Fill in the knowledge base

The knowledge base is at the heart of your assistant's performance. It is what lets it answer, in your own words, your callers' questions. A rich, well written base makes all the difference between a plain switchboard and a true interlocutor.

The role of the knowledge base

It gathers the information specific to your establishment that the assistant can use during a call: hours, address, access details, particular policies, answers to your clients' frequent questions.

Add content

From the Knowledge base page, add your information as short cards. The principle is simple: one card covers a single topic. Write clear, factual answers, as if you were answering on the phone yourself.

Writing your cards to be perfectly understood

Your assistant reads your cards aloud. The way you write them directly affects its diction. A few simple principles make your answers sound natural.

Write everything out in full. Your assistant pronounces best what is written literally. Prefer the full form of words rather than symbols and abbreviations:

• write amounts in full, for example "forty euros per night" rather than the currency symbol;
• write times in full, for example "from nine in the morning to six in the evening" rather than a shortened form;
• write units and common words in full, for example "square metres", "percent", "number", "mister", "madam";
• avoid internal acronyms and codes that only your staff understands, or spell them out at least once.

One idea per sentence, one answer per card. Short sentences and one card per topic help the assistant find the right information and deliver it without hesitation.

Write as you speak. Phrase the card as the answer you would give out loud. For example, to the question about accepting pets, a good card simply says: "Pets are welcome, at no extra charge."

Stay factual and up to date. State only accurate information. Outdated data would be passed on as is: update your cards as soon as something changes.

How the assistant uses it

When a caller asks a question, the assistant looks for the most relevant card and draws on it to answer. A well structured base, with one topic per card and literal writing, markedly improves the quality and precision of the answers.

Keep it up to date

Edit or remove a card as soon as something changes. A well kept, up to date base is the best investment for a high performing assistant.