AI Automation
AI Agents
Custom AI agents that handle enquiries, qualify leads, and complete tasks end to end — not just chat.
Overview
AI Agents explained
An AI agent goes further than a simple chatbot or automation — it can hold a conversation, make decisions, and complete a task from start to finish, such as answering an enquiry, checking a quote, and booking a job into your calendar.
Where automation follows fixed rules, an agent is trained on your services, pricing, and policies so it can handle the variation that comes with real customer questions, then hand off to your team whenever a job genuinely needs a person.
Cockatoo helps you define exactly what an agent should own, build it with the right guardrails, and widen what it handles as you see it working reliably.
What to check
Key points
- Agents act, not just chat — they can book, quote, and update records.
- Trained on your specific services, pricing, and policies, not generic answers.
- Includes a clear handoff to your team whenever a job needs a person.
Before you start
What you'll need
- A clear list of the enquiries and tasks you want the agent to own.
- Your current pricing, service details, and any policies it should follow.
- Access to the systems it needs to connect to, such as your calendar or CRM.
- Rules for when the agent should hand a conversation to a person.
- Time to review early transcripts and refine how it responds.
Process
How it works
- Define the jobs and enquiry types the agent should own.
- Train it on your services, pricing, and policies.
- Connect it to your calendar, CRM, or other systems with clear guardrails.
- Pilot it on real enquiries and review the transcripts.
- Widen what it handles as accuracy and confidence build.
Avoid these
Common mistakes
- Giving the agent too broad a scope before it has proven itself on simple tasks.
- Skipping a clear handoff rule, so tricky cases get stuck instead of reaching a person.
- Not reviewing transcripts, so errors repeat instead of getting corrected.
- Training it on out-of-date pricing or policies that mislead customers.
Common questions
AI Agents FAQs
How is an AI agent different from a chatbot?
A chatbot mostly answers questions. An AI agent can take action — checking availability, generating a quote, and booking a job — completing a task end to end rather than just providing information.
Will customers know they are talking to an AI agent?
That's a policy decision Cockatoo helps you set. Many businesses are upfront about it, since a well-built agent that resolves things quickly builds trust regardless. It should always be clear how to reach a person if needed.
What happens when the agent cannot handle a request?
It hands off to your team based on rules you set — anything outside its scope, a frustrated customer, or a request it is not confident about. You decide where that line sits.
Can an AI agent access my booking system or CRM?
Yes, that's usually the point — connecting it to your calendar, CRM, or job management tool lets it actually complete tasks like booking or updating records, not just talk about them. Access is set up with clear guardrails around what it can change.
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