AI Workforce Overview
AI Employees are digital team members you can configure to automate conversations, answer customer questions, capture leads, book appointments, and more. Each works well out of the box, but can be tailored to fit your business needs.
All AI Employees share a common structure, with configurable elements like their name, purpose, communication channels, capabilities, and knowledge sources. Specific roles (like Chat Receptionist or Voice Receptionist) may include additional options, but the basics are always the same.
See these guides for step-by-step setup or details on specific AI Employees:
For more detail on setup:
If you’re just getting started, review the sections below for an overview of the main elements you’ll configure for any AI Employee.
AI Employee Elements
AI Employees all share a similar structure—no matter what role they play in your business. Each one comes with common parts you can review and configure, such as their name, purpose, communication channels, capabilities, and what knowledge they use to answer questions.
Profile
The Profile section is where you set the basics for your AI Employee—how they appear to your team and how they introduce themselves to customers.
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Name & Avatar:
What this is: The display name and image used for your AI Employee across your channels.
What to do: Choose a friendly, memorable name and a profile image (like your logo or a custom avatar) that fits the role or your brand. This helps customers and your team instantly recognize who they’re interacting with. -
Purpose:
What this is: The job description and behavioral “guidelines” for your AI Employee. This sets the tone, goals, and important instructions for every conversation.
What to do: Write a clear, short summary of what your AI Employee should do. Be specific about their tone, greeting, and key tasks.
Tip: Use bullets or a numbered list to clarify instructions.
For example:- “Introduce yourself as the business receptionist.”
- “Speak in a friendly, concise way.”
- “Always collect name, email, and phone before ending the conversation.”
Channels
The Channels section lets you choose where your AI Employee will work for you. What this is: Channels are the different places or platforms where your AI Employee can interact with your customers—like website chat, SMS, phone calls, or even Google Meet.
What to do:
Review the available channels for your AI Employee’s role. Turn on only the channels that make sense for your business right now. For example, you might want your AI to respond on your website’s chat widget, via text messages, or answer phone calls.
- Website chat Widget
- SMS (text messages)
- Phone calls (voice)
You can enable or disable channels at any time.
Tip: Start with just one or two channels while you get comfortable, then expand as you see results!
Capabilities
The Capabilities section is where you decide what your AI Employee can actually do for your business.
What this is:
Capabilities are like “skills” or “tasks” you can turn on or off, depending on the role of your AI Employee. Each capability tells your AI which actions it should take or what outcomes to prioritize—such as capturing leads, booking appointments, answering FAQs, or performing a role-specific function.
What to do:
Review the available capabilities for your chosen AI Employee.
- Turn on the capabilities that are most important for your workflow and customer experience.
- Add or adjust capabilities as your business needs evolve.
- Use the additional instructions/goals field to give extra context or specific directions.
- Create your own custom capabilities: You can design custom tasks for your AI Employee to perform, using the Custom Capabilities builder. This is great for advanced workflows or unique business needs. Learn more ›
Examples of capabilities you might enable:
- Capture lead information (e.g., name, email, phone)
- Book appointments using your connected calendar
- Answer common customer questions (FAQs)
- Follow your specific instructions or goals
Tip: You can experiment with different capabilities to see what works best, and update them any time as your business grows.
Knowledge Sources
The Knowledge Sources section is where you teach your AI Employee about your business, so it can give accurate, up-to-date answers to customers.
What this is:
Knowledge sources are collections of business information your AI can refer to during conversations—such as your business profile, website pages, FAQs, or uploaded documents. The AI uses this info only when it needs to answer a relevant question.
What to do:
Add any information that would help your AI answer questions or provide better service:
- Connect your business profile: This gives the AI basics like your address, hours, services, and contact info.
- Add your website: Let the AI “read” your site to answer questions about your offerings, prices, or policies.
- Upload documents or custom text: Share menus, price lists, terms, or answers to frequently asked questions.
- Review and update regularly: Make sure your knowledge sources are current, so your AI never gives outdated info.
Tip: The more up-to-date and specific your knowledge sources, the more helpful and accurate your AI Employee will be!
Frequently Asked Questions
How many channels can I enable for one AI Employee?
You can enable as many available channels as you like. For example, a single AI Employee can handle website chat, SMS, and Facebook Messenger simultaneously.
What happens if I disable a capability?
If you disable a capability, the AI Employee will no longer be able to perform that specific task. If a customer asks for it, the AI will likely apologize and say it cannot help with that request, or fall back to general knowledge.
Your capability will still be available to use later.