AI Frontdesk: Adjusting the language, voice, and behavior
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Valid for AI Receptionist (Momentum AI).
In the Language, Voice & Behavior configuration section, you define the personality of your AI Receptionist. You decide how it sounds, which language it speaks, how it greets callers, and how it behaves during a call. This article explains which settings are available to you and how to configure them.
Requirements
- You have completed the initial setup of your AI Receptionist using the setup wizard.
Open the assistant’s settings
- Log in to your IONOS account.
- Click on Menu > AI Frontdesk in the title bar.
- In the contract overview, click on Manage in the tile for the contract you want.
- Click on the Language, Voice & Behavior section.
Setting the languages
- Under Language, select the primary language of your assistant. Email summaries are also sent in this language.
- Under Additional languages (optional), select any additional languages that the assistant can switch to if your customer changes language.
Setting the voice and speaking speed
- Click the Voice field and select a voice from the list below it. The voices offered are the ones that match the Language you have set, so the list changes when you change the primary language.
- The All, Male, and Female filters above the list narrow down the selection.
- The play button to the left of a name plays a sample of that voice.
- Hover over the flag to the right of a name and a short tooltip gives the language of the voice — or, where several variants of the same language are available, its accent, such as British accent or American accent when English is the primary language.
- Drag the Speaking speed slider between Slow and Fast to set how quickly your assistant speaks. The value you have set appears to the right of the slider, 1.0× by default.
Tip: The best way to decide which voice suits your business is to listen to it — the name alone tells you little.
Setting the greeting
Under Greeting, enter the wording with which the assistant greets your callers.
Please Note
To operate the AI Receptionist in compliance with the law, the greeting must identify it as an AI and refer to the relevant privacy policy.
Example: "Welcome to Example LLC. I am Rita, a digital assistant, and I am happy to help you. You can find our privacy information at [insert link]. What is your inquiry about?"
For more information on data protection, see the article An important addition to your privacy policy.
Setting the time zone, form of address, and name
- Under Time zone, select the time zone that applies to your business. Among other things, it determines the time your assistant states during a call.
- Under Form of address, select whether the assistant addresses your customers formally (Formal) or informally (Informal).
- Under Assistant name, enter the name with which the assistant introduces itself.
Note
For appointment booking, the Time zone in this section applies only to the Cal.com and Calendly booking tools. If you use Google Calendar or Microsoft 365, only the time zone in the Edit opening hours window of the Appointment Booking section applies there. Set both to the same time zone so that the information given during a call matches the appointments that are scheduled. For details, see the articles Setting up appointment booking with Cal.com or Calendly and Setting up appointment booking with Google Calendar or Microsoft 365.
Setting the call behavior
Under Call behavior, describe how the assistant should behave during a call — for example its approach, its tone, or how it responds to different customer inquiries. Word your entries as though you were explaining them to a new member of staff.
Example: "If the caller wants to arrange an appointment, ask for the date they would like, the time they would like, and the service they require."
Managing the pronunciation dictionary
Under Pronunciation dictionary, you set how the AI should pronounce particular terms, such as brand names, unusual names, or abbreviations. This makes sure that they are pronounced correctly during a call. Click on Manage terms to add entries; while there are no entries, it reads No terms. To find out how to fill the dictionary, see the article Setting custom pronunciations for terms.
Best practices for prompting
In the configuration settings, you can give the AI instructions in natural language. A well-worded instruction, also known as a prompt, is decisive for how clearly and helpfully the AI responds.
Keep the following tips in mind:
- Use clear wording, for example "You must always …" or "You must never …".
- Structure your entries using bullet points or paragraphs.
- Avoid contradictory instructions.
- Test regularly with real calls and adjust your entries.
Saving your changes
To save your changes, click the Save changes button in the top right-hand corner. Alternatively, you can click Save & Call to test your changes right away in a free call with the assistant.