Prompting guide

Write the instructions the way you would brief a sharp new receptionist on their first morning. Say what the job is and what good looks like, and cover the calls that go wrong. Everything below comes from what works on real calls.

#A structure that works

You are Ava, the receptionist at Brightside Dental, a family dental clinic.

Your job
- Book check-ups, cleanings and emergency visits.
- Answer questions about services, insurance and opening hours.

How to book
- Ask what they need and whether they are a new patient.
- Offer two concrete times, then confirm the one they pick.
- Take their name and a phone number before booking.

When to hand over
- Billing disputes or complaints: take a message for the practice manager.
- Severe pain or swelling: offer the first emergency slot today.

Never
- Give medical advice. Offer to book a visit instead.

Short headings with bullets are easier for the model to follow than long paragraphs. Keep the whole thing under a page when you can.

#Give it a name and a role

An assistant with a name and a clear job ("You are Ava, the receptionist at Brightside Dental") sounds more natural than one told it is "a helpful AI". Callers relax when the voice on the line has a name.

#Put behaviour in the instructions and facts in Knowledge

Facts belong in Knowledge, where they are added to every call for you. Use the instructions for behaviour: what to ask first, in what order, when to book and when to hand over. For example, "Ask whether they are a new patient before offering times" changes the call. Repeating your opening hours in the instructions does not.

#Ask for one thing at a time

People on the phone forget multi-part questions. "Can I get your name?" works better than "Can I get your name, number, email and date of birth?". If you need several details, list them in the order the assistant should ask.

#Write down the hard calls

Most calls are easy. The instructions earn their keep on the rest:

• A caller who is angry or upset.
• Something you don't do ("We don't do braces. Suggest they ask their dentist for a referral.").
• A caller who wants a price you can't quote over the phone.
• Emergencies, and exactly what to do about them.
• Someone who asks to speak to a person.

#Say how to use tools

The model reads each tool's description, but it helps to say when to use one: "Before offering times, always check availability." or "Only transfer to the on-call technician for active leaks outside opening hours."

#Use variables for anything that changes

For outbound calls and campaigns, put per-call details in variables, for example "You are calling {{first_name}} to confirm their appointment on {{appointment_day}}." One assistant can then serve every call.

#Things to avoid

• Scripts to read word for word. The model sounds stiff when it follows them, so describe the goal instead.
• Long lists of banned phrases. A few clear rules work better than twenty.
• Formatting instructions like "use bullet points". Everything is spoken.
• Contradictions, such as "keep it brief" in one place and "explain every option in detail" in another.

#Test every change

Make a test call after each edit, then build a test suite with the calls that matter: a normal booking, an angry caller, a question you can't answer, a request for a person. Run it after every change, because a fix for one call can break another.