Configuring Call Intents

Viewing Intents

Go to Knowledge Base → Intents tab. You'll see the list of intents your agent uses to classify and handle calls.

Adding an Intent

1. Click Add Intent
2. Enter a Display Name — human-readable label (e.g., "Schedule Appointment")
3. Enter a Description — this is the most important field. Write natural language instructions for how your agent should handle this type of call.
4. Click Save

Writing Good Descriptions

The description IS the workflow instruction. Your agent reads it and follows it. Write it like you're training a new employee:

• "When a caller wants to schedule, reschedule, or cancel an appointment. Ask for their preferred date and time. If we have a scheduling integration, check availability before confirming. For cancellations, ask for the reason and offer to reschedule instead."
• "If a caller asks about a refund, verify their order number first. Check our refund policy before confirming eligibility."
• "For emergency calls, transfer immediately — don't try to handle it."

You can include conditional logic in plain language: "If the caller has a reservation number, look it up first. If not, ask for their name and date."

Editing and Disabling Intents

Click any intent to edit its name or description. Toggle the Enabled switch to disable an intent without deleting it — disabled intents won't appear to the agent or be used for classification.

How Intents Connect to Other Features

• Escalation rules can trigger based on detected intent — "if intent is emergency, transfer immediately"
• Call summaries show the detected intent for each call
• Analytics show intent distribution across your calls
• Knowledge and policies complement intents — the description tells the agent what to do, while policies define the rules and knowledge documents provide detailed procedures

Tips

• Start with 4-6 intents that cover 80% of your calls
• Write clear, specific descriptions — the agent follows these as instructions
• Review call summaries weekly to see if the agent is classifying correctly
• If many calls show intent "other" or low confidence, you may need to add or refine intents

You Can Also Ask Allison

You can manage intents by asking Allison — add new ones, update descriptions, enable or disable them, or delete them. For example: "Add an intent for price quote requests" or "Update the scheduling intent description to mention our 24-hour cancellation policy."