In this tutorial, we’ll guide you through the Collect Block in Phonely, demonstrating how you can efficiently gather multiple pieces of information from a customer in a natural, conversational manner. This feature streamlines your workflows, making your AI receptionist highly efficient and human-like. To clear up any initial confusion, this was previously called the ‘Multi-Ask Block’.

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What is it?

The Collect Block is a core component in Phonely used when you want to ask a series of different questions, essentially functioning like a voice-enabled form. It is designed to collect multiple pieces of information (such as name, phone number, and email) in a single, combined block that does not branch. Phonely’s AI automatically generates how it asks these questions and will not proceed until all defined information has been successfully stored.

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When to Use

Understanding the nuances between Phonely’s conversational blocks is crucial for effective workflow design. Here is some key information on what defines the Collect block: • Purpose - Ideal for gathering a string of related information (like a form) where all fields must be collected consecutively. • Behavior - It is a single, combined block that does not branch based on individual answers within the block. The AI ensures all required information is gathered before moving to the next part of the workflow. • Efficiency - It is significantly faster and cleaner than creating a series of individual Ask Exactly Blocks or a single Prompt Block for this specific use case. • Smart Confirmation - If the customer has already provided information relevant to a question in the Collect Block earlier in the conversation, Phonely will intelligently confirm that information instead of re-asking the question, enhancing the natural flow.

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Key Features

• Efficient Data Aggregation - Collects multiple data points (e.g., name, phone, email) within a single conversational segment. • Automated Question Generation - Phonely’s AI intelligently formulates how to ask the defined questions, maintaining a natural conversation flow. • Guaranteed Information Capture - The block ensures all specified information is gathered and stored as variables before the workflow proceeds. • Streamlined Workflow Design - Significantly reduces the complexity of your workflow canvas compared to using multiple individual question blocks. • Natural Conversation - Allows Phonely to guide the conversation naturally, reducing the need for manual question crafting and complex branching logic. • Pre-fill and Confirmation - Automatically confirms information if the customer has already provided it, preventing repetitive questions.

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Setup

  1. Add a New Block: In your workflow, click the + button to add a new block.
  2. Select Collect: Choose the “Collect” option from the available blocks.
  3. Configure Questions: For each piece of information you need to gather, you will add a specific entry within the Collect Block’s settings:
    • Name (Variable Name): Assign a descriptive internal name for the variable that will store this piece of information (e.g., “customer_name”, “contact_phone”, “user_email”). This name will be used to reference the data later.
    • Type (Answer Type): Select the appropriate data type for the expected input (e.g., text, phone, email, number, date). This ensures Phonely validates and stores the information in the correct format for subsequent use.
    • Question (Instruction): Briefly describe what Phonely should ask or obtain from the customer (e.g., “Get customer name”, “Get customer phone”, “Get customer email”). This serves as an instruction to the AI.
    Tip: You can include specific instructions here, such as “Get the caller’s name and spell it back to them.”

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Example

Here’s how you might configure a Collect Block to collect basic customer details: Question 1 (Name):
  • Name: name
  • Type: text (or potentially a custom format for capitalization)
  • Question: “Get customer name”
Question 2 (Phone Number):
  • Name: phone
  • Type: phone
  • Question: “Get customer phone”
Question 3 (Call Reason):
  • Name: call_reason
  • Type: text
  • Question: “Get reason for call”

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Using Data

After the Collect Block has successfully gathered all the defined information, it is automatically stored as variables. These variables are immediately available for use in any subsequent blocks within your workflow. • Accessing Data - When configuring actions, conditions, or prompts in later blocks, simply select the appropriate variable name that was defined in your Collect Block (e.g., name, phone, email) to reference the collected data. Example: You could use the name variable in a “Talk Block” to personalize a greeting (“Hello [name]!”), or the phone variable in an API request block to send an SMS confirmation.

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Advanced

The Collect block offers powerful options for precise data handling: • Custom Output Formatting - Beyond standard data types like text or phone, you can define custom formats for how the collected information should be stored. Example: If asking for a state, you can set a custom type to ensure the output is saved as a two-digit code (e.g., “WI” for Wisconsin, “GA” for Georgia) instead of the full state name. This is incredibly valuable for direct integration with CRMs or APIs without needing post-processing.

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Analytics

• Call Outcome Tags - The Collect Block allows you to use outcome tags, which are crucial for tracking user progression and analyzing workflow performance. • Purpose - By tagging this block as an outcome, you can track if a caller reaches this stage of the conversation. • Analytics - This information is then visible in Phonely’s analytics section, enabling you to conduct A/B tests and gain insights into your agent’s effectiveness.

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Conclusion

The Collect Block in Phonely is an incredibly efficient tool for systematically gathering multiple pieces of information from callers in a natural and streamlined manner. By intelligently collecting all required data within a single, non-branching segment, it simplifies workflow design while ensuring a smooth and effective customer experience. Leverage this powerful feature to build highly efficient and intelligent voice AI agents for your business.