What the AI Voice Agent does
Your AI voice agent answers inbound calls with natural conversation — no "press 1" menus. It can handle FAQs, look up orders, send SMS links, create draft orders, and transfer to your team when needed. Across Consio brands, the AI resolves 70 to 80% of inbound calls without a human.
Before you start
Make sure you have:
A Consio phone number provisioned (Settings > Phone Numbers)
Shopify connected (Settings > Integrations) — the AI syncs your product catalog automatically
Business verification completed (Settings > Trust Center) — required for full functionality
Step 1: Create your AI agent
Go to AI Agents in the left sidebar
Click Create Agent
Give your agent a name — this is the name it will use when greeting callers (e.g., "Alexis," "Jordan," or your brand name). The default name is "Sia"
Step 2: Set the greeting
Write a short greeting your agent says when it picks up. Keep it under 15 seconds.
Example: "Hi, thanks for calling [Brand Name]! I'm Alexis, how can I help you today?"
Tip: Introduce the agent clearly, for example "I'm Alexis, the AI assistant for [Brand]." Disclosure rules differ by jurisdiction, so check what applies where your customers are before deciding how to word it.
Step 3: Configure behavioral guidelines
Behavioral guidelines are free-text instructions that control your agent's tone, guardrails, and escalation rules. Think of them as training notes for a new employee.
What to include:
Tone: "Be friendly and conversational, not robotic. Match the customer's energy."
Boundaries: "Never promise specific delivery dates. Never offer discounts beyond what's in the knowledge base."
Escalation rules: "If a customer asks to speak with a manager, transfer immediately — don't try to resolve it yourself."
Brand voice: "Use casual language. Say 'totally' instead of 'certainly.' Avoid corporate jargon."
Example guidelines:
You are a friendly support agent for [Brand]. Be helpful but concise. If you're unsure about an answer, say "Let me connect you with our team" and transfer the call. Never make up information about shipping times or return policies — only use what's in the knowledge base. Do not get overexcited. Do not offer callbacks within an hour.
Step 4: Set up the knowledge base
Your AI agent's accuracy depends entirely on its knowledge base. There are two source types:
Website sources — Consio scrapes your Shopify store, FAQ pages, policy pages, and product pages automatically. To refresh after website updates, click Refresh in the Knowledge Base tab.
Text sources — For information not on your website (internal policies, scripts, edge cases), click Add a knowledge source and paste the content directly.
Best practices for knowledge base content:
Create separate sources per theme: "Shipping & Delivery," "Returns & Refunds," "Promos & Codes," "Product FAQ"
Use short headings and bullet points — the AI reads structured content more accurately
Include specific numbers and dates: "Free shipping on orders over $50" not "Free shipping on large orders"
Always include exceptions: "Returns accepted within 30 days, except final sale items"
Add escalation guardrails: "If customer requests an address change after shipment, transfer to a live agent"
Important: If your website is password-protected or hosted on a platform other than Shopify (e.g., a Gorgias help center), the scraper won't be able to access it. In that case, copy the content into text sources manually.
Step 5: Configure actions
Your AI agent has six action toggles that control what it can do during a call:
Track orders — Look up order status, tracking numbers, and delivery estimates via Shopify
Cancel orders — Cancel orders directly (with eligibility checks)
Send SMS — Text checkout links, return labels, tracking info, or discount codes during the call
Create draft orders — Build orders for phone sales, exchanges, or custom requests
Initiate returns — Start the return process with automated eligibility checks
Update shipping address — Change the delivery address on an order that has not shipped yet, after confirming it with the customer
Enable only the actions that make sense for your brand. You can always add more later.
Note: SMS actions require your phone number to have SMS registration approved (Settings > Trust Center).
Step 6: Test your agent
Testing is free — it doesn't cost any credits.
In the AI Agents page, click Test Agent
The in-app tester simulates a call so you can hear how your agent responds
Ask 10–15 real questions your customers would ask
Check for accuracy, tone, and edge case handling
If the agent gets something wrong, update the knowledge base or behavioral guidelines and test again
After testing in-app, place a real test call from your phone to hear the full experience including voice quality and latency.
Step 7: Enable on your phone number
Once you're happy with the agent:
Go to Phone Numbers in the left sidebar
Click on the number you want the AI to answer
Under When a call comes in, select Route to AI Agent
Choose your agent from the dropdown
Recommended setup: Instead of routing all calls directly to AI, set up a human-first flow with AI fallback. See the article Configuring business hours & the never-miss-a-call setup for the recommended pattern.
Voice selection
Your agent's voice comes from ElevenLabs. Voice changes are applied by the Consio team — browse voices at ElevenLabs, find one you like, copy the Voice ID, and send it to your Consio contact. Voice cloning (using your own team's voice) is also available.
Related articles
Building your AI knowledge base — detailed guidance on writing AI-friendly content
Setting up AI-to-human call transfers — configuring handoff to your team
Configuring business hours & inbound routing — the recommended inbound flow
AI agent behavioral guidelines — controlling tone, guardrails, and escalation rules
AI agent voice selection & customization — choosing your agent's voice
What your AI agent can do: actions & capabilities — all available agent actions