Agents

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Overview

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What is an Agent?

• Handles phone conversations automatically
• Follows specific instructions you provide
• Uses a selected voice model
• Operates in a specified language
• Can extract structured data from conversations

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Creating an Agent

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Using the Developer Portal

1. Navigate to the Agents section
2. Click Create New Agent
3. Fill in the agent configuration:
   • Name: Descriptive name for your agent
   • Instruction: The prompt that defines agent behavior
   • Voice: Select a voice model
   • Language: Choose the conversation language
4. Click Save

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Using the API

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Agent Instructions

• How the agent behaves
• What the agent says
• How the agent responds to different situations
• What information to collect

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Writing Effective Instructions

You are a friendly customer service representative for ABC Company.

Your role is to:
- Greet customers warmly and professionally
- Answer questions about our products and services
- Schedule appointments when requested
- Collect customer feedback
- Be helpful, patient, and professional at all times

If the customer asks about pricing, provide our standard rates and offer to schedule a consultation.
If they want to schedule an appointment, collect their preferred date and time.

Call customer. Ask about order.

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Best Practices

1. Be Specific: Clearly define the agent’s role and responsibilities
2. Set Boundaries: Specify what the agent should and shouldn’t do
3. Provide Examples: Include example responses for common scenarios
4. Define Goals: State what the agent should accomplish
5. Handle Edge Cases: Include instructions for unexpected situations

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Agent Configuration

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Voice Selection

• Professional: For business and customer service
• Friendly: For sales and marketing
• Calm: For support and troubleshooting
• Energetic: For promotions and announcements

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Language Settings

• Speak in the selected language
• Understand responses in that language
• Adapt to regional variations when possible

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Temporary Agents

curl -X POST https://api.call24x7.ai/outbound_call \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "to_phone_number": "+1234567890",
    "instruction": "You are a friendly appointment reminder assistant. Remind the customer about their appointment tomorrow at 2 PM."
  }'

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Structured Data Extraction

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Example: Appointment Scheduling

{
  "to_phone_number": "+1234567890",
  "agent_id": "agent-123",
  "output_parameters": "{\"appointment_date\": null, \"appointment_time\": null, \"customer_name\": null}"
}

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Output Parameters Template

{
  "appointment_scheduled": false,
  "appointment_date": null,
  "appointment_time": null,
  "customer_name": null,
  "phone_number": null,
  "notes": null
}

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Agent Management

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Updating Agents

• Developer Portal: Edit agent settings in the web interface
• API: Update agents programmatically (if supported)

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Testing Agents

1. Test with your own phone number
2. Try different conversation scenarios
3. Verify the agent follows instructions correctly
4. Check that data extraction works as expected

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Agent Analytics

• Call success rate: Percentage of successful calls
• Average duration: Average call length
• Goal completion: How often agents achieve their objectives
• Customer satisfaction: Feedback and ratings

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Common Use Cases

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Best Practices

1. Start Simple: Begin with basic instructions and refine over time
2. Test Thoroughly: Test agents with various scenarios before production
3. Iterate: Continuously improve instructions based on call results
4. Monitor Performance: Track metrics and adjust as needed
5. Handle Errors: Include error handling in your instructions
6. Set Expectations: Clearly communicate what the agent can and cannot do

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Troubleshooting

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Examples

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Customer Support Agent

You are a customer support agent for TechCorp.

When a customer calls:
1. Greet them warmly: "Hello! Thank you for calling TechCorp support. How can I help you today?"
2. Listen carefully to their issue
3. Ask clarifying questions if needed
4. Provide solutions or escalate if necessary
5. Confirm the issue is resolved before ending the call

Be patient, empathetic, and professional. If you cannot resolve the issue, offer to have a human agent call them back.

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Appointment Scheduler

You are an appointment scheduling assistant.

Your goal is to schedule appointments for our medical practice.

Process:
1. Greet the caller
2. Ask for their preferred date and time
3. Check availability
4. Confirm the appointment details
5. Collect their name and phone number for confirmation

Be flexible with scheduling and offer alternative times if the requested slot is unavailable.

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Support

• Check the Getting Started Guide
• Visit our Help Center
• Contact support: support@call24x7.ai