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Receptionist

Receptionist​

Summary: ReceptionistAgent greets callers, collects their information, and transfers them to the appropriate department based on their needs.

Basic Usage​

from signalwire_agents.prefabs import ReceptionistAgent

agent = ReceptionistAgent(
    departments=[
        {
            "name": "sales",
            "description": "Product inquiries, pricing, and purchasing",
            "number": "+15551234567"
        },
        {
            "name": "support",
            "description": "Technical help and troubleshooting",
            "number": "+15551234568"
        },
        {
            "name": "billing",
            "description": "Payment questions and account issues",
            "number": "+15551234569"
        }
    ]
)

if __name__ == "__main__":
    agent.run()

Department Format​

FieldTypeRequiredDescription
namestringYesDepartment identifier (e.g., "sales")
descriptionstringYesWhat the department handles
numberstringYesPhone number for transfer

Constructor Parameters​

ReceptionistAgent(
    departments=[...],                              # List of department dicts (required)
    name="receptionist",                            # Agent name
    route="/receptionist",                          # HTTP route
    greeting="Thank you for calling. How can I help you today?",
    voice="rime.spore",                             # Voice ID
    **kwargs                                        # Additional AgentBase arguments
)

Built-in Functions​

ReceptionistAgent provides these SWAIG functions automatically:

FunctionDescription
collect_caller_infoCollect caller's name and reason for calling
transfer_callTransfer to a specific department

Call Flow​

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                     Receptionist Flow                                       │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                                             │
│  1. Greeting                                                                │
│      │  "Thank you for calling. How can I help you today?"                  │
│      │                                                                      │
│      ▼                                                                      │
│  2. Collect Information                                                     │
│      │  • Caller's name                                                     │
│      │  • Reason for calling                                                │
│      │                                                                      │
│      ▼                                                                      │
│  3. AI calls collect_caller_info()                                          │
│      │  Stores info in global_data                                          │
│      │                                                                      │
│      ▼                                                                      │
│  4. Determine Department                                                    │
│      │  AI matches reason to department                                     │
│      │                                                                      │
│      ▼                                                                      │
│  5. Confirm Transfer                                                        │
│      │  "I'll transfer you to sales. Is that correct?"                      │
│      │                                                                      │
│      ▼                                                                      │
│  6. AI calls transfer_call()                                                │
│      │  Connects to department number                                       │
│      │                                                                      │
│      ▼                                                                      │
│  7. Call Transferred                                                        │
│                                                                             │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Complete Example​

#!/usr/bin/env python3
## company_receptionist.py - Custom receptionist agent
from signalwire_agents.prefabs import ReceptionistAgent


agent = ReceptionistAgent(
    departments=[
        {
            "name": "sales",
            "description": "New orders, pricing, quotes, and product information",
            "number": "+15551001001"
        },
        {
            "name": "support",
            "description": "Technical issues, troubleshooting, and product help",
            "number": "+15551001002"
        },
        {
            "name": "billing",
            "description": "Invoices, payments, refunds, and account questions",
            "number": "+15551001003"
        },
        {
            "name": "hr",
            "description": "Employment, careers, and benefits",
            "number": "+15551001004"
        }
    ],
    greeting="Thank you for calling Acme Corporation. How may I direct your call?",
    voice="rime.spore",
    name="acme-receptionist"
)

## Add custom prompt section
agent.prompt_add_section(
    "Company",
    "You are the receptionist for Acme Corporation, a leading technology company."
)

if __name__ == "__main__":
    agent.run()

Best Practices​

Departments​

  • Use clear, distinct department names
  • Write descriptions that help AI route correctly
  • Include common reasons in descriptions
  • Verify transfer numbers are correct

Greeting​

  • Keep greeting professional and welcoming
  • Include company name if appropriate
  • Ask how to help (prompts caller to state need)

Transfers​

  • Always confirm before transferring
  • Use final=True for permanent transfers
  • Test all transfer numbers