Core Concepts

Understanding DialIQ’s fundamental concepts for maximum effectiveness

Understanding DialIQ’s fundamental concepts will help you configure and optimize your AI receptionist for maximum effectiveness.

Architecture Overview

DialIQ operates as an intelligent intermediary between your callers and your business systems. When a call comes in, DialIQ’s AI processes the conversation in real-time, takes appropriate actions, and integrates with your existing tools.

How It Works

1. Call Reception

   Caller dials your business number

2. AI Engagement

   DialIQ AI agent answers and begins natural conversation

3. Intent Detection

   AI understands what the caller needs

4. Action Execution

   Books appointments, answers questions, or escalates

5. Integration Sync

   Updates your calendar, CRM, or other business systems

6. Follow-up

   Sends confirmations, notifications, and reminders

AI Agents

An AI Agent is your virtual receptionist — the voice that answers your calls and interacts with customers on your behalf.

Agent Capabilities

Conversational Understanding

DialIQ agents use advanced natural language processing to understand caller intent, context, and nuance. They don’t require callers to follow rigid menu structures or speak in specific phrases.

Dynamic Responses

Rather than playing pre-recorded messages, agents generate contextually appropriate responses in real-time, adapting to the unique flow of each conversation.

Multi-turn Conversations

Agents maintain conversation context across multiple exchanges, handling complex inquiries that require back-and-forth dialogue to resolve.

Personality & Brand Alignment

Customize your agent’s communication style, terminology, and personality to match your brand voice — from professional and formal to friendly and casual.

Agent Knowledge Base

Your AI agent’s knowledge comes from several sources:

Business Profile

Company information, location, hours, and contact details

Services Catalog

Detailed descriptions of what you offer

FAQs

Pre-configured answers to common questions

Custom Instructions

Specific guidance on how to handle particular scenarios

Integration Data

Real-time information from connected systems (calendar availability, CRM data, etc.)

Omnichannel Communication

DialIQ provides unified communication across multiple channels, allowing customers to interact via voice, SMS, and chat.

Supported Channels

Voice Calls

Traditional phone calls handled by AI voice agents with natural conversation flow

SMS / Text

Inbound text message inquiries and outbound SMS notifications, summaries, and booking links

Chat

Web chat and messaging platform integrations (coming soon: WhatsApp for international)

Unified Inbox

All conversations — regardless of channel — appear in a single Inbox view:

• Voice call transcripts with playback
• SMS message threads
• Chat conversation history
• Unified timeline showing full customer interaction history

The Inbox replaces traditional “Call Logs” — providing a complete omnichannel view of all customer communications in one place.

Continued Conversations

DialIQ maintains conversation context across channels and time, eliminating the need for customers to repeat themselves.

Cross-Channel Continuity

Call to SMS

Scenario: Caller hangs up or requests information (e.g., “Send me your address”)

DialIQ Action: AI instantly sends an SMS to the caller’s mobile with the requested information:

“Hi, this is DialIQ at [Business Name]. Here is the address you asked for: 123 Main St…”

The conversation context is maintained — the AI knows what was discussed.

Dropped Call

Scenario: Call disconnects prematurely before completion

DialIQ Action: AI sends SMS within seconds:

“We got disconnected. Would you like to continue via text?”

Context Retained: AI remembers the intent (e.g., booking appointment) and doesn’t restart from scratch.

Returned Call

Scenario: Customer calls back hours or days later

DialIQ Action: AI recognizes the caller and offers to continue:

“Welcome back! Last time we spoke about scheduling your AC repair. Would you like to continue with that booking?”

Context Retained: Full conversation history available — no need to repeat information.

Why This Matters: Customers appreciate not having to repeat themselves. Continued conversations improve satisfaction and increase conversion rates by reducing friction.

Call Flows

A Call Flow defines how DialIQ handles different types of interactions based on caller intent, time of day, and business rules.

