Answer FAQs from your own documents with a knowledge base
Keep the prompt short and put the facts in a knowledge base. How to prepare documents so the agent answers accurately and admits what it doesn't know.
The Vaakyo team2 min read
- Knowledge base
- Getting started
Callers ask about timings, prices, policies, locations and procedures. Putting all of that into the prompt makes it long and slow. A knowledge base keeps the facts separate: the agent looks up the relevant part only when a question needs it.
What to upload
Upload the documents your front desk or support team already uses: FAQs, price lists, policies, store or clinic details. Web pages and PDFs both work.
The best source is a short, plain FAQ written for the phone:
Is the clinic open on Sundays? Yes, from 10 AM to 2 PM. Dr. Mehra sees patients on Sundays; other doctors don't.
One question and one short answer per entry beats a long brochure.
Write for listening
- Put the answer first, then the detail.
- Avoid tables and long lists the agent would have to read aloud.
- Spell out abbreviations the way they should be said.
- Keep prices, timings and phone numbers current: outdated facts are worse than none.
Tell the agent how to use it
Add a line to the prompt:
Answer questions about timings, prices and policies only from the knowledge base. If the answer isn't there, say you'll have someone call back, and don't guess.
The last sentence matters. An agent that admits it doesn't know is far better than one that invents a refund policy.
Keep it fresh
When something changes (a new branch, a holiday schedule, a price change), update the source and re-index it. Review calls where the agent said it didn't know: those are the questions to add next.
Knowledge base or tool?
Use the knowledge base for facts that are the same for every caller. Use a tool for anything specific to the caller or that changes by the minute, like their order status or today's open slots.
