Inbound Voice Agents

Set up AI voice agents to handle incoming calls, provide customer support, and capture leads automatically with intelligent call routing and management.

Overview

Inbound Voice Agents are AI-powered representatives designed to answer incoming calls and provide immediate assistance to your customers. These agents can handle common inquiries, route calls to the appropriate departments, collect information from callers, and provide 24/7 customer support without human intervention.

The inbound agent system includes advanced features like intelligent call routing, voicemail handling, email notifications, and integration with your customer service platforms. Agents can recognize caller intent, provide relevant information, and escalate complex issues to human representatives when needed.

You can configure your inbound agents with specific knowledge bases, FAQs, call flow stages, and transfer capabilities to ensure seamless customer experiences and efficient call management. The system supports both Normal and Lightning modes for different performance requirements.

Creating an Inbound Voice Agent

Creating an inbound voice agent involves a comprehensive 5-step wizard process that guides you through all the necessary configurations. This ensures your agent is properly set up to handle incoming calls effectively and provide excellent customer service.

Inbound Agent Creation Process

STEP 1 Configure phone number assignment and transfer capabilities. Select the main inbound phone number for your agent and optionally set up transfer numbers for routing calls to human representatives or specific departments.
STEP 2 Define basic agent details including name, personality, role, goal, voice selection, language, and description. These settings determine how your agent presents itself and interacts with callers.
STEP 3 Configure inbound-specific settings such as conversation latency (Normal vs Lightning mode), first sentence greeting, success metrics tracking, and email notification preferences for call summaries.
STEP 4 Set up call flow stages and sample dialogue to guide the agent's conversation flow. Define key background information that the agent should know about your business, products, or services.
STEP 5 Generate and customize the agent's instructions using AI assistance. Review and modify the generated instructions to ensure they align with your business requirements and customer service standards.

Phone Number and Transfer Configuration

The first step in creating an inbound voice agent is configuring the phone infrastructure. This includes selecting the main inbound number and setting up transfer capabilities for seamless call routing.

Phone Configuration Settings

Inbound Phone Number Selection: Choose the main phone number that will receive incoming calls for this agent. The number must be available and not already assigned to another agent. You can see the phone number and any associated labels during selection.
Transfer Number Setup: Optionally configure phone numbers that the agent can transfer calls to when needed. Each transfer number can have a label (e.g., 'Sales Team', 'Support Desk') to help the agent understand when and where to transfer calls.
Transfer Number Format: Transfer numbers should be entered in the format of the phone number without country code (e.g., 5141234567). The system will handle the proper formatting for call routing.
Lightning Mode Restrictions: When transfer numbers are configured, Lightning mode becomes disabled as it's not compatible with call transfer functionality. Normal mode is recommended for agents with transfer capabilities.

Basic Agent Details

The basic details section defines the fundamental characteristics of your inbound voice agent. These settings determine how your agent presents itself and interacts with callers, creating the foundation for effective customer service.

Agent Identity Settings
Agent Name: Give your AI agent a memorable name that reflects its role and personality. This name will be used in call logs, reports, and management interfaces. Choose a name that aligns with your brand and customer service approach.
Leading Personality: Select from predefined personality options that determine the agent's communication style and tone. Options include professional, friendly, authoritative, and other personality types that match your brand voice.
Role Definition: Clearly define the agent's role (e.g., 'Customer Service Representative', 'Sales Support Agent'). This helps the AI understand its responsibilities and guides its responses during conversations.
Goal Setting: Specify the primary goal of the agent (e.g., 'Answer FAQs and route calls', 'Capture leads and schedule appointments'). This objective guides the agent's behavior and decision-making during calls.
Voice Selection: Choose from available AI voices that match your brand and target audience. You can preview each voice by playing a sample to ensure it sounds professional and appropriate for your business.
Language Configuration: Select the primary language for the agent's conversations. This ensures the agent communicates effectively with your target audience and handles multilingual requirements appropriately.
Description: Provide a detailed description of the agent's purpose, capabilities, and how it should interact with callers. This information helps the AI understand the context and expectations for the agent's role.

Inbound-Specific Configuration

Inbound agents have specific settings that optimize their performance for handling incoming calls. These configurations ensure efficient call handling, proper monitoring, and effective customer service delivery.

Inbound Agent Features

Conversation Latency Settings: Choose between Normal mode (recommended) and Lightning mode. Normal mode provides standard pace with optimal conversation quality and full feature support. Lightning mode offers faster conversation speed but disables transfer capabilities.
First Sentence Configuration: Set the very first thing the agent will say when answering calls. This greeting should be professional, welcoming, and representative of your brand. Example: 'Thank you for calling [Your Company Name]. How can I help you today?'
Success Metrics Tracking: Select metrics that should be analyzed in call summaries to measure agent performance and call outcomes. Options include appointment scheduling, interest confirmation, issue resolution, and custom metrics relevant to your business goals.
Email Notification System: Enable email notifications to receive call summaries and important updates. Configure multiple email addresses to ensure key team members are informed about call activities and outcomes.
Transfer Compatibility: Understand that Lightning mode is automatically disabled when transfer numbers are configured, as transfer functionality requires Normal mode for optimal performance and reliability.