Standard Flow Types

Information Inquiry

Customer asks questions about your business, services, pricing, or location via call, SMS, or chat. Agent provides answers from your knowledge base and offers to schedule an appointment.

Appointment Booking

Customer wants to schedule a service. Agent checks availability, collects required information, books the appointment, and sends confirmation via SMS and email.

Emergency/Urgent

Customer has an urgent need requiring immediate attention. Agent follows triage rules to assess urgency and escalates to your team if necessary.

Customer Service

Customer has questions about an existing appointment or service. Agent retrieves relevant information and assists or routes to appropriate staff.

Call Flow Components

Greeting

The initial message callers hear. Customize by time of day, caller type, or business hours status.

Intent Recognition

AI determines what the caller needs through natural conversation, not rigid menu options.

Information Gathering

Agent collects necessary details (name, contact info, service type, preferred time, etc.) conversationally.

Action Execution

Agent takes appropriate action: books appointment, provides information, captures lead, or escalates.

Confirmation & Follow-up

Agent confirms details with caller and triggers automated follow-up actions (email, SMS, notifications).

Business Hours & Availability

DialIQ operates 24/7, but your Business Hours define when appointments can be scheduled and how calls are handled.

Hours Configuration

Operating Hours

Define when your business is open for appointments. These hours control when the AI can book new appointments.

After-Hours Handling

Configure how DialIQ responds when calling outside business hours:

• Take messages and offer next-day callbacks
• Book appointments for next available slot
• Provide emergency escalation for urgent matters
• Share alternative contact methods

Holiday & Exception Schedules

Set special hours for holidays, vacation days, or seasonal variations.

Timezone Intelligence

DialIQ automatically handles timezone conversions, ensuring appointments are booked correctly regardless of where callers are located.

Services & Appointment Types

Services define what your business offers and how appointments should be structured.

Service Attributes

Service Name

Customer-facing name (e.g., “AC Repair,” “Initial Consultation,” “60-Minute Massage”)

Category

Organizational grouping for related services (e.g., “Air Conditioning Services,” “Legal Services”)

Duration

Appointment length (fixed time like “60 min” or “Variable” for service calls)

Booking Requirements

Information needed to book this service type (address for service calls, medical history for healthcare, etc.)

Pricing (Optional)

Rate information the AI can share with callers

Description

Detailed explanation helping the AI understand and explain the service to callers

Service-Specific Call Handling: Different services can have unique handling rules — some may require immediate escalation (legal emergencies), others may need additional qualification questions (healthcare triage), and certain services might only be bookable during specific hours.

Appointment Scheduling

DialIQ’s Appointment Scheduling integrates directly with your calendar to book, manage, and optimize appointments.

How Scheduling Works

Real-Time Availability

AI checks your connected calendar(s) in real-time during the call to determine available time slots.

Conflict Prevention

Automatically prevents double-booking by checking all connected calendars and respecting buffer times.

Intelligent Slot Selection

AI suggests optimal appointment times based on caller preferences, your availability patterns, buffer time requirements, and travel time between appointments.

Booking Rules

Configure constraints like minimum advance notice, maximum booking window, buffer time between appointments, and appointment type availability by day/time.

Calendar Integration

DialIQ syncs bidirectionally with:

Google Calendar

Full two-way sync

Microsoft Outlook

Office 365 & Exchange

Apple Calendar

iCloud & CalDAV

Two-Way Sync: Changes made in your calendar reflect in DialIQ’s availability, and appointments booked by DialIQ appear immediately in your calendar.

FAQs & Knowledge Management

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) provide your AI agent with consistent, accurate answers to common inquiries.

