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Design greetings and conversation flow

The first turn should establish identity, context, and one clear invitation to speak. After that, the agent should make progress one question or action at a time.

Inbound greeting behavior​

The optional Custom Greeting is the exact first message spoken when a normal inbound call connects. It is separate from the system prompt.

If Custom Greeting is blank, Wirevox asks the selected model to generate a natural opening from the system prompt. Side-effecting tools are withheld during that generated greeting, so the agent cannot create a record or perform an action before the caller speaks.

A useful custom greeting is short:

Thank you for calling Northstar Dental. This is Ava. How can I help today?

Avoid menus, disclaimers, long service lists, or multiple questions in the opening. Put required policy notices first only when they genuinely must be heard before the caller responds.

For a bilingual agent, write the Custom Greeting in the primary language. Wirevox handles its internal language tag before synthesis.

Transferred-call greeting​

An agent-to-agent handoff does not replay the ordinary Custom Greeting. The receiving agent receives transfer context and is instructed to acknowledge it naturally. This avoids forcing the caller to start again.

Outbound opening boundary​

The current outbound call path supplies a lead-aware opening such as a greeting using the lead's first name. Do not assume that the inbound Custom Greeting field controls outbound campaign openings. Test the actual outbound path with test lead data before launch.

Write a recoverable call flow​

A reliable flow usually has these stages:

  1. Open: identify the business and invite one request.
  2. Classify: determine the caller's primary intent.
  3. Clarify: ask one focused question at a time.
  4. Act: retrieve information or use an attached function when its trigger and inputs are satisfied.
  5. Confirm: repeat consequential details before a write, booking, cancellation, or transfer.
  6. Resolve: state the verified result and the next step.
  7. Close: end cleanly without reopening the entire conversation.

This is a behavioral sequence, not a script that every caller must follow. Let callers correct details or change intent without restarting the flow.

Keep spoken responses usable​

  • Prefer one or two short sentences per ordinary turn.
  • Ask one question at a time.
  • Say dates, times, amounts, phone numbers, and addresses in a form the caller can verify.
  • Summarize before consequential actions.
  • After a function call, report only the result returned by the function.
  • If the caller interrupts, address the new information instead of repeating the full prior answer.
  • Offer a human, message, or callback path when the agent cannot safely finish.

Avoid duplicate control rules​

Wirevox appends voice-channel, interruption, language, function, date/time, and other operational context where applicable. Use the system prompt for business-specific behavior. Do not paste internal runtime directives or attempt to simulate timers with prose.