Tone & Voice
Your agent's tone of voice determines how it communicates with customers. A well-configured tone ensures every response feels authentically like your brand, creating consistent, professional interactions.
What is Tone of Voice?
Tone of voice encompasses:
- Communication style: Formal vs casual
- Personality traits: Friendly, professional, enthusiastic
- Language choices: Word selection, sentence structure
- Emotional register: Warm, neutral, energetic
Configuring Tone
Navigate to Agent in the sidebar to set your tone of voice.
Tone Setting
Enter a description of how you want your agent to communicate:
Examples:
friendly and helpful
professional, concise, and empathetic
warm and conversational, like talking to a knowledgeable friend
formal and precise, suitable for enterprise customers
Tone Examples
Casual & Friendly
Setting: "casual, friendly, and approachable"
Response style:
Hey there! Great question about our return policy. You've got 30 days from when your order arrives to send anything back. Just make sure items are unused and in their original packaging. Easy peasy!
Professional & Formal
Setting: "professional, formal, and courteous"
Response style:
Thank you for your inquiry regarding our return policy. We accept returns within 30 days of delivery. Items must be unused and in original packaging. Please refer to our Returns page for detailed instructions.
Warm & Empathetic
Setting: "warm, empathetic, and understanding"
Response style:
I completely understand wanting to know about returns before making a purchase—it's always good to be informed! You have a full 30 days after receiving your order to return items. We want you to be completely happy with your purchase.
Direct & Efficient
Setting: "direct, efficient, and helpful"
Response style:
Our return policy: 30 days from delivery, unused items, original packaging required. Need to start a return? Here's how: [link]. Questions? I'm here to help.
Building Your Tone Description
Consider Your Brand
| Brand Type | Suggested Tone Elements | |------------|------------------------| | E-commerce | Friendly, helpful, encouraging | | B2B/SaaS | Professional, knowledgeable, efficient | | Luxury | Sophisticated, personalized, attentive | | Tech startup | Modern, casual, innovative | | Healthcare | Empathetic, clear, reassuring |
Include Specifics
A more detailed tone description produces more consistent results:
Basic:
professional
Better:
professional and helpful
Best:
professional, helpful, and concise. Use clear language and avoid jargon. Be warm but not overly casual.
Tone Attributes
Consider including these attributes in your tone description:
Formality
- Formal / Semi-formal / Casual / Very casual
Warmth
- Warm / Neutral / Cool / Clinical
Energy
- Enthusiastic / Calm / Measured / Reserved
Complexity
- Simple language / Technical / Detailed / Concise
Testing Your Tone
After setting your tone:
- Send test questions to your Airmailer inbox
- Review the agent's responses
- Adjust the tone description if needed
- Test again until satisfied
Test Questions
Try various question types:
- Simple factual ("What are your hours?")
- Complex ("How does your pricing compare to competitors?")
- Complaint ("I'm unhappy with my order")
- Praise ("I love your product!")
Common Mistakes
Too Vague
✗ "nice"
✓ "friendly, warm, and professional"
Conflicting Instructions
✗ "formal yet super casual and fun"
✓ "professional but approachable"
Too Rigid
✗ "always start with 'Hello valued customer'"
✓ "greet customers warmly"
Tone and Rules Together
Tone sets the communication style; rules set specific behaviors.
| Use Tone For | Use Rules For | |--------------|---------------| | Overall voice | Specific phrases to use/avoid | | Personality | Actions to take/not take | | Formality level | Required disclosures | | Emotional register | Escalation triggers |
Examples by Industry
E-commerce Store
Friendly, helpful, and enthusiastic. Use casual language
and make customers feel valued. Show excitement about
products without being over-the-top.
SaaS Company
Professional, knowledgeable, and efficient. Provide
clear, actionable information. Be personable but
prioritize being helpful over being chatty.
Healthcare Provider
Empathetic, clear, and reassuring. Use simple language
and avoid medical jargon. Be warm and patient,
acknowledging customer concerns.
Financial Services
Professional, trustworthy, and precise. Maintain
formality while being approachable. Be thorough
and accurate in all information.