Agent Configuration
Basic setup gets your agent answering calls. Configuration is where you turn it into a great receptionist, one that captures more leads, gives accurate answers, and sounds like it genuinely belongs at your front desk.
What you can configure
| Area | Examples |
|---|---|
| System prompt | Personality, knowledge base, behaviour rules |
| Greeting | Opening line callers hear |
| FAQs | Pinned answers to common questions |
| Forwarding rules | When and where to transfer |
| Business hours | On/off schedule for the agent |
| Integrations | Calendar, Sheets, Gmail, Slack |
See System Prompts for a deep dive on writing effective prompts.
The iterative workflow
Configuration isn't a one-time task. The most successful OnCallClerk users follow a simple loop:
- Launch with the basics, greeting, system prompt, 5–10 FAQs, and a forwarding number.
- Collect real call data for a week.
- Review transcripts, look for questions the agent struggled with, conversations that sounded unnatural, or leads that slipped through.
- Refine, update the system prompt, add FAQs, and adjust forwarding rules based on what you found.
- Repeat every week or two.
Most improvements come from reading transcripts, not guessing. Even 15 minutes of transcript review each week makes a noticeable difference.
Being specific matters
Vague instructions produce inconsistent behaviour. Compare:
Be helpful and answer questions about our business.
You are a receptionist for Sunshine Realty in Miami. Our services include residential
sales ($200K–$5M), buyer representation (no cost to buyers), and property management.
Hours: Mon–Sat 9 AM – 7 PM. Always capture the caller's name, phone, and email before
ending a call. If you don't know the answer, offer to have an agent call back within
an hour.
The same principle applies to FAQs. A question of "hours" with an answer of "see website" is far less useful than the full, conversational answer a caller expects.
Industry configuration examples
Real estate, Calendar integration for showings, lead-capture-heavy prompt, hot-lead forwarding to agent's cell.
Restaurant, Business-hours-only availability, reservation-focused prompt, Sheets integration to log bookings, takeout forwarding to the kitchen.
Home services (HVAC/plumbing), 24/7 mode for after-hours emergencies, Calendar for service bookings, emergency forwarding to the on-call technician.
E-commerce, 24/7 mode for global customers, extensive FAQ library covering shipping and returns, escalation forwarding during business hours.