prefer to hear an answer rather than read it—for example, our older customers. There, AI is a great help”, says Miia Grasten.
Easy start thanks to close collaboration
For Miia and the team, implementing the Telavox AI receptionist was straightforward.
“I received excellent help from Telavox staff. I submitted the needs I identified and received support all the way. It was easy to understand and nothing complicated. In addition, it is easy for employees to make changes thanks to clear instructions,” she says.
She describes the collaboration with the Telavox team as close and solution-oriented:
“I have only needed to send an email and the Telavox staff have fixed it right away. The support has been patient and truly understood our needs.”
Initial results—and plans for the future
The project is still in the testing phase, but Smartphoto sees great potential.
“So far we have not had time to evaluate everything, but the AI is already providing relief and I am very positive. After the Christmas peak season, we will evaluate and decide whether to implement the solution for our other Nordic countries as well,” says Miia Grasten.
Smartphoto also sees significant opportunities ahead. One area to explore is integrating the AI receptionist even more deeply with the company’s systems—for example, to provide customers with updates on delivery status. This would make the customer experience even smoother—and make the AI an even more natural part of the customer journey.
The recommendation
For Miia, the choice is clear:
“I am happy to recommend Telavox. They offer a wide range of services at market-competitive prices and have support that truly makes a difference.”
