Using AI Dispatch
Set up an AI dispatcher that answers your phone, takes job request details, finds an appointment time from your calendar, and adds the request to your queue — all without you picking up.
Using AI Dispatch
AI Dispatch answers your phone for you. When a customer calls, an AI dispatcher picks up, collects their name, callback number, and a description of the problem, figures out what kind of work it is, finds the soonest open slot on your calendar, and creates a service request — all before the caller hangs up. You see the request in your queue with a transcript of the call.
It’s built for after-hours coverage, overflow during busy days, or any time you can’t get to the phone yourself.
What it does for you:
- Picks up calls 24/7 with a warm, conversational voice
- Collects intake details (name, callback number, problem description)
- Infers the type of work from what the caller says — plumbing, HVAC, electrical, etc.
- Searches your calendar and offers the soonest open appointment window
- Creates a service request in your queue, with the full call transcript attached
- Texts you (the dispatcher) when a new request lands, just like any other request
How It Works
When a customer calls your business number:
- Your phone provider (Google Voice, RingCentral, your existing Twilio number, etc.) forwards the call to a dedicated number we provision for your organization.
- The AI dispatcher answers and walks the caller through a short intake.
- The AI calls your calendar to find a time that works. The caller can accept the soonest slot, ask for a different day, or schedule a callback if nothing fits.
- Once a slot is agreed (or the caller asks for a follow-up callback), the AI creates the request and confirms back with the caller.
- The request lands in your Requests queue with a status of Pending, and you and your team get the usual notifications.
- You can listen to the call transcript and review what the AI heard from the AI Calls screen.
Setting Up AI Dispatch
Setup is a one-time configuration in your organization settings. You’ll provision a dedicated phone number through us, then forward your business line to it.
Step 1: Open the AI Dispatch Settings
- Open the KorField Pro web dashboard
- Tap My Organization in the side menu
- Tap AI Dispatch → Manage
Step 2: Get a Phone Number
You need a dedicated phone number for AI Dispatch to receive forwarded calls. We provision and manage it for you.
- On the AI Dispatch settings screen, find the Phone Numbers card
- Tap Get a phone number
- Enter your preferred area code (3 digits — usually your business’s area code)
- Optionally enter digits the number should contain (e.g. “1234” to find a number with 1234 in it)
- Tap Search
- Pick a number from the list, review the confirmation screen, and tap Get this number
Once provisioned, the number is reserved for your organization. Only one active number per organization for now.
Step 3: Forward Your Business Number
The number we just gave you is the answering number — the caller never sees it. You forward calls from your existing business line to this number from your phone provider’s settings.
How forwarding works depends on your provider:
- Google Voice — Settings → Calls → Call forwarding → add the new number
- RingCentral — Phone Numbers → your business number → Edit → Forwarding
- OpenPhone — Number settings → Call forwarding
- Twilio (separate account) — set the Voice webhook on your number to dial out to the new number
If you’re not sure how to set up forwarding for your provider, contact our support team.
Step 4: Configure the Dispatcher
Back on the AI Dispatch settings screen, fine-tune how the dispatcher behaves.
Enable AI dispatch — Master switch. Turn this off any time to stop answering calls without releasing your phone number.
Voice — Pick the voice the dispatcher uses. Options include alloy, ash, ballad, coral, echo, sage, shimmer, and verse. Each has a different style — try a few and pick the one that fits your business.
Custom greeting (optional) — The exact line the dispatcher uses to greet the caller. If blank, a default greeting is used. Examples:
- “Thanks for calling Acme Plumbing’s after-hours line.”
- “Hi, you’ve reached Smith HVAC. Let me get a few details and we’ll get someone out to you.”
Additional instructions (optional) — Anything specific about your business that the AI should know. Appended to the default system prompt. Examples:
- “We don’t service commercial properties.”
- “Same-day emergency calls have a 1-hour service window.”
- “We charge a $99 trip fee — let the caller know up front.”
What Callers Experience
The AI is built to sound like a real dispatcher. It’s casual, warm, and unhurried. Here’s what a typical call goes like:
AI: Thanks for calling Acme Plumbing. How can I help?
Caller: Hi, my kitchen sink is overflowing and I need someone out as soon as possible.
AI: Oh no, sorry to hear that. Let me grab a few details. Can I get your name?
Caller: John Smith.
AI: Got it. Is this the best number to reach you back on?
Caller: Yeah, this one works.
AI: Perfect. And can you give me the address?
Caller: 123 Maple Street.
AI: Thanks. Let me see what we have open… we could have someone out tomorrow morning, 9 to 10 — does that work for you?
Caller: Yeah, that’s great.
