Caller memory
Recognising a repeat caller by phone number, and the settings that decide how the agent treats them.
Caller memory lets an agent recognise someone who has called before and pick up where the last call left off.
Caller memory is off by default on every agent. Nothing is remembered and no caller profile is written until you switch it on.
Two limits
- Only phone calls are remembered. Memory is keyed on the caller's phone number, so in-app test calls, browser calls and chats are never remembered. Outbound calls key on the person dialled, as if they had rung in.
- Memory is per agent. A caller known to one agent is unknown to another, even in the same workspace.
Turning it on
Turn Remember callers on. The agent builds a caller profile per phone number, described in full on Callers. You can configure the settings below before switching memory on; they take effect the moment you do.
Memory settings are carried on the version, so reverting restores that version's memory settings. Create a draft to change them.
The settings
| Setting | Default | Options |
|---|---|---|
| Remember callers | Off | Off, Remember callers |
| Greeting for callers you recognise | During the call | During the call, In the opener |
| How sure to be it's them | Check first | Check first, Greet by name, Use quietly |
| If their details changed | Ask before changing | Ask before changing, Use the latest, Keep both |
| Calls to remember | 5 | 1 to 20 |
| Calls to bring into a call | 2 | 1 to 6, and never more than "Calls to remember" |
The live preview
Each control saves as soon as you change it. A live preview, What a returning caller looks like, shows the exact context the agent would receive for a sample caller under your current settings. The wording changes considerably between identity options.
How sure to be it's them
A phone number is not proof of who is holding it, so this setting deserves thought.
- Check first (default) -- the agent confirms before relying on memory: "Hi, am I speaking with Sam?" If the caller says no, the agent sets old details aside and treats them as new. Safest when numbers get shared or handed on.
- Greet by name -- welcomes the caller back by name immediately, without checking.
- Use quietly -- memory informs the call, but the agent never says the name unprompted and never announces it recognised the number.
Greeting for callers you recognise
- During the call (default) -- keeps your usual greeting and works the caller's name in naturally once the conversation is under way.
- In the opener -- personalises the very first line for a recognised caller, replacing the usual greeting.
Choosing In the opener without writing a returning-caller greeting means the agent composes that first line itself, which is slower. The editor warns you.
If their details changed
- Ask before changing and Use the latest both store the newest details. They differ only in conversation: whether the agent checks first is governed by How sure to be it's them.
- Keep both stores the newest details as current and retains previous values.
How many calls to keep
Calls to remember is how many past calls are held per caller, oldest rolling off. Calls to bring into a call is how many the agent actually receives on a callback (never more than the number kept). Two is usually enough.
The returning caller greeting
Returning caller greeting is a separate opener spoken only to a caller the
agent recognises (up to 500 characters). It is spoken word for word, with no
model round trip, so a recognised caller gets the same instant open as anyone
else. Write {{caller_name}} where the name should go:
Welcome back, {{caller_name}}! What can I help you with today?{{caller_name}} is the only token substituted here. Any other {{token}} is
read aloud literally. See Variables and secrets
for where variables apply.
Leave it blank and recognised callers hear the normal greeting, unless you chose In the opener, in which case the agent writes the first line itself.
The returning greeting is part of the version, so it is edited on a draft and published with everything else. It only plays when caller memory is on; the editor warns you if you write one while memory is off.
Turning it off
Set Remember callers to Off. From then on:
- No remembered context reaches the agent, for any caller, even one that already has a profile.
- Recognised callers hear the normal greeting.
- No new profiles are written and no existing profile is updated after a call.
Turning it off does not delete anything. Existing profiles stay on the Callers page, remain editable, and keep working for routing.