How to Set Up and Optimize Voice AI Agents

Voice AI Agents can be an essential asset for your business, handling inbound calls and performing various tasks based on predefined goals, enabling your team to focus on high-priority activities like lead nurturing and closing sales. With customizable features like voice selection, automated workflows, and 24/7 availability, setting up a Voice AI Agent can streamline call handling and enhance customer engagement. This guide provides a detailed walkthrough of how to create and configure a Voice AI Agent for your business.

Key Features & Benefits

• Automated Call Handling: The Voice AI Agent manages inbound calls, collecting information and providing responses based on customizable scripts and prompts.
• Enhanced Call Handling: Voice AI call rate limits are 200 calls per minute, enabling simultaneous customer interactions and reducing wait times. Regular call limits remain unchanged to balance AI and traditional call handling.
• Multi-Mode Agent Goals: Configure the agent's goals in either Basic or Advanced Mode, with options to collect caller information or set up specific instructions and workflows.
• Workflow Integration: Seamlessly trigger workflows, send SMS messages, or update contact fields based on call interactions, improving the efficiency of follow-up actions.
• Customizable Voice and Tone: Choose from a variety of voices and accents to match your brand’s tone and provide a personalized caller experience.
• Availability Management: Set working hours and assign phone numbers, so the AI Agent only handles calls during specific times, allowing your team to take calls when available.

How to Set Up a Voice AI Agent

Step 1: Access the AI Agents Section

1. Navigate to Settings > AI Agents in your account.
2. Once in the AI Agents section, click + Create Agent to start setting up a new Voice AI Agent.

Step 2: Configure Agent Details

1. Agent Name: Enter a unique name (e.g., “Customer Support Bot”) for easy reference.

2. Business Name: Verify or update your business name to ensure consistency.

3. Language: Select your desired language from the variety of languages available. The Voice AI supports multiple languages, including English, Brazilian Portuguese, Spanish, French, German, Italian, and Dutch.

4. Voice Selection: Choose a voice that best matches your business. Test the voices by clicking the play button to preview.

5. Agent Direction: By default, the direction is set to “Inbound,” meaning the agent only receives calls.

6. Initial Greeting Message: Customize the greeting (e.g., “Hello, you’ve reached [Business Name]. How can I help you today?”).

7. Advanced Settings:

• Adjust call durations from 3 to 15 minutes.
• Choose response speed options, including “Fast” for rapid exchanges and “Normal” for focused discussions

Step 3: Define Agent Goals

Basic Mode

1. Select Basic Mode if you want the agent to collect essential caller details with minimal setup.
2. Choose the information you want to collect, such as the caller’s Name, Email, Address, or Issue.
3. Check the box to Trigger a Workflow if you want a workflow to start when the call ends.

Advanced Mode

For more control over the agent’s actions, switch to Advanced Mode.

1. Prompts: Write detailed prompts to guide the agent’s personality and responses.

Set up your actions:

Note: The system allows for action limits of up to 15 for call transfers, workflows, and SMS triggers, providing flexibility for users to prioritize actions.

1. Call Transfer: Set rules for transferring calls to a human if certain conditions are met.

1. Workflow Triggers: Define workflows that automatically trigger based on call interactions.

1. Update Contact Fields: Specify which fields the agent should update with the collected information.

 The update contact field has an action limit of 25 to maintain data accuracy and prevent erroneous updates.

• Voice AI can automatically extract numbers, monetary values, and postal codes during voice interactions. Create an "Update Contact Field" action and choose the relevant fields (e.g., ticket ID, budget, postal code). 
• When the required number or postal code is mentioned during a call, it will automatically update the corresponding contact record.

Important: This functionality is limited to extracting numbers, monetary values, and postal codes.

1. Send SMS: Configure SMS responses during or after calls for efficient follow-ups.

Note: Once the agent is configured in Advanced Mode, it cannot revert to Basic Mode.

Step 4: Configure Notifications and Availability

1. Email Notifications: Set up email notifications to designated users or groups. Notifications can include call summaries, contact details, call transcripts, and triggered actions.
2. Assign Phone Numbers: Select the phone numbers that will route to the Voice AI Agent.
3. Set Working Hours: Define the agent’s availability to handle calls only during specified times.

Step 5: Test and Finalize

Once all configurations are complete, save the Voice AI Agent and make a test call to ensure everything works as expected.

Call Logs:

• View the contact name or phone number for each call log.
• Click on the contact name or number to access the corresponding contact details.

Important: Contact names will appear only if the caller is already saved as a contact in the system.

STEP 6: Analytics Dashboard for Voice AI Agents

AI Dashboard for Analytics: This provides a comprehensive view of analytics specific to Voice AI interactions. It includes:

• Call Analytics: Insights into the total number of calls, trends over time, and average call duration.

• Actions Triggered: Data on the total actions triggered, with a detailed breakdown of each action type and frequency.

• Updated Contact Fields: Information on the most frequently updated contact fields during calls.

• User Sentiment Analysis : AI-analyzed sentiment metrics to gauge how users feel about the calls.

• Customizable Date Ranges and Filters : Options to filter analytics by specific time durations or by individual agents for targeted insights.

Location of the Dashboard : The dashboard can be accessed by navigating to Settings> the AI Agents tab> 'Voice AI agents dashboards and logs' section.

Comparison Features: The dashboard allows for comparisons to previous periods, showing percentage changes and trends over time to better understand performance improvements or declines.

Pro Tips

• Train Your Agent: Provide detailed prompts and responses for complex inquiries to improve the accuracy and usefulness of the AI Agent’s interactions.
• Segment Calls with Advanced Mode: Use Advanced Mode if you need the agent to handle specific scenarios, such as transferring calls based on caller responses.
• Use Availability Settings: If your team is available during certain hours, adjust the agent’s working hours to allow direct human interaction when your staff is on duty.

FAQ

1. Can I use different voices for each AI Agent?

• Yes, each Voice AI Agent can have a unique voice and accent, allowing for tailored caller experiences.

2. What is the difference between Basic Mode and Advanced Mode?

• Basic Mode is simpler, collecting only essential caller details. Advanced Mode allows more customization, including detailed prompts, workflow triggers, and call transfers.

3. Can I switch between Basic and Advanced Mode?

• Once you set up the agent in Advanced Mode, you cannot revert to Basic Mode. If you need to change modes, you must create a new AI Agent.

4. Can I link multiple phone numbers to the same AI Agent?

• Yes, you can assign multiple phone numbers to one AI Agent and calls to any of these numbers will route to the AI Agent. 

5. How can I disable an AI Agent temporarily?

• To disable an agent, remove the assigned phone number(s) from its settings. The agent will remain in the system but won’t answer calls.

6. What are the limits for action controls in Voice AI? 

• The action limits for call transfers, workflows, and SMS triggers are set at 15, while the update contact field action has a limit of 25 to ensure data accuracy.