FAQ Structure

Each FAQ consists of:

• Question: The inquiry callers typically make (can include variations)
• Answer Type: Yes/No responses, detailed text answers, conditional responses (with follow-up questions), or data values (prices, amounts, times)
• Context Triggers: When this FAQ is most relevant (during booking, after hours, for specific services)

Best Practices

Cover Common Scenarios

• Business hours and location
• Pricing and payment methods
• Emergency service availability
• Insurance acceptance (for healthcare)
• Service area coverage
• Cancellation policies
• What to expect/prepare

Keep Answers Concise

Callers prefer brief, direct answers. Provide details when asked, but lead with key information.

Update Regularly

Review FAQ performance in analytics and add new FAQs based on actual call patterns.

Triage & Escalation

Triage is the process of assessing call urgency and routing critical situations to your team immediately.

Triage Levels

Low Priority

Standard inquiries and routine appointment requests. AI handles completely without human intervention.

Medium Priority

Requests requiring some urgency or special handling. AI may offer expedited scheduling or flag for same-day follow-up.

High Priority

Urgent situations requiring quick attention. AI captures information and notifies your team via SMS/email while keeping caller on the line if needed.

Critical/Emergency

Life-threatening emergencies or critical business situations. AI immediately transfers to designated emergency contact(s) or provides 911 guidance.

Escalation Rules

Define when and how calls get escalated:

Trigger Conditions

• Specific keywords (e.g., “emergency,” “urgent,” “ASAP”)
• Service types (e.g., emergency plumbing, legal crises)
• Caller sentiment (angry/frustrated customers)
• High-value opportunities (large projects, VIP clients)
• Time sensitivity (same-day needs outside auto-booking window)

Escalation Actions

• Live transfer to specific team members
• Simultaneous SMS/email notification with call details
• Voicemail with priority flag
• Scheduled callback within defined timeframe

Fallback Protocols

What happens if primary contact is unavailable (secondary contacts, voicemail, emergency protocols)

Integrations

Integrations connect DialIQ with your existing business tools to create seamless workflows.

Integration Types

Calendar Systems

Sync appointments, check availability, manage schedules

• Google Calendar, Outlook, Apple Calendar

CRM Platforms

Create leads, update contacts, log call activities

• Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho CRM, Pipedrive

Business Management Software

Create work orders, manage service tickets, update customer records

• ServiceTitan, Housecall Pro, Jobber (for home services)
• Mindbody, Vagaro (for fitness/wellness)
• Practice management systems (for healthcare/legal)

Communication Tools

Send notifications, coordinate teams, share call information

• Slack, Microsoft Teams
• SMS/Email automation platforms

Custom Integrations

Connect to proprietary systems via API, webhooks, or Zapier

Integration Benefits

Eliminate Data Entry

Information captured during calls automatically appears in your business systems.

Single Source of Truth

Calendar changes, customer updates, and schedule modifications sync across all platforms.

Enable Advanced Workflows

Trigger automated follow-ups, create tasks for your team, update project management tools based on calls.

Enhance AI Knowledge

Pull real-time data from connected systems to provide callers with up-to-date information.

Analytics & Insights

DialIQ provides comprehensive Analytics to understand call patterns, measure performance, and optimize results.

Key Metrics

Call Volume

Total calls, calls by hour/day/month, peak times, seasonal patterns

Answer Rate

Percentage of calls answered by AI (should be nearly 100%)

Appointment Conversion

Percentage of calls that result in booked appointments

Average Call Duration

How long typical calls last by intent type

Intent Distribution

Breakdown of caller needs (bookings, questions, emergencies, etc.)

Response Accuracy

How often AI successfully resolves inquiries without escalation

Performance Optimization

Use analytics to:

• Identify questions requiring new FAQs
• Adjust business hours based on call patterns
• Optimize appointment slot availability
• Refine service descriptions for better understanding
• Improve triage rules based on escalation patterns
• Train staff on common customer concerns

What’s Next?

Now that you understand DialIQ’s core concepts, you’re ready to:

Complete the Quickstart Guide

Set up your first AI agent

Explore Subscriptions

Choose the right plan for your business

Check the FAQ

Find answers to common questions

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Questions about core concepts? Contact support