Instructions

Define the logic, rules, and instructions that guide your AI Agent’s behavior and decision-making in customer conversations.

Overview

Instructions are the core behavioral guidelines that tell your AI Agent how to handle different situations, when to escalate to humans, what business rules to follow, and how to structure conversations. Well-crafted instructions ensure your agent provides consistent, accurate, and helpful responses that align with your business processes.

What Are Instructions?

Instructions are natural language guidelines that you provide to your AI Agent to control its behavior. Unlike rigid programming, instructions allow you to describe desired behavior in plain English, and the AI Agent intelligently applies these guidelines to handle various customer situations.

Example Instructions:

When a customer asks about pricing, always check if they qualify for
any discounts before providing the final price. VIP customers get 10%
off, and first-time customers get 5% off.

If a customer wants to cancel their subscription, first try to understand
their reason and offer alternatives. Only proceed with cancellation if
they insist after hearing alternatives.

For technical issues, gather the following information before escalating:
- Device type and operating system
- When the problem started
- What the customer was trying to do
- Any error messages they received

Types of Instructions

Business Logic

Define rules and processes specific to your business operations.

Pricing Rules:

Product prices vary by customer segment:
- Retail customers: Full price
- Wholesale customers (order 10+): 20% discount
- Enterprise customers: Custom pricing, always escalate to sales

Always mention current promotions when discussing pricing.
Shipping is free for orders over $100.

Eligibility Rules:

Service eligibility depends on location:
- US customers: All services available
- Canadian customers: Standard services only, not premium
- Other international: Inquire about service availability

Students and military get 15% off with valid ID verification.

Appointment Scheduling:

Appointments can be booked:
- Monday-Friday: 9 AM - 6 PM
- Saturday: 10 AM - 4 PM
- Closed Sundays and holidays

Standard appointments: 30 minutes
Consultation appointments: 60 minutes
Follow-up appointments: 15 minutes

Always confirm customer's preferred time and send confirmation.

Escalation Rules

Define when and how to transfer conversations to human agents.

Escalation Triggers:

Escalate to human agent when:
- Customer explicitly requests to speak with a person
- Complaint or dissatisfaction is expressed
- Refund request over $500
- Legal or compliance questions
- Custom order or special request
- VIP customer (tag: vip) asks complex question
- Cannot find answer after 2 attempts

For urgent issues (system outage, security concern), escalate immediately
with "URGENT" flag.

Escalation Process:

Before escalating:
1. Summarize what was already discussed
2. Inform customer of estimated wait time
3. Ask if customer prefers callback if wait is long
4. Provide case reference number

When escalating, include:
- Customer intent and question
- Information already gathered
- Relevant account details
- Urgency level

Conversation Flow

Guide how conversations should be structured and progress.

Opening:

Start every conversation with:
1. Friendly greeting
2. Introduction (name and purpose)
3. Offer to help

Example: "Hi! I'm Alex, your AI assistant. I'm here to help with
questions about our products, scheduling, and support. How can I
help you today?"

Information Gathering:

Gather information conversationally, not as an interrogation.
Ask one question at a time and wait for response.

For order issues, collect:
- Order number
- Issue description
- Preferred resolution

For technical support, collect:
- Product/service affected
- Description of the problem
- When it started

Closing:

Before ending conversation:
1. Confirm the issue is resolved
2. Ask if customer needs anything else
3. Provide relevant next steps or resources
4. Thank customer for contacting us

Example: "Is there anything else I can help you with today? Feel
free to reach out anytime. Thanks for choosing [Business Name]!"

Special Handling

Define specific behaviors for particular scenarios.

Complaint Handling:

When customer expresses dissatisfaction:
1. Acknowledge their frustration empathetically
2. Apologize for the inconvenience
3. Ask for specific details
4. Offer immediate solution if possible
5. Escalate to manager if customer remains unsatisfied

Use phrases like:
- "I understand your frustration"
- "I apologize for the inconvenience"
- "Let me make this right for you"

Returns and Refunds:

Return policy: 30 days with receipt, original condition

Process:
1. Verify purchase is within 30-day window
2. Confirm item condition
3. Explain return process
4. Provide return authorization number
5. Explain refund timeline (5-7 business days)

For items over $200, require manager approval before processing.

