How the agent follows a flow
In a RowCall call, code decides which step comes next. The AI only words the questions and turns what the shopper said into an answer the flow understands.
A RowCall call is not an open conversation with an AI. It's a flow you wrote, carried out step by step. This page explains who decides what during a call, and why that keeps calls predictable.
Who decides what
| Decided by the flow (code) | Done by the AI |
|---|---|
| Which step comes next, and every branch | Understanding what the shopper said |
| The exact words of fixed lines, such as the disclosure | Turning a reply into an answer of the right type |
| Which answers are recorded, and their types | Wording a read-back naturally |
| Which actions may run, and with which values | Answering an off-path question within your SOP |
| How the call ends, and its outcome |
The AI never chooses the path. At each step it gets the step's instructions and a short list of tools, such as "submit the answer" or "the shopper can't answer". A tool that doesn't fit the step is refused, and the flow stays where it is.
A step at a time
- Say steps are spoken as written, with your inputs filled in. The first step is always the disclosure.
- Ask steps speak their question word for word, then listen. The AI reads the reply and submits an answer: yes or no, a number, a date, one of your choices, or text.
- Confirm steps read earlier answers back, such as a new address, and wait for a clear yes. If the shopper corrects it, the call goes back to that question once.
- Action steps say a short holding line ("One moment, I'll update that."), ask your system to do something, and branch on the result.
- End steps say goodbye and set the outcome.
A branch names the next step by answer ("no" goes to cancel) or by an action's result ("refused" goes to team_end). Anything a branch doesn't list goes on to the next step in order. See Steps and scripts.
What the shopper can always do
At any step, whatever the flow says, the shopper can:
- Ask for another language the flow allows, and the call carries on in it.
- Say they don't want calls, and the call ends with your opt-out line. The number is never called again.
- Ask for a person, and the call is handed over as your SOP says.
- Ask a question off the path, such as "when will it arrive?". The agent answers from your SOP, looking things up with the flow's read actions when it needs to, then asks its question again.
The SOP: everything off the path
The flow is the path when all goes well. Your SOP (Settings → SOP) says who the agent is, what it may tell shoppers, how it speaks, how it handles questions the flow doesn't cover, when it hands over and what it must never do. Each flow can add to or replace parts of the org's SOP. The SOP shapes what the agent says; it can't change the path, the answers or the actions.
Silence, confusion and time limits
- If the shopper goes quiet, the agent asks "Are you still there?" once, then ends the call as
no_response. - An unclear answer gets the question once more. After that the call moves on without it, or ends politely if a later action needs that answer.
- "Wrong number" or "call me later" ends the call as
not_now. - Every flow has a maximum length (4 minutes for order verification). See Answers and outcomes.
How a reply becomes a typed answer.