Tell it how to behave

Where the rules live

Open your receptionist under Assistants and choose What it does, the second ability. Everything it is told before a call is on that one page: its job, the playbooks for your trade, every rule written out in plain English, and a box for rules of your own. Nothing is hidden, and every rule can be changed.

Pick its job

At the top are four jobs: front desk receptionist, sales, service and bookings desk, and after-hours message taker. Pick one. Each runs a call its own way: sales finds out what the caller wants and their budget, sells the benefits and books a visit; after-hours explains you are closed, takes a full message and flags emergencies. Press Edit on a job to read and change what it does.

Want a separate salesperson on its own number? Tick Own assistant and number next to a playbook, or press Add on the offer that appears under your receptionist. It is built in one click and already knows your business.

Tick the playbooks for your trade

Choose your type of business, for example car garage, eye clinic or restaurant, and a list of ready-made playbooks appears: showroom sales, service and MOT desk, parts counter, table bookings, and so on. Tick the ones that apply. Each playbook adds a handful of rules, and you can read every one of them further down the page.

Edit any rule

1. Scroll to See exactly what it is told to do. Every rule it follows is listed there, grouped by where it came from.
2. Press Edit on a rule, change the wording, and press Save rule. It is used on the very next call.
3. A changed rule shows a Customised tag. Press Reset to recommended to go back to our wording.

Your own rules

Below the list is a box for rules of your own, one per line, in plain English. Five habits that make a rule work:

1. Write decisions as if-then sentences: If the caller says it is an emergency, put them through to the emergency line. If they ask about prices, say a quote is emailed after the call.
2. Say what to do, not what not to do. Do not mention prices becomes: If asked about prices, say we quote after seeing the job.
3. One rule, one sentence. A paragraph gets skimmed, by people and by receptionists.
4. Facts go in Knowledge, not here: prices, hours, addresses, who does what. Rules are for behaviour.
5. Read it out loud. If it sounds odd said on a phone, the receptionist will sound odd saying it too.

An example set: If they ask for Dave, take a message; he does not take calls on site. If it is after 6pm and not an emergency, book a call back for the morning. Never promise a time without checking the diary. Never give out staff mobile numbers.

Improve it in your own words

Under Improve in your own words, type what you want different, for example: Also take MOT bookings and ask for the registration number. Press Improve. The rules are rewritten, What changed shows you exactly what moved, and you press Use this or Discard. Undo last change takes you straight back if you change your mind.

Stop it making things up

The receptionist only passes on what you have given it. If you want to make that explicit, add a rule: For anything about the business, only use what you have been told. If you do not know, say so and offer to take a message. Repeat prices, phone numbers and hours exactly as written.

Saying things right

If it mispronounces your name, a street or a brand, open the Voice and technical tab and add it under Pronunciation: written as Leicester, say it as Lester.