The Training section is a core part of setting up and customizing your receptionist with Upfirst. Training is where you input information about your business, such as what your company does, pricing, and services, so that your receptionist can accurately answer anything the caller asks.
It's also where you provide specific directions on how to handle certain calls. For example, how the receptionist should handle an existing customer versus a new lead.
Unlike other platforms, we don't limit the amount of training you can give your agent.
In addition to the info in your training, your receptionist also has memory about previous callers.
Begin by watching the introductory video, which provides a comprehensive overview of how to use Training.
1. Go to Agents > Training to get started
Go to Agents in the left menu. Select the agent you want to train, then click Training.
Training belongs to an agent, and you have two kinds:
Agent-specific training. Only this agent uses it. Good for a location's address, a department's process, or a business's own services.
Shared training. Available to the agents you select. Good for company hours, pricing, and policies that don't change between lines.
If you run more than one agent, see How to add multiple agents to your account.
Please note: Call transfers and automated texts have their own tabs, Transfer calls and Send texts, in the same menu as Training.
2. Click Add training
Click Add training. You'll see two options: Write your own and Import from a webpage.
3. Write your own
Write your own lets you type information or instructions yourself. Give it a clear Title, like Fees and payment, so you can find it later. Then add the details in Content.
Keep each entry focused on one thing, for example:
Pricing
Service areas
Insurance accepted or not accepted
Cancellation policy
New patient intake requirements
How to qualify leads
In the content, you might enter details like Our basic plans start at $24.95 per month for 30 calls. Or instructions like When collecting emails, always ask callers to spell them slowly, letter by letter. Click Add training to save it.
4. Import from a webpage
To pull information straight from your website, click Add training and choose Import from a webpage. Paste the page link and click Import. Upfirst reads the page, captures the text, and gives it a title. Click Add training to save it.
This only reads the page you paste, not your entire website.
5. Repeat for other important information
Add an entry for anything your agent should know, like service details and company policies. Each entry shows in your Training list. Use the switch next to an entry to turn it off without deleting it.
6. Set up how to handle certain calls
Training can also tell your agent how to handle different kinds of calls. Here are a few examples. For each one, click Add training, choose Write your own, and add a title and instructions.
Returning customers. If the caller is a returning customer, ask for their name, phone number, and reason for calling. Then let them know someone from our team will contact them soon.
New customers or leads. If the caller is a new customer, ask for their name, phone number, email address, and what type of service they're interested in.
Changing a reservation or appointment. If a customer wants to reschedule or cancel, ask for their name, the service that was booked, and the requested change.
Appointment deposit. After gathering the caller's info, tell them we require a $50 deposit for inspections. Then let them know someone will reach out shortly to confirm the appointment and collect payment details.
7. Wrapping up
Once you've added your business information and instructions for the calls you care about, your agent is ready to handle calls the way you want. Make a test call to hear it in action.
Note: If your AI agent replies to texts, it answers from this same training. It skips phone-only instructions, like greetings or how to pronounce a name. See How to let your AI agent reply to texts.