AI Call Answering Script Template (Fill-In Version)

An AI call answering script is a structure, not a word-for-word script: a greeting, one question to learn why the person is calling, short answers from your facts, the details to collect, rules for transfers and messages, and a closing that confirms the next step. Fill in the template below, paste it into your AI agent's instructions, and keep factual answers in the separate facts sheet.

Why structure beats a fixed script

Human answering scripts are often exact lines: "Thank you for calling X, how may I direct your call?" AI agents can follow those, but they handle real conversations better when you give them goals and rules. Callers don't speak in order. One says "I need a quote for a roof, I'm at 12 Oak Street, call me at..." all at once. A structured script lets the agent recognize what it already has and skip ahead.

The template

Copy and fill in the brackets.

GOAL
You answer calls for [Business]. Your job is to [answer questions /
book appointment requests / qualify new customers / take messages]
so the team can follow up quickly.

OPENING
Greet the caller using the greeting. Ask how you can help.

FIND THE REASON
Work out which of these the caller needs:
1. [Reason A, e.g., new service request]
2. [Reason B, e.g., question about hours/area/services]
3. [Reason C, e.g., existing job or order]
4. [Reason D, e.g., billing]
5. Something else

FOR EACH REASON
A: Collect [name, callback number, address, details]. Then [schedule a
   callback / transfer if ready now].
B: Answer from the business facts in one or two sentences.
C: Collect [name, job or order reference]. Take a message for [person].
D: Transfer to [person]. If no answer, take a message marked billing.
Else: Take a detailed message.

URGENT
If the caller mentions [emergency conditions], mark the message
urgent and transfer. [Safety instruction, e.g., "If they smell gas,
tell them to leave the building and call 911 or the gas company."]

ALWAYS
- Ask one question at a time. Keep answers to one or two sentences.
- Read back phone numbers and addresses.
- If you don't know, say the team will follow up and take a message.
- If asked, say you're an AI assistant for [Business].
- If the caller asks for a person, transfer or take a message.

NEVER
- Quote prices, discounts or times not in the business facts.
- Collect card numbers, security codes or Social Security numbers.
- Give [legal/medical/financial] advice.

CLOSING
Confirm name, callback number and the next step ("The team will call
you back today before 5"). Ask if there's anything else. Thank them.

Worked example: Harbor Plumbing

GOAL
You answer calls for Harbor Plumbing. Your job is to get callers
service or take a message the team can act on.

FIND THE REASON
1. New service request
2. Question about hours, area or services
3. Existing appointment
4. Billing

FOR EACH REASON
1: Collect name, callback number, service address, problem, and
   whether water is actively leaking. Schedule a callback.
2: Answer from the business facts.
3: Collect name and address. Take a message for the office.
4: Transfer to the office manager. If no answer, message marked billing.

URGENT
Active leaks, sewage backup, no water, or gas smell: mark urgent and
transfer. For gas, tell them to leave and call 911 or the gas company.

Facts such as "We serve Dayton, Kettering and Oakwood" and "Drain cleaning is $149" go in the facts sheet, not here. See AI agent business facts sheet.

Script elements by call type

Call type	Must collect	Ends with
New customer	Name, number, need, location, timeline	Callback request or transfer
Existing customer	Name, reference (job, order, account)	Message or transfer
Question	Nothing required	Answer, then "anything else?"
Appointment request	Name, number, type, preferred times	Request saved; team confirms
Complaint	Name, number, what happened	Transfer or priority message
Vendor or sales pitch	Company, purpose	Message; no transfer
Wrong number	Nothing	Polite goodbye

Handling the tricky moments

Caller won't give a number: "No problem. I have the number you're calling from. Is that the best one?" Most phone systems pass caller ID to the agent.

Caller is upset: acknowledge once, don't argue, offer the fastest route to a person. See AI agent and upset callers.

Caller asks for a price you didn't list: "Pricing depends on the details, so I'll have the team follow up with an exact quote. What's the best number?"

Caller asks if it's a real person: "I'm an AI assistant for Harbor Plumbing. I can help, or connect you with the team."

Caller wants to pay by card: don't take card details by voice. PCI guidance on telephone payments warns that call recordings can capture card data. Offer a payment link by text or a callback from staff. See sensitive data on AI calls.

Outbound script additions

If the same agent calls people, add:

• Opening: name, AI assistant, business, purpose, in the first sentence
• Voicemail: one short message with your callback number, then hang up
• Opt-out: if they ask not to be called, confirm, end the call, and flag it

FCC rules require artificial-voice calls to identify the business at the start and provide a callback number. See AI outbound calls and the TCPA.

Script review checklist

• Every reason has an outcome
• Every uncertainty has a fallback
• Urgent conditions are specific
• Safety instructions are correct for your trade
• Never-list covers prices, payments and advice
• Closing confirms the next step
• Facts live in the facts sheet, not the script

Adapting the template by industry

The skeleton stays the same; the reasons and urgent conditions change.

Industry	Typical reasons	Urgent conditions
Plumbing / HVAC	New job, existing job, quote, billing	Active leak, no heat in freezing weather, gas smell
Property management	Maintenance, leasing inquiry, rent question	Flooding, no heat, lockout, fire or smoke (tell caller to call 911)
Salon / spa	Book, change, cancel, prices	Rarely urgent; same-day changes
Auto repair	Book, status of vehicle, quote	Vehicle breakdown on the road (refer to towing)
Law firm intake	New matter, existing client, court date question	Deadline within days, arrest or detention
Professional services	New client, existing client, billing	Same-day deadlines

Safety instructions should send callers to 911 or the right utility, never ask the AI to assess danger itself.

Keeping the script maintainable

• Number the reasons so you can refer to them in call reviews ("Reason 3 calls are going to the wrong person")
• Date each change in a separate change log so you can undo a bad edit
• Review the script whenever you change hours, staff or services
• Keep one master copy outside the phone system, in case you need to rebuild an agent

Using the template in Callata

Paste the template into the Instructions field of a Callata AI agent and put your facts in "Business facts the agent can share." Callata's agents can take messages with an urgent flag, schedule callback requests your team confirms, look up the caller in your contacts, send texts and emails when allowed, and transfer to everyone or one teammate. Callata also adds standing rules: one question at a time, never invent prices or promises, and confirm name and callback number before ending.

AI minutes are $0.25 per minute; Callata Office is $99 per month and includes five users. Build your script in Callata.