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    Several assistants and numbers

    The number that was dialled decides which assistant answers: how to create, silence or delete an assistant and how to assign, add or return numbers.

    For Owner, Admin

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    An assistant answers the calls to its phone numbers. With several assistants you handle calls differently, for example per location or department, each with its own greeting, rules and knowledge. When you are done, you know how assistants and numbers fit together, how to create another assistant, and how to assign, add and return numbers.

    How assistants and numbers fit together

    • The number that was dialled decides which assistant answers. Every active number belongs to exactly one assistant.
    • One assistant can have several numbers. Its header shows only one of them; you see them all under SettingsPhone numbers.
    • Each assistant has its own settings in Behaviour, Knowledge, Voice & language and Appointments. Assistants do not share their knowledge.
    • You connect calendars and contacts per assistant, under SettingsIntegrations.
    • The status at the top of the sidebar applies to all assistants together, see Status.
    • VIP on a contact applies to every assistant. Block and Always put through apply to the assistants that exist when you switch them on; for one created later, switch it on again at the contact, see Contacts.
    • The Inbox shows the calls of every assistant. With the Assistant filter you see one assistant's only.

    Create another assistant

    1. Open Assistants.
    2. Click Assistant with the plus sign. The New assistant window opens.
    3. Choose a Template. What's included? shows what the template brings, see Industry templates.
    4. Enter Name, Contact person and Town. All three are required.
    5. Click Create.

    The new assistant starts with no knowledge documents and with the template's rules. Fill in its knowledge before it answers calls, and check it with a test call.

    If your plan still has a free number, the new assistant gets a new number from it straight away. Otherwise you see Assistant created — it has no phone number yet. Assign one under Settings → Phone numbers. A paid number is never booked in this step.

    Silence, switch off or deactivate an assistant, for example on holiday

    You switch off, pause or deactivate a single assistant for a while, with or without a phone number, and keep its number. For this every assistant has its own switch next to its name. It applies to this assistant only, and at once, without Save.

    1. Open the assistant and click Active next to its name at the top.

    2. Choose what callers get:

      • Active: the assistant works as set up. This applies at once.
      • Messages only: the assistant answers calls, puts nobody through and takes messages.
      • Offline: the assistant holds no conversation. Callers hear "This number is currently not available" and, if you picked a day, from when you are back. Then the call ends.
    3. Under Active again on, pick the day the assistant works again, or leave the field empty. Empty, the state holds until you switch back to Active.
    4. Click Apply.

    On holiday, Messages only with your return day under Active again on usually fits best: callers leave their request, you find it in the Inbox, and from that day the assistant works again by itself. Offline fits when nobody should leave a message, for example while the business is closed.

    A call to an assistant that is offline shows in the Inbox with the caller's number, under Open, as No interaction. So you can call back when you are back. It costs no minutes, no call-back SMS goes out, and you get no e-mail about it. On WhatsApp an assistant that is offline does not reply; you read the messages yourself in the Inbox.

    A test call reaches the assistant even while it is offline, so you can check it before you switch it back on.

    The status in the sidebar applies to all assistants as well. When both apply, the stricter one wins: Offline over everything, Messages only over Paused.

    You can also have Ask scoco or a connected AI switch the assistant on and off. From there, Messages only and Offline always need an end, at most 14 days ahead, and you confirm the card yourself. For a holiday, Ask scoco proposes Messages only, unless you explicitly want the assistant offline.

    Delete an assistant

    1. If the assistant still has a phone number, assign the number to another assistant or return it, see below. The same goes for a connected WhatsApp number.
    2. Open the assistant and scroll to the bottom of the Behaviour tab. Under Delete assistant, click Delete.
    3. Type the assistant's name to confirm and click Delete assistant.

    The assistant disappears from the list. Its calendar and contacts are disconnected; contacts already taken over stay in your contact list. Calls, appointments and messages are kept, and the Inbox still shows the assistant's name. You can restore the assistant for 30 days. After that scoco deletes its instructions, greeting, rules, knowledge and history for good.

    Restore a deleted assistant

    Under Assistants, below the list, Deleted assistants shows each one with the day until which it can come back. Click Restore next to it.

    It comes back as it was, but without a phone number and without a calendar or contacts connection. Assign it a number and connect the calendar and contacts again.

    Assign a number to an assistant

    1. Open SettingsPhone numbers.
    2. Open the menu in the number's row and choose Assign assistant.
    3. Under Assistant, choose the assistant.
    4. Click Assign.

    From then on the chosen assistant answers calls to this number. The number moves: if the previous assistant had only this one, it can no longer be reached. A number without an assistant does not exist: if you no longer need a number, return it.

    Add another number

    How many numbers your plan includes is under Plans, minutes and trial. Your numbers shows how many of them are in use.

    • Your plan still has a free number: click Add a number. The number is ready straight away.
    • All numbers are in use: the button names the price of another number. In the Add another phone number window, confirm with Add for a fee.

    Booking a paid number only works once you have booked a plan with payment details, even if your trial is still running then. An Admin can book one too. You can book up to five numbers yourself; for more, contact us. You cannot choose a particular area code.

    A new number first belongs to the assistant created last. Assign it to the right assistant afterwards. If your line should forward to the new number, set up separate call forwarding for it: under Set up forwarding, choose with Forward to which number the guide is for.

    Return a number

    1. First point your line at another number.
    2. Under SettingsPhone numbers, open the menu in the number's row and choose Return number.
    3. Confirm with Return.

    The number stops taking calls, and you cannot get it back yourself. We give it to someone else six months later at the earliest, so nobody gets calls that were meant for you. If it was an assistant's only number, that assistant can no longer be reached. If you hold more numbers than your plan includes, the number of charged additional numbers drops at once. You cannot return your last number; the menu item is missing then.

    Common problems

    The add button cannot be clicked. The reason is shown below it: either your account cannot be charged for an additional number right now, for example with no plan booked, after a cancellation or because we bill it personally, or you have reached the most numbers you can book yourself.

    Instead of the new number you see a message that we are setting your number up and will be in touch. No number is free right now. We set one up for you and get in touch.

    There is already an assistant with this name. Names are unique within an account. Choose another one. A deleted assistant does not count.

    Deleting shows Manage phone numbers instead of Delete assistant. The assistant still takes calls or WhatsApp messages. Assign its number to another assistant or return it first.

    Next to the name it says Active, and nothing happens on a click. Only Owner and Admin switch an assistant. Everyone else sees what applies.

    An assistant that was offline answers calls again. The day under Active again on has come. From midnight that day it works as set up again.

    Restoring is refused because another assistant has the name. Delete the other one first; it too can be restored for 30 days.

    I do not see Assistants or SettingsPhone numbers. Only Owner and Admin see them.