When a call ends
Voice Agent normally ends a call in these situations:
- The order is finished. After confirming the order and reading back the order number, the agent asks "Is there anything else I can help with?" If the caller says no, it says goodbye and hangs up. It no longer waits for the caller to put the phone down.
- The caller says goodbye. At any point in the call, including before an order is placed.
- The caller goes quiet. After about 30 seconds of complete silence the call ends. Before that, the agent prompts up to three times ("Are you still there?", "Take your time...").
- The call reaches its duration limit. The default is 8 minutes; support can confirm the limit configured for your service.
The agent also detects when it has reached an answering machine rather than a person, and ends the call instead of talking to the voicemail greeting.
Why there is a time limit
Every minute of a call costs money — the speech recognition, the voice, and the phone line are all billed by the minute. A pocket-dial or a phone left off the hook used to stay connected indefinitely. The duration limit bounds the cost of an abandoned or unusually long call.
If calls regularly approach the limit, ask support to review the menu flow and call experience.
What a customer experiences when the limit is hit
The call can end without a warning message. A basket that has not been submitted stays unconfirmed. However, an order may have been placed just before the call ended, even if the caller did not hear its reference.
If a customer reports a cut-off call, check the order list using the call time and customer details before taking another order. Use the saved order status to decide whether it was placed; an unheard order reference is not proof of failure.
When a caller needs longer
Some callers genuinely need more time — a large order, a group order, or someone who needs the menu read out slowly. For these:
- If your line has transfer to staff set up, the caller can ask for a person at any point and the agent will put them through.
- If it doesn't, ask the customer to order online, or take the order yourself on a different line.
Note: Ask support to review the configured limits if customers need more time to complete your menu.