How the AI Decides What to Say
The AI doesn't work from a fixed script. Instead, it uses a combination of your configured greetings, your knowledge base, and real-time availability data to respond naturally to whatever the caller says.
The response hierarchy
When a caller asks something or makes a request, the AI draws from the following sources — in rough order of priority:
1. Structured data (bookings and availability) When the caller asks to book, modify, or cancel an appointment or reservation, the AI queries live data — current availability, existing bookings, services, table configurations, and staff schedules. This information is always current.
2. Your knowledge base When the caller asks a question about your business — hours, address, pricing, parking, what you offer — the AI answers from your configured knowledge base articles and FAQs.
3. Your configured greetings and prompts Your opening greeting, after-hours message, and personality prompt shape how the AI introduces itself and frames conversations. The personality prompt in particular gives the AI a tone and style.
4. The AI's language model For natural conversation — following up, clarifying, handling unexpected questions — the AI's underlying language model fills in the gaps. It uses context from the conversation so far to generate a coherent, appropriate response.
What the AI won't say
The AI will not fabricate specific facts about your business. If a caller asks about something not covered in your knowledge base, the AI should acknowledge that it doesn't have the information and offer to help with something else (or transfer to a human).
⚠️ Important: If the AI is giving incorrect answers about your business, the most likely cause is missing or outdated knowledge base content. Review your knowledge base articles and ensure they cover the questions customers ask most.
How greetings affect the conversation
The greeting plays at the start of the call and sets the tone. A well-written greeting signals to the caller what the AI can help with. See Writing Greetings That Sound Natural for guidance.
How personality affects responses
The AI Personality settings (in your AI receptionist configuration) include a free-form prompt that shapes the AI's overall communication style — whether it's warm and friendly, professional and brief, or something in between. This doesn't change what the AI knows, only how it communicates.
💡 Tip: The best way to understand what your AI will say is to call it yourself. Test specific scenarios — "What are your hours?", "I want to book for Saturday", "Can I change my reservation?" — and listen to how it responds. Adjust the knowledge base or personality prompt based on what you hear.