Special Instructions

Your AI receptionist can take some special instructions to handle different situations throughout the call. Let's explore. In the last guide, we learned to craft general instructions for our AI receptionist. Let's see how we can make our receptionist handle more niche use cases with special instructions.

Handling Key Presses

Enhance your AI receptionist's interactivity by incorporating special instructions that respond to caller key presses. By assigning specific actions to designated keys, you can tailor the caller's experience to meet their needs more efficiently. For example:

• Language Selection: Allow callers to choose their preferred language seamlessly. You can instruct your agent with, "When the caller presses 2, switch the language to English." This enables immediate language support without additional menus or prompts.

• Direct Transfers: Streamline the process for reaching specific departments or services. An instruction like, "When the caller presses 0, transfer to customer support," allows callers to quickly connect with the right team, enhancing customer satisfaction.

Implementing key press handling not only makes your AI agent more dynamic but also empowers callers to navigate their interactions with ease. These special instructions can significantly improve efficiency, reduce wait times, and provide a personalized touch that resonates with your audience. Feel free to get creative, as you can make your agent call any tool or perform any workflows with key presses.

Handling Post-Call Scenarios

Extend the effectiveness of your AI receptionist by setting up instructions for actions to take place after a call ends. Post-call scenarios are crucial for ensuring follow-up and maintaining a high level of customer service. By providing clear directives, you can automate tasks that keep your team informed and responsive.

• Email Notifications: Instruct your agent with, "After the call, send the information about the caller to our support email." This ensures that relevant team members receive immediate updates on customer inquiries or issues that require attention.

• Data Logging: You can have the agent automatically log call details into your CRM or database. For example, "After each call, record the caller's name and the product they wanted in our CRM." This helps in keeping accurate records for future reference and follow-ups. Summaries and transcripts are available by default, so you do not need to instruct your agent for that.

• Feedback Requests: Enhance customer engagement by collecting feedback. An instruction like, "After the call, send a text message a link to https://example.com/rating asking to rate the call" can provide valuable insights into customer satisfaction.

By thoughtfully configuring post-call actions, you empower your AI receptionist to handle more than just immediate interactions. These follow-up tasks streamline your operations, improve internal communication, and enhance the overall customer experience. Be sure to articulate these instructions clearly so the agent can execute them precisely, ensuring a seamless continuation from the call to the subsequent actions.

Integrate External Tools Before Greeting

Leverage the power of external integrations to make your AI receptionist more personalized and efficient. By instructing the agent to interact with external tools or APIs before initiating the greeting, you can provide callers with a tailored experience that feels more human and attentive.

• Personalized Greetings: Enhance customer engagement by fetching caller information ahead of time. For example, you can instruct your agent: "Before the greeting, pull the customer's information from our ticketing system. If their name is available, greet them personally." This approach not only surprises and delights customers but also demonstrates that you value their patronage. Do not forget to setup the webhook tool properly for this to work.

• Customized Interactions: Use retrieved data to adjust the conversation flow based on the caller's history or status. An instruction like, "If the caller has an open support ticket, mention it after the greeting and offer assistance," allows the agent to address specific needs proactively.

When implementing external tool integrations, ensure that:

• Secure Connections: All API calls and data transfers comply with security protocols to protect customer information.
• Accurate Data Mapping: The agent correctly interprets and utilizes the data retrieved to prevent misunderstandings.
• Fallback Scenarios: Provide instructions for cases where data isn't available, such as, "If the customer's name isn't found, proceed with the standard greeting."

By thoughtfully integrating external tools before the greeting, you empower your AI receptionist to deliver a more personalized and effective service. This not only enhances the caller's experience but also reflects positively on your brand's commitment to customer care.

We'll get into how the tools work in the next guide. You can revisit the third example again once you have a clear understanding of Tools.