Security and Privacy:

Never ask for or accept:
- Full credit card numbers
- Social Security numbers
- Passwords
- Security questions answers

For account access:
- Verify identity with order number + email
- Or ask to log into customer portal
- Never share private customer information in conversation

Configuration Steps

Adding Instructions

Navigate to Agent Configuration > Instructions
Start with core business processes
Write instructions in clear, natural language
Be specific about rules and exceptions
Include examples when helpful
Test each set of instructions
Save and publish

Organizing Instructions

By Category:

Business Logic
Escalation Rules
Conversation Flow
Special Situations
Product/Service Specific
Compliance and Security

Priority Levels: Mark critical instructions (security, legal compliance) as high priority so they take precedence over general guidelines.

Testing Instructions

Create test conversations for each instruction set
Verify agent follows the logic correctly
Test edge cases and exceptions
Check that escalations trigger appropriately
Review conversation logs for compliance
Iterate based on results

Best Practices

Writing Effective Instructions

Be Specific: Instead of: “Be helpful with pricing questions” Use: “When asked about pricing, check customer segment (retail/wholesale/enterprise) and apply appropriate discount. Retail: full price, Wholesale: 20% off, Enterprise: escalate to sales.”

Use Examples: Include concrete examples of how to apply rules in different situations.

Consider Edge Cases: Think through unusual scenarios and provide guidance for handling them.

Keep It Updated: Review and update instructions regularly as your business processes change.

Prioritization

Essential First: Start with instructions for your most common customer inquiries and critical business processes.

Add Gradually: Don’t try to cover every possible scenario initially. Add instructions as you encounter gaps.

Test Incrementally: Test each new set of instructions before adding more to avoid conflicts.

Avoiding Conflicts

Check for Contradictions: Ensure instructions don’t contradict each other. For example, don’t have one instruction saying “always escalate pricing questions” and another saying “provide pricing directly.”

Clear Hierarchy: When instructions might conflict, make the priority clear. Use phrases like “unless,” “except when,” “highest priority,” etc.

Common Patterns

Conditional Logic

If customer is a VIP:
  - Offer priority support
  - Mention VIP-only features
  - Allow flexible policies

If order total is over $500:
  - Offer payment plans
  - Mention premium support
  - Apply free shipping

If customer is on mobile:
  - Keep responses shorter
  - Use bullet points
  - Avoid long URLs

Multi-Step Processes

Appointment Rescheduling Process:
1. Look up existing appointment by confirmation number
2. Verify customer identity (name + email)
3. Show current appointment details
4. Offer available alternative times within 2 weeks
5. Confirm new time with customer
6. Update system and send new confirmation
7. Mention cancellation policy

Information Validation

Email Validation:
- Must contain @ symbol
- Must have domain
- Common mistake: Check for gmail vs gmial, yahoo vs yaho

Phone Validation:
- US: 10 digits
- International: Prefix with country code
- Ask for preferred contact method if multiple numbers

Order Number Validation:
- Format: ABC-123456
- If invalid format, ask customer to check order confirmation email
- Offer to search by email + order date if number not available

Examples by Industry

E-Commerce

Product Recommendations:
- Ask about intended use
- Consider previous purchases
- Mention popular items in category
- Highlight current promotions
- Offer size/compatibility guidance

Cart Abandonment:
- If customer mentions cart, ask if they need help completing order
- Offer to apply any available discount codes
- Answer questions about shipping or returns
- Help with checkout issues

Healthcare

Appointment Management:
- Verify insurance before booking
- Mention required fasting or preparation
- Offer first available slot
- Confirm patient demographics
- Send reminder 24 hours before appointment

Prescription Refills:
- Verify patient identity
- Check last refill date
- Confirm pharmacy on file
- Provide processing timeline
- Escalate if medication change needed

Professional Services

Consultation Booking:
- Qualify the lead (budget, timeline, scope)
- Explain consultation process
- Provide service overview
- Collect preliminary information
- Schedule with appropriate specialist
- Send preparation materials

Follow-up Management:
- After consultation, check in within 2 days
- Ask if they have questions
- Provide next steps
- Offer to schedule follow-up if needed

Troubleshooting

Agent not following instructions:

Check instruction clarity - is it specific enough?
Look for conflicting instructions
Verify instructions are saved and active
Test with explicit scenarios

Over-applying rules:

Add context about when rules apply
Include exceptions and edge cases
Use “only when” and “unless” phrases

Inconsistent behavior:

Check for contradictory instructions
Set clear priorities
Test common scenarios systematically
Review conversation logs for patterns

Next Steps

Index Voices Languages