Guide · Getting started
What is an AI voice agent?
What an agent does, what it is made of and how it can help you, on inbound and outbound calls.
The idea
An agent (called an "Assistant" in your PermanenceAI account) is an AI you set up to talk to your customers or prospects on the phone: when they call you (inbound, "Receive phone calls") or when the agent calls them (outbound, "Make phone calls").
What it does for you
- Answers common questions, takes messages and books appointments, 24/7.
- Qualifies enquiries and transfers the call to your team when needed.
- Handles several calls at once (the number of concurrent calls depends on your plan).
What it is made of
- Instructions ("System prompt"): the agent’s role, tone and rules.
- Greeting ("Initial message"): the first sentence it says.
- Voice ("Voice"): a voice from the library or your own cloned voice.
- Tools ("Tools"): call transfer, ending the call, appointment booking, custom tools.
- Knowledge base ("Knowledge base"): your documents and web pages.
Need help? In your account, the help assistant (bubble at the bottom right) answers in your language. You can also email contact@permanenceia.com.
Related guides
- Create and edit an agentSet up your first agent in a few minutes, then change it whenever you like.
- Write your agent’s instructions (system prompt)Structure the instructions that set your agent’s role, tone and rules.
- Agent tools: transfer, end call, keypadThe built-in actions the agent can trigger during a call, and how to set them up.