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Custom prompts let you control exactly how your AI behaves in specific situations. Think of them as special instructions for your AI team member.

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What are prompts?

Prompts are instructions that guide AI behavior. They’re different from your knowledge base:
Knowledge BaseCustom Prompts
Facts about your businessHow to handle situations
”We’re open 9-5""If someone sounds upset, be extra patient"
"We offer 3 services""Always mention our free estimate”
Knowledge base = What to know Custom prompts = How to behave

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Default behavior

Without custom prompts, your AI will:
  • Be polite and professional
  • Answer questions from your knowledge base
  • Book appointments when requested
  • Collect information for follow-up when unsure
  • Be honest about being an AI when asked
For most businesses, this default behavior works great. Custom prompts let you refine it.

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When to use custom prompts

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Emphasize something important

“Always mention that we offer free estimates when discussing services.”

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Handle specific situations

“If a caller mentions they have an emergency, express urgency and offer same-day service.”

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Match your brand voice

“Use casual, friendly language. Avoid formal phrases like ‘I would be happy to assist you.’”

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Set boundaries

“Never discuss pricing for custom projects over the phone. Offer to schedule a consultation.”

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How to write good prompts

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Be specific

Vague:
“Be nice to customers.”
Specific:
“When a customer expresses frustration, acknowledge their feelings before offering solutions. Say something like ‘I understand that’s frustrating’ before moving on.”

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Give examples

Without example:
“Upsell when appropriate.”
With example:
“When booking a basic service, mention our premium option: ‘We also offer our Complete Care package which includes X and Y for just $50 more. Would you like to hear about it?’”

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Explain the why

Without why:
“Don’t give quotes over the phone.”
With why:
“Don’t give quotes over the phone because every job is different. Instead say: ‘I’d need to have one of our team members take a look before I can give you an accurate quote. Can I schedule a free estimate visit?’”

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Common prompt examples

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For empathy

When a caller expresses frustration, stress, or urgency:
1. Acknowledge their feelings first ("I understand that's really stressful")
2. Assure them you'll help ("Let's get this sorted out for you")
3. Then move to solving the problem

Never jump straight to solutions without acknowledging emotions.

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For upselling

After booking a basic service, briefly mention our premium option:
"By the way, many customers also add our [Premium Service] which includes [benefits].
It's just $X more. Would you like me to add that?"

If they decline, don't push. Just say "No problem!" and move on.

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For qualifying

For all service requests, gather this information:
1. Type of issue (what's the problem?)
2. Property type (residential or commercial?)
3. Urgency level (emergency or can wait?)
4. Best time to reach them

Don't book appointments without knowing at least #1 and #3.

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For emergencies

If someone mentions: water leak, no heat, no AC, electrical issue, or gas smell:
1. Treat it as urgent
2. Say: "That sounds like it needs immediate attention."
3. Offer same-day or next available emergency slot
4. If after hours, offer to have someone call them within 30 minutes

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For competitive situations

If a caller mentions they're getting multiple quotes or comparing options:
- Don't be defensive
- Highlight our strengths: "What sets us apart is [key differentiator]"
- Mention our guarantee: "Plus, all our work comes with a 1-year guarantee"
- Make it easy: "Would you like to schedule a free estimate so you can compare?"

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Adding custom prompts

  1. Go to Settings → AI Behavior → Custom Prompts
  2. Click Add Prompt
  3. Write your instruction
  4. Set priority (when multiple prompts could apply)
  5. Save

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Prompt priority

When multiple prompts could apply, priority determines which takes precedence:
PriorityWhen to use
HighCritical rules that should always apply
NormalGeneral guidelines
LowNice-to-haves that can be overridden
Example:
  • High priority: “Never discuss pricing for jobs over $10,000”
  • Normal priority: “Mention our financing option”
  • Low priority: “End calls with ‘Have a great day‘“

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Testing your prompts

After adding prompts:
  1. Call your number and trigger the scenario
  2. Check if AI follows the instruction
  3. Review the transcript for exact wording
  4. Adjust if needed. prompts often need refinement

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Tips for testing

  • Test the exact scenario you wrote the prompt for
  • Try edge cases. What happens in similar-but-different situations?
  • Have someone else test who doesn’t know what to expect

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Prompts vs. knowledge base

Sometimes it’s unclear where information should go. Put in knowledge base if:
  • It’s a fact about your business
  • Customers might ask about it
  • It doesn’t require special behavior
Put in prompts if:
  • It’s about how to handle situations
  • It involves tone or style
  • It’s conditional (if X then Y)

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Best practices

Do

  • Be specific and clear
  • Give examples
  • Test thoroughly
  • Start simple, add complexity later
  • Review regularly

Don't

  • Write vague instructions
  • Add too many prompts at once
  • Contradict yourself
  • Forget to test
  • Set it and forget it

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FAQ

There’s no hard limit, but too many prompts can create conflicts. We recommend starting with 3-5 and adding more only as needed.
Yes. If you have conflicting prompts, the higher-priority one wins. Review your prompts for conflicts regularly.
By default, yes. You can also create prompts that only apply to specific automations (receptionist vs. reminder calls).
Yes. Each phone number has separate prompt sections for inbound and outbound calls. The Custom Prompt section controls how your AI handles incoming calls, while the Outbound Prompt section (under Voice settings) controls the default behavior for outgoing calls made by campaigns and workflows. See Voice & Personality for details.
In the call transcript, you can see when specific prompts influenced the conversation.

Add Custom Prompts

Customize how your AI handles situations.