Writing instructions for your Phone Agent

The quality of your AI Phone Agent depends largely on the instructions you provide. Good instructions ensure the agent knows exactly how to respond, what tone to use, and when to transfer a call. In this article you will learn step by step how to write instructions that work.

Why instructions matter so much

Your Phone Agent reads your instructions before every call. Everything you write determines how the agent behaves. Clear instructions lead to better calls. Vague or conflicting instructions lead to unpredictable behaviour.

Think of it as a briefing for a new employee. The better you explain what you expect, the better the result.

How to build your instructions

Good instructions consist of a few fixed parts. You do not need to get everything right at once. Start simple and build on it based on what you hear in real calls.

1. Who is the agent? Give a name and role, for example: "You are Lisa, the virtual assistant of Bakery The Grain Sheaf."
2. What tone do you use? Describe the style: friendly, formal, casual. For example: "Address the caller formally. Be calm and helpful."
3. What can the agent answer? List the topics the agent may handle, such as opening hours, prices or frequently asked questions.
4. What should the agent not do? Set boundaries. For example: "Never give discounts. Do not make promises about delivery times."
5. When should the agent transfer the call? Describe situations where a human needs to take over. For example: "In case of complaints or if someone is angry, transfer to a colleague."

Tips for better instructions

Keep it short and concrete

The agent works best with short, clear sentences. Use bullet points instead of long blocks of text. Write "Greet the caller with: Good morning, you are speaking with [name]." instead of a long story about how the greeting should go.

Include example phrases

The agent learns better from examples than from abstract rules. Give two or three variations per situation so it does not sound robotic.

Describe what the agent should do in unclear situations

Not every call goes as expected. Describe what the agent should do if it does not understand something or if the caller asks about something outside its knowledge.

Avoid conflicting rules

Check that your instructions do not contradict each other. If you write "Answer all questions about prices" but also "Never share pricing information", the agent will not know what to do. Read your instructions as if seeing them for the first time.

Guiding the flow of a call

You can give the agent a fixed call flow. This helps keep calls structured, especially for intake calls or collecting information.

Common mistakes

• Instructions that are too long without structure. The agent loses track.
• No example phrases. The agent does not know how to phrase things.
• Forgetting to set transfer rules. The agent stays stuck in calls it cannot resolve.
• Phrasing the same instruction differently in multiple places. This leads to inconsistent behaviour.
• No instructions for unexpected situations, such as background noise or a caller speaking another language.

Testing and improving your instructions

The best instructions come from testing and adjusting. Call your own Phone Agent and listen to how it responds. Notice sentences that sound unnatural or moments where the agent gets stuck.

Small changes in wording can make a big difference. If the agent repeats the same sentence too often, add extra variations to your instructions.

Example of good instructions