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Write guidelines for voice

A caller cannot scroll back, see a list, or click a link. The caller hears each reply one time only. Write these rules in the voice guidelines of the AI Agent.

Where to write them​

  1. Open the AI Agent and go to Guidelines.
  2. Select the Channel-specific tab.
  3. Write the rules in Voice.
  4. Click Save.

Voice guidelines add to the default guidelines on calls only. They count toward the character limit of the guidelines. See Channel-specific guidelines. To keep replies short on every channel, set Response length to Short in the AI Agent setup.

What Moveo does for you​

For a reply that the AI Agent generates on a call, Moveo already adds a voice formatting rule. The rule tells the language model these things:

  • Write plain spoken sentences, with no markdown, emojis, or arrows.
  • Turn a list into one sentence.
  • Leave out URLs and paths. If a site must be named, say the bare domain only.
  • Write numbers, dates, amounts, and acronyms the way they are said.
  • Read a long identifier, such as an IBAN, as its last few characters, unless the caller asks for all of it.
  • If the transcript is unclear, ask again in a natural way.

On a Web Voice call, the caller also sees the reply as text. There, a markdown link shows on screen, but the voice does not say it. Your guidelines do not need to repeat these rules. Use them for the rules of your business.

Rules for a phone conversation​

RuleExample guideline
Keep each turn short"Reply in one or two sentences. Then stop and let the caller speak."
Ask one question at a time"Ask for one piece of information per turn. Wait for the answer before the next question."
Spell out numbers"Say amounts in words, for example 'two hundred euros'. Read phone numbers in groups of three."
Confirm critical data"Read back every date, amount, and reference number. Continue only after the caller confirms."
Spell names and emails letter by letter"Ask the caller to spell their surname. Repeat it back letter by letter."
Offer a few options only"Offer at most three options. Name the most common option first."
Recover from a bad transcript"If the answer does not fit the question, ask the question again in different words."
Announce a wait"Before you look up an account, tell the caller that it takes a moment."

To make the voice say a word correctly, use the settings in Pronunciation and speech control.

End a call and hand over​

A workflow action ends the call, not a sentence in the guidelines. Write the guideline so that the AI Agent says the last sentence first.

  • Resolve closes the call within a couple of seconds. See Resolve.
  • Handover transfers the call to a phone number or a SIP URI. See Voice call transfer.
  • Add a Pause of 1 to 2 seconds before Resolve or Handover. The pause stops the cut of the last sentence.
  • Web Voice calls do not support handover. Do not run the Handover action on a browser call.

Example guideline: "Before you transfer the call, tell the caller the name of the team and that the transfer starts now. Before you end the call, confirm the result and say goodbye."

Good and bad guidelines​

This guideline is written for a screen. The caller hears a long reply, a list, and a link.

When the customer asks about payment options, list all of them:

- **Card** (Visa, Mastercard, Amex)
- **Bank transfer** to IBAN GR16 0110 1250 0000 0001 2300 695
- **Online** at https://example.com/pay Then ask if they want to pay now, which method they prefer
  and when.

This guideline is written for a call. Each turn is short and has one question.

When the customer asks about payment options, say that they can pay by card or by bank transfer. Ask
which of the two they prefer. Ask one question per turn. For a bank transfer, say that the account
details are on the invoice. Do not read the IBAN. For a card payment, read back the amount in words
and ask the customer to confirm it.

Next steps​

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