Configuring Inbound Assistant

Turn your Caller AI assistant into a 24/7 receptionist, support agent, or booking coordinator. Unlike outbound dialers which push information, inbound assistants must be good listeners, reactive, and helpful.

1. Linking a Phone Number

Before your assistant can receive calls, it must be attached to a phone number.

  1. Go to the Phone Numbers section in your dashboard.
  2. Purchase a new number (or port an existing one).
  3. Select the number and click "Assign to Assistant."
  4. Choose your Inbound Assistant from the dropdown menu.
Tip: You can assign multiple phone numbers to a single assistant if you are running different marketing campaigns but want the same handling logic.

2. The "Receptionist" Persona

Inbound assistants require a different System Prompt strategy than outbound sales agents. They should be polite, patient, and focused on routing the user correctly.

Recommended Inbound Prompt Snippet You are the front-desk receptionist for [Company Name].
Your goal is to answer questions about our hours and services, or schedule an appointment.
Always thank the user for calling.
If the user asks a question you cannot answer, apologize and offer to transfer them to a human manager.

3. Handling Call Transfers (Handoffs)

Sometimes the AI cannot resolve the issue. You can configure the assistant to forward the call to a real human mobile or landline.

Triggering a Transfer

You can set up a tool or function (e.g., `transferCall`) that the AI can invoke when specific keywords are heard, such as:

Warm vs. Cold Transfers

Currently, Caller AI supports Warm Transfers (where the AI introduces the call to the human agent first) and Cold Transfers (immediate forwarding). Check your specific plan for availability.

4. Handling Off-Hours

Your AI works 24/7, but your human team might not. If your assistant is set up to book appointments or transfer calls, you must teach it your business hours.

Add this to your System Prompt:

Current date and time: {{datetime}}
Our office hours are Monday-Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM EST.
If it is outside of these hours, do NOT offer to transfer the call. Instead, take a message or ask them to schedule a callback for tomorrow.