1. Be Specific About Your Business Context
Give your agent a clear identity and purpose. Include your business name, what you do, your hours of operation, and the types of calls the agent should expect. The more context you provide, the better the agent can handle unexpected questions.Instead of “Answer calls for my business,” write something like “You are the front desk receptionist for Sunrise Dental, a family dentistry practice open Monday through Friday 8am to 5pm. Most callers will be patients scheduling or rescheduling appointments.”
2. Always Ask Callers to Spell Out Email Addresses
Speech-to-text engines frequently misinterpret email addresses because they contain unusual word combinations, numbers, and symbols. Always instruct your agent to ask callers to spell out their email address letter by letter, and to repeat it back for confirmation. Include a line like this in your agent instructions:3. Define What the Agent Should NOT Do
It’s just as important to tell the agent what to avoid as it is to tell it what to do. Specify topics the agent should not discuss, promises it should not make, and when it should transfer to a human instead of trying to handle something itself. For example: “Do not provide pricing estimates. Do not diagnose medical conditions. If a caller is angry or requests to speak with a manager, transfer the call immediately.”4. Structure Transfer Rules Clearly
When configuring call transfers, use a consistent format that maps caller intent to a specific destination. This helps the agent make accurate routing decisions without ambiguity.5. Write Instructions in Natural Language, Not Code
Your agent instructions are processed by a language model, not a rule engine. Write them as clear, conversational instructions — the way you would brief a new receptionist on their first day. Avoid programming-style syntax, conditional logic trees, or overly technical formatting.6. Include a Fallback Strategy
Not every call will fit neatly into your expected scenarios. Tell the agent what to do when it doesn’t know the answer or when a caller’s request falls outside its capabilities. Good fallback strategies include taking a detailed message, offering to have someone call back, or transferring to a specific person.7. Keep Greetings Short and Natural
Long, scripted greetings feel robotic and waste the caller’s time. Keep your greeting to one or two sentences. The agent should identify itself and the business, then ask how it can help. Good: “Thanks for calling Sunrise Dental, this is Ava. How can I help you today?” Avoid: “Thank you for calling Sunrise Dental, your premier provider of comprehensive family dental care services in the greater metropolitan area. My name is Ava and I am an AI-powered virtual assistant here to help you with scheduling, general inquiries, and more.”8. Use Phonetic Spelling for Tricky Pronunciations
Voice AI agents pronounce words based on how they’re written, which can lead to awkward-sounding names, street addresses, medical terms, or brand names. If your agent consistently mispronounces a word, add the phonetic spelling directly in your instructions so the agent says it correctly. Include a pronunciation guide in your agent instructions like this:Test pronunciations using the Test Agent playground after making changes. Different voice models may handle the same phonetic hints slightly differently, so always verify with a test call.
9. Include FAQs for Information Not on Your Website
Your agent can reference your website through the Knowledgebase Links field, but many common caller questions involve details that aren’t published online — things like parking instructions, insurance policies, cancellation fees, or internal processes. Add an FAQ section directly in your agent instructions to fill these gaps.The FAQ format works well because it gives the agent a clear question-and-answer pattern to follow. Keep answers concise — the agent will use them as a reference and paraphrase naturally during the conversation.