Prepare Your Business Information for a Voice Agent
Gather accurate business facts, short answers and clear limits before connecting your knowledge base and testing a voice receptionist.
Prepare a small, reliable set of information before configuring your receptionist. This checklist complements the setup guides; it helps you decide what the agent should know and how you will check its answers.
1. Gather the facts customers ask for
| Information | What to prepare |
|---|---|
| Business identity | The name callers should hear, location and public contact options. |
| Hours and access | Opening hours, holidays, address, parking and arrival instructions that you have confirmed. |
| Services | What you offer, exclusions and which team handles each request. |
| Appointments | Services or providers callers can book, calendar availability and current cancellation or rescheduling instructions. |
| Prices and policies | Only approved, current information. State when a person must confirm a quote or an exception. |
Keep credentials, payment-card details and private customer records out of general business knowledge. Choose someone on your team to review updates when hours, services or policies change.
2. Write short answers that work aloud
Use one clear question and a direct answer. Avoid long website menus, conflicting versions of a policy and promises your team cannot fulfill.
Example: “What should I do if I need to change my appointment?” Answer with your actual rescheduling process and contact option. Do not invent a deadline or fee just to complete the answer.
Prepare how to handle missing information: acknowledge that the answer is unavailable and explain the next step your team actually supports. Asking for callback details does not guarantee that a notification or callback workflow exists.
3. Put each item in the correct setting
- Knowledge base: business facts and approved answers. In the Voice Agent setup, select the base under What it knows.
- Schedule: appointment calendars and optional appointment SMS. Availability comes from the connected calendars.
- Call Flow / Business Hours: where calls go and when the receptionist answers.
- Advanced: custom behavior instructions, only when needed. This replaces the standard prompt; it does not add calendar access, routing or new tools.
4. Test before relying on the answers
- Ask several questions whose answers you know, including a holiday or service exception.
- Ask a question not covered by your information. Check that the agent does not invent an answer or promise.
- Test any booking or follow-up process and verify the actual result. Correct the source and repeat the test when an answer is wrong.
Website edits alone do not prove the knowledge base has refreshed. Review the source status and test the changed information.
Related guides
- Connect a knowledge base to your Voice Agent
- Refresh website sources
- Use Advanced instructions
- Test your Voice Agent before going live
Need help?
Call, text or WhatsApp (833) 966-4835, or email info@zonitel.com. Share relevant examples privately; never include passwords or verification codes.