Why Does Latency Happen?
There are three main contributors to voice latency in AI voice assistants.
How many tools are connected to your AI Assistant.
Prompting vs Scripting
Logical Prompt
Language
The most common cause of slow replies is having too many tools added to your assistant. If you look in your assistant’s settings and see a long list of tools, this could be the problem. Each tool you add makes your AI assistant work a little harder, and too many can slow it down.
Try removing any tools you don’t absolutely need. If you still need a certain feature, see if you can use automatic extractions instead of full tools—these are much faster and can still get the job done.
Tip: Fewer tools mean quicker replies! Swap out tools for automatic extractions whenever you can.
Another big reason for delays is complicated prompts. If you have scripted examples for the AI to follow, it will take longer to read, process, and reply. The best prompts are short, clear, and don’t have scripts or sample replies. Instead, just describe what you want the AI to do.
For example, instead of giving a detailed script for a greeting, just tell the AI to greet the client politely. Let it figure out the exact wording itself. This makes your assistant think faster and respond quicker.
Secret: Keep your prompts as short and logical as possible. The clearer your instructions, the faster your assistant will respond.
When writing your prompt, keep it clear and straightforward so the AI assistant always knows what to do next. Avoid mixing instructions or giving options that could be confusing—if you find yourself wondering what step should come next while reading your prompt, the AI will struggle too. The more direct and logical your instructions are, the faster and more accurately your assistant will respond. A prompt that flows naturally from one instruction to the next will keep your conversations smooth and help prevent long pauses or delays.
If you’re using a language other than English in your AI voice settings, you might notice more delays. At the moment, English is the fastest language for responses. If you need to use another language, just know it may be a bit slower, and try to keep everything else simple and clear to help speed things up.
Note: Whenever possible, use English for the quickest responses. If you need another language, be extra careful to keep prompts and tool settings simple.