AI: Awesome. You’re set for tomorrow between 9 and 10 — a dispatcher will give you a call to lock it in. Anything else?
Caller: No, that’s it.
AI: Thanks for calling, take care.
Reviewing Calls
Every call the AI dispatcher takes shows up under Requests → AI Calls.
What You See
For each call, the list shows:
- The caller’s phone number
- When the call started
- The duration
- A status badge: Completed (caller agreed on a slot), No Request (call ended without one), Failed (something went wrong), or In Progress
- Whether a service request was created
Call Detail
Tap any call to see the full detail:
- The full conversation transcript — what the caller said and what the AI said back
- Call duration
- Token usage and estimated cost
- A link to the associated request, if one was created
If anything went wrong, an error message appears here too.
How Requests From AI Dispatch Appear
Requests created by AI Dispatch show up in your main Requests queue alongside online bookings and staff-created requests. They’re identified with an AI dispatch badge.
Each PHONE-source request includes:
- The caller’s name and callback number
- The problem description
- The inferred service type (specialty)
- The agreed appointment window (if one was set)
- Any service address the caller mentioned
You can accept, decline, or schedule these requests exactly like any other request in your queue.
When the Window Is Empty
If the AI couldn’t find an open slot during the call (your calendar was fully booked for the next 7 days), the request lands without a preferred time. You’ll see “Requested time: —” in the request detail and a dispatcher should follow up to schedule.
Best Practices
- Forward only after hours, or all the time? — Start with after-hours forwarding. Most providers let you set a schedule. Once you trust the AI, you can expand to overflow during the day.
- Test the flow once before going live — Call your business number from your cell. Make sure the call gets through, the AI picks up, and a test request lands in your queue. Then delete the test request.
- Check the AI Calls list daily — Especially in the first week, scan recent calls to catch any cases where the AI misunderstood the caller or missed something important.
- Use the custom instructions — If you notice the AI saying something off-brand or giving wrong info, add a one-line guardrail in the Additional instructions field.
- Don’t try to use AI Dispatch for emergencies — The AI doesn’t dispatch live technicians. Every appointment is tentative until a human confirms. If your business handles true emergency calls (e.g. gas leaks), keep a backup number staffed.
Troubleshooting
Calls Aren’t Being Answered
If forwarded calls aren’t reaching the AI:
- Open AI Dispatch settings and confirm Enable AI dispatch is on.
- Confirm a phone number is listed under Phone Numbers.
- Test by dialing the AI Dispatch number directly — it should answer.
- If the direct dial works, check your phone provider’s forwarding settings.
The AI Got Something Wrong
The transcript on the AI Calls detail screen shows exactly what the AI heard and said. Common causes:
- Background noise was loud — phone audio over a noisy environment can confuse the speech recognition. Suggest customers call from a quieter spot if possible.
- Caller said something unclear — the AI is told to ask “sorry, what was that?” when input is unclear, but it doesn’t always catch it.
- Inferred the wrong service type — add a hint in Additional instructions (“we only do plumbing”) so the AI doesn’t mis-categorize.
Caller Hung Up Before Finishing
The call shows up as No Request with a partial transcript. Check the transcript to see what was collected — sometimes there’s enough info to follow up manually.
The AI Says No Availability When We Have Some
The AI searches by service type (specialty). If your calendar shows availability but the AI says there’s none, it might be that no technician with that specialty is set up. Open the technician’s profile and confirm their specialties include the one the caller’s problem matches.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the AI replace my dispatcher? No. It handles intake and tentative scheduling so calls don’t go to voicemail, but every appointment is tentative until a human confirms. Use it for coverage, not as a full replacement.
Can I listen to a recording of the call? Not currently. The AI Calls screen stores a full text transcript of what the caller and AI said. Audio recording is a planned addition.
What languages does it support? English only, for now.
What does it cost? Each call has an estimated cost shown on its detail screen, broken down by OpenAI usage (the AI model) and Twilio (the voice line). A typical 2-minute intake call lands in the range of a few cents.
Can I have more than one phone number? Not currently. One active number per organization. Reach out to support if you have a multi-location use case.
What happens to the number if I cancel? Releasing the number from the settings screen returns it to the carrier pool. Twilio doesn’t guarantee you can re-acquire the same number later.
Can the AI take payments? No. The AI is told not to quote prices or take payment information.
Does the AI know my calendar? Yes. It uses the same availability engine as your online booking form — appointments, blocks, operating hours, and per-technician specialties all factor in.
Need More Help?
Have questions about AI Dispatch or running into issues? Contact our support team at support@korfieldpro.com or visit our help center.