Call Flow and Dialogue Configuration

The call flow and dialogue section helps you define how your agent should structure conversations and what information it should have access to. This ensures consistent, effective customer interactions.

Conversation Structure

Call Flow Stages: Define the logical stages of a typical call conversation. These stages help the agent understand the conversation flow and guide callers through appropriate steps, from greeting to resolution or transfer.
Sample Dialogue Creation: Provide example conversations that demonstrate how the agent should interact with callers. These samples help train the AI on proper communication patterns and response styles.
Key Background Information: Supply essential information about your business, products, services, policies, and common customer inquiries. This knowledge base enables the agent to provide accurate, helpful responses without human intervention.
Conversation Guidelines: Establish rules and guidelines for how the agent should handle different types of calls, including escalation procedures, transfer criteria, and response protocols for various scenarios.

Agent Instructions and AI Generation

The final step involves generating and customizing the agent's instructions using AI assistance. This creates comprehensive guidelines that ensure your agent performs effectively and aligns with your business requirements.

Instruction Configuration

AI-Powered Generation: Use the system's AI to automatically generate comprehensive instructions based on the information provided in previous steps. The AI analyzes your agent's role, goals, and configuration to create tailored instructions.
Customization and Refinement: Review and modify the generated instructions to ensure they perfectly align with your business requirements, customer service standards, and specific operational needs.
Instruction Components: The generated instructions include conversation guidelines, response protocols, transfer criteria, escalation procedures, and handling instructions for various call scenarios.
Quality Assurance: Test and validate the instructions to ensure they produce the desired agent behavior and customer experience before deploying the agent for live calls.

Managing and Monitoring Inbound Agents

Once your inbound voice agents are created, you can monitor their performance, adjust settings, and manage their lifecycle through comprehensive management tools. The system provides detailed insights and control over agent operations.

Management Features

Agent Detail View: Access comprehensive information about each agent including configuration settings, performance metrics, call history, and current status. This centralized view provides complete visibility into agent operations.
Real-time Monitoring: Track agent performance in real-time with live updates on call handling, response times, and customer satisfaction metrics. Monitor agent effectiveness and identify areas for improvement.
Configuration Updates: Modify agent settings, instructions, transfer numbers, and other configurations as your business needs evolve. Changes can be made without disrupting active call handling.
Test Call Functionality: Test your agent's performance by making test calls to verify behavior, response quality, and overall effectiveness before deploying to production.
Publishing and Versioning: Publish agent updates to make them active for incoming calls. The system maintains version history and allows rollback to previous configurations if needed.
Performance Analytics: Access detailed analytics including call volume, response quality, transfer rates, resolution success, and customer satisfaction metrics to optimize agent performance.

Best Practices for Inbound Voice Agents

Following best practices helps ensure your inbound voice agents provide excellent customer service and achieve optimal performance. These guidelines are based on successful implementations and industry best practices.

Success Guidelines

Clear Role Definition: Define specific, clear roles and goals for each agent to ensure focused, effective customer service. Avoid creating agents with overly broad or conflicting responsibilities.
Comprehensive Knowledge Base: Provide detailed background information about your business, products, services, and common customer inquiries to enable accurate, helpful responses.
Effective Transfer Setup: Configure transfer numbers with clear labels and criteria to ensure calls are routed to the right human representatives when escalation is needed.
Professional Greeting: Create welcoming, professional first sentences that represent your brand and set appropriate expectations for the conversation.
Regular Monitoring: Continuously monitor agent performance and customer feedback to identify improvement opportunities and optimize agent behavior.
Instruction Refinement: Regularly review and update agent instructions based on call outcomes, customer feedback, and changing business requirements to maintain high service quality.
Advanced Features and Capabilities

Inbound voice agents offer advanced capabilities that go beyond basic call answering. These features enable sophisticated customer service automation and integration with your existing business processes.

Advanced Capabilities

Intelligent Call Routing: Automatically route calls based on caller intent, inquiry type, or specific criteria to ensure customers reach the most appropriate agent or department.
Email Notifications: Receive detailed call summaries and notifications via email to keep your team informed about call activities, outcomes, and any issues requiring attention.
Success Metric Tracking: Monitor specific business outcomes like appointment scheduling, lead capture, issue resolution, and customer satisfaction to measure agent effectiveness.
Multi-language Support: Configure agents to handle calls in different languages, expanding your customer service capabilities to serve diverse customer bases.
Integration Capabilities: Connect your inbound agents with existing customer service platforms, CRM systems, and business tools for seamless data flow and process integration.
Performance Optimization: Use Lightning mode for high-volume scenarios where speed is prioritized, or Normal mode for complex interactions requiring full feature support.

Getting Started with Your First Inbound Agent

Creating your first inbound voice agent is straightforward with the guided wizard interface. Start with a simple configuration to handle basic customer inquiries, then gradually add advanced features as you become more comfortable with the platform.

Remember that successful inbound agents require proper phone number setup, clear role definition, and comprehensive instructions. Take the time to test your agent thoroughly before deploying it for live customer calls to ensure optimal performance.

The inbound agent system is designed to scale with your business needs. As you gain experience, you can create multiple specialized agents for different departments, implement advanced routing strategies, and integrate with your existing customer service infrastructure to provide comprehensive 24/7 customer support.

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