Voice Agents Overview
Voice agents answer your phone calls automatically. When someone calls, they hear a friendly AI assistant that can answer questions, book appointments, and take messages — just like talking to a real person.
How Voice Agents Work
1. You set up call forwarding → From your business phone to your Theo number
2. Customer calls your business → Gets forwarded to Theo
3. Theo answers → With a friendly greeting
4. They have a conversation → Natural, human-like interaction
5. You review the call → In your dashboard with transcript and recording
What Voice Agents Can Do
Answer Common Questions
Your agent can answer questions like:
- "What time do you open?"
- "Do you offer this service?"
- "How much does it cost?"
- "Where are you located?"
- "Do you accept insurance?"
The answers come from your Business Profile and Knowledge Base.
Book Appointments
Your agent can schedule appointments by:
- Checking your calendar availability
- Offering open time slots
- Confirming bookings with the customer
- Sending calendar invites automatically
Requires an Availability Plan and optionally Google Calendar integration.
Capture Lead Information
During calls, your agent can collect:
- Caller's name
- Phone number
- Email address
- What service they need
- Custom questions you define
Information is saved to Contacts automatically.
Transfer to a Human
Your agent can transfer calls when:
- The caller specifically requests it
- The situation is complex
- It's an emergency
- Based on your configured rules
You can set up call forwarding to ring your phone or a team member.
Handle Voicemail
If a caller reaches voicemail before your agent:
- The agent can detect this
- Leave a professional message
- Or handle it according to your settings
Getting Started with Voice
Step 1: Get a Phone Number
You need a Need Theo phone number for people to call.
Step 2: Set Up Call Forwarding
Route your business calls to your Theo number.
Step 3: Customize the Voice
Choose how your agent sounds — male, female, different accents.
Step 4: Test It Out
Call your Theo number and have a conversation to make sure everything works.
Always make several test calls before advertising your number or setting up forwarding from your main line.
Voice vs. SMS vs. Chat Comparison
| Feature | Voice (Phone) | SMS (Text) | Chat (Website) |
|---|---|---|---|
| How customers reach you | Phone call | Text message | Website widget |
| Conversation style | Spoken | Typed (SMS) | Typed (web) |
| Response time | Real-time | Near-instant | Instant |
| Appointment booking | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Lead capture | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Recording available | Yes (90 days) | N/A (text saved) | N/A (text saved) |
| Availability | All numbers | Canadian numbers | All websites |
| Best for | Phone inquiries | Quick text questions | Website visitors |
Many businesses use voice, SMS, and chat together. Your AI agent can handle calls, reply to text messages, and chat with website visitors — all using the same knowledge base.
Voice Call Flow
Here's what happens during a typical call:
1. Greeting
Your agent answers with your custom welcome message:
"Thanks for calling Sunshine Plumbing, this is Sarah. How can I help you today?"
2. Conversation
Your agent listens and responds naturally:
Caller: "Hi, I have a leaky faucet"
Theo: "I'm sorry to hear about the leak! I can help you get that fixed. Is this an emergency, or would you like to schedule an appointment?"
3. Action
Depending on the conversation:
- Books an appointment
- Provides information
- Captures contact info
- Transfers to a human
4. Wrap-up
Your agent ends professionally:
"I've got you scheduled for Tuesday at 2 PM. Is there anything else I can help you with? ... Great, we'll see you Tuesday. Goodbye!"
Reviewing Voice Calls
After each call, you can:
| Action | Description |
|---|---|
| Read the Transcript | See everything that was said, word for word |
| Listen to the Recording | Play back the actual audio (available for 90 days) |
| View Actions Taken | See if an appointment was booked or lead captured |
| Check the Contact | View or update the caller's information |
Access calls in Conversations and filter by "Calls Only".
Voice Features
Multilingual Support
Your agent can speak multiple languages:
| Language | Availability |
|---|---|
| English | Full support (US, UK, AU accents) |
| Spanish | Full support |
| French | Full support |
| German | Full support |
| Portuguese | Full support |
| Italian | Full support |
| And more | Check voice settings |
Call Transfer
Forward calls to you or a team member when needed:
- Emergency situations
- Complex requests
- Customer preference
- VIP callers
Interruption Handling
If a caller interrupts while your agent is speaking:
- The agent stops talking immediately
- Listens to what the caller says
- Responds appropriately
This creates a natural conversation flow.
Voicemail Detection
When a caller goes to voicemail, your agent can:
- Detect that it's a voicemail system
- Leave an appropriate message
- Log the interaction
Voice Quality Tips
For Better Caller Understanding
Your agent works best when callers:
- Speak clearly
- Are in a quiet environment
- Don't speak too fast
Background noise can affect understanding, but modern AI handles most situations well.
Improve Your Agent's Responses
The better your knowledge base, the better your agent performs:
- Keep your Business Profile complete and accurate
- Add FAQs for common questions
- Update information when things change
- Review conversations to identify gaps
Test Regularly
Call your Theo number occasionally to:
- Make sure everything sounds right
- Test new knowledge you've added
- Experience what your customers hear
Common Questions
Do callers know they're talking to AI?
The technology is very natural, and many callers don't realize they're speaking to AI. However, you can include a disclosure in your welcome message if preferred: "You're speaking with our AI assistant..."
What if the caller has a strong accent?
Modern speech recognition handles most accents well. If you notice issues, review the conversation transcript to see if there were understanding problems, and consider adjusting your agent's responses.
Can callers leave voicemails?
Your Theo number answers calls directly — it doesn't have a traditional voicemail. However, your agent can take messages and save them as notes on the contact.
What happens if my internet goes down?
Theo runs in the cloud, so it continues working even if your local internet has issues. Calls are handled by our servers, not your local network.
Next Steps
Need Help?
- Check our Troubleshooting Guide
- Email support@needtheo.com