Manage Agent → Customize tab → Voicemail Detection
Why Voicemail Detection Matters
- Improve agent experience by avoiding cutoff intros or beeps.
- Save on costs by skipping unnecessary conversation attempts.
- Boost user trust with professional, voicemail-appropriate responses.
- Automate engagement by triggering SMS, emails, or workflows after detection.
What It Does
When an outbound call is answered, your agent uses real-time audio cues to detect whether the recipient is a person or a voicemail system. Based on your configuration, it will either:- Retry voicemail detection,
- Wait for the right moment to respond,
- Speak a custom voicemail message,
- Trigger automated follow-ups.
What You Can Configure
1. Max Detection Attempts
- What it is: Number of times the system retries to determine if the call went to voicemail.
- Why it matters: Helps balance detection accuracy vs. speed and cost.
- Range: 1 to 5
- Example: Setting this to 3 means the system will attempt detection up to 3 times before deciding.
2. Voicemail Playback Delay
- What it is: Number of seconds the agent waits after voicemail is detected before speaking.
- Why it matters: Prevents the agent from being cut off by long greetings or carrier beeps.
- Range: 1 to 10 seconds
- Example: A delay of 4 seconds gives enough time for most voicemail intros to end before the message plays.
Voicemail greetings can include:
“Hi, this is John. I’m not available right now…” [beep]
If your agent starts too early, its message may be lost.
3. Voicemail Response
- What it is: The message your agent will speak once voicemail is detected. You can also use dynamic variables in the message by using double curly braces like
{{customer_name}} - Limit: 300 characters max
- Example:
"Hi, we tried reaching you but missed you. Please call us back or reply to this message."
4. Post Detection Actions
- What it is: Optional actions your agent can take after leaving a voicemail.
- Examples:
- Send a follow-up SMS (e.g., “Just left you a voicemail. Text us back!”)
- Send an email summary to the contact owner
- Trigger a custom API
Bonus Tips & Best Practices
Example Scenario
- Agent makes an outbound call.
- No human detected → system retries 2 more times.
- Detection succeeds on attempt 3.
- Agent waits 5 seconds → speaks voicemail message.
- Triggers CRM update.
When Should You Use It?
- When your outbound calls frequently hit voicemail.
- If you want to leave clean, professional messages without being cut off.
- When you want to automate follow-up actions after voicemails.
- To improve response rates by sending SMS/email right after missed calls.
What This Feature Does Not Do (Yet)
- It doesn’t guarantee 100% voicemail detection.
- It won’t auto-detect specific voicemail messages (e.g., “the mailbox is full”).