Overview
Phone Agent uses call workflows to decide how it should handle different caller intents. Workflows can be enabled or disabled per agent and location.
Default workflow types
The current Phone Agent setup includes these workflow types:
New Appointment Booking: collect patient details, preferred time, and reason for visit.
Modify/Reschedule Appointment: handle requests to change an existing appointment.
Appointment Cancellation: process cancellation requests and offer rescheduling where appropriate.
Check Record: help callers check or confirm appointment details after identity checks.
Callback Request: collect name, number, and reason for call when staff need to call back.
General Enquiry: answer questions about the clinic, services, pricing, and availability.
Which workflows require Cliniko or Nookal?
Appointment-related workflows work best with a connected PMS such as Cliniko or Nookal. Without a PMS connection, the agent can collect booking or change-request details but cannot reliably complete live appointment actions.
The Check Record workflow requires a practice management system integration because it needs access to appointment record information.
What happens without a PMS?
If appointment workflows are enabled without a PMS, Phone Agent should collect the caller's details and the request. Your team then reviews the call log and follows up manually.
Use this as a safe fallback when you want call capture before full booking automation.
Caller information
For each workflow, make sure the agent collects enough information for the clinic to act on the request. Typical fields include caller name, phone number, patient name, date of birth where appropriate, preferred appointment time, reason for visit, and urgency.
Do not disable every workflow
At least one workflow should remain enabled. If the agent has no enabled workflow, it will not have a clear instruction for handling callers.
When to edit workflows
Edit workflows when callers are being routed incorrectly, appointment requests lack key details, the clinic wants different handling by location, or the agent is answering questions it should hand over to staff.