Overview
Hona's AI Receptionist uses a three-part profile system to intelligently categorize, route, and handle different types of incoming calls. Each caller profile consists of three essential components: Identifiers, Information Collection, and Actions. This system ensures every caller receives the appropriate experience while your firm captures the information needed for effective follow-up.
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How the Profile System Works
When someone calls your AI Receptionist, the system analyzes the caller's words in real-time and matches what they say to the most appropriate profile you've created. Each profile is designed to handle a specific type of caller or situation—whether that's a new personal injury lead, an existing client checking their case status, or a Spanish-speaking caller needing bilingual support.
Think of profiles as conditional workflows: "IF the caller says [these phrases], THEN collect [this information], AND take [this action]." The three-part system gives you complete control over how different caller types are handled.
The Three Components Explained
Component 1: Identifiers
What they are: Key phrases or conditions that trigger the profile when a caller mentions them during the conversation.
Common examples by caller type:
Profile Type | Sample Identifiers |
Personal Injury | "been injured in accident," "car accident," "need legal help" |
Current/Existing Clients | "existing client," "calling about my case," "have a case with you" |
Divorce/Family Law | "getting divorced," "been served," "family court," "custody" |
Best practices for identifiers:
Use 3-5 identifiers per profile to avoid processing delays
Include both formal and casual language variations
Use broad, natural language phrases rather than overly specific wording
Avoid overlap between profiles if you handle multiple practice areas (this prevents confusion in categorization)
Component 2: Information Collection
What it is: The specific details your AI Receptionist will gather from each caller type before taking action.
Common fields collected:
Full name (with spelling confirmation)
Phone number (with read-back confirmation)
Email address
Case-specific details (accident date, injury location, spouse name, etc.)
The "minimum viable collection" philosophy:
For faster calls and higher completion rates, only collect essential information needed for lead qualification. Over-collecting details (8+ fields) can slow down calls and frustrate callers.
Recommended approach for Personal Injury:
Essential three: Name, phone, email
PI-specific: Accident date (to verify 2-year statute window), location, basic injury details
What NOT to collect: Extensive injury details that your intake team will gather later
Important: Configure your system so existing clients are not asked for information you already have in your CRM. The AI can recognize returning callers and skip redundant data collection.
Component 3: Actions
What happens next: How the AI Receptionist handles the call after gathering the necessary information.
Four available action types:
Action Type | What It Does | Best Used For |
Transfer Call | Routes caller to specific person, department, or phone number (cold, warm, or advanced transfer options available) | High-value leads needing immediate intake; existing clients requiring staff assistance |
Schedule Appointment | Sends calendar link for the caller to book a consultation | Standard leads; initial consultations |
Take Message | Collects information and emails transcript to specified recipients | After-hours inquiries; lower-priority matters; information requests |
End Call | Simple conclusion after information gathering with no further action | Disqualified leads (e.g., at-fault accidents); completed information collection |
Transfer options explained:
Cold transfer: Automatic connection with no summary provided
Warm transfer: Brief summary provided with limited accept/decline option (30-second acceptance window)
Advanced warm transfer: Summary plus time window for recipient to accept or decline
Important note: Each profile has one action type. If you need different handling for business hours versus after-hours (for example, transfer during the day but take a message at night), you would create separate profiles with different identifiers or routing strategies.
Profile Examples for Law Firms
Example 1: Personal Injury Victim Profile
Identifiers: "car accident," "been injured," "need representation," "hurt in accident"
Information Collection: Name, phone, email, accident date, location, basic injury description
Action: Transfer to intake team
Example 2: Current Client Profile
Identifiers: "existing client," "calling about my case," "already have a case with you"
Information Collection: Name only (system recognizes returning callers via phone number)
Action: Transfer to primary contact if integrated with CRM or CMS
Example 3: Premium Personal Injury Leads
Identifiers: "hospitalized," "commercial truck," "serious injuries," "ambulance"
Information Collection: Same as standard PI profile
Action: Transfer immediately to intake specialist
Example 4: Spanish-Speaking Caller Profile
Identifiers: "if caller is speaking in Spanish," "tuve un accidente," "necesito un abogado"
Information Collection: Same information as English equivalent (system auto-translates prompts)
Action: Route to Spanish-speaking intake staff
Example 5: At-Fault Accident (Disqualification)
Identifiers: "I caused the accident," "it was my fault," "I hit someone"
Information Collection: Minimal (name only)
Action: End call with polite explanation that firm doesn't handle at-fault cases
Setup Best Practices
Getting Started
Start Simple: Build basic profiles first (new leads, existing clients), then refine based on testing with real calls
Test Extensively: Make test calls to each profile to verify they trigger correctly and gather information as expected
Avoid Redundancy: Don't ask existing clients for information you already have in your system
Involve Your Team: Have intake coordinators and staff test the system to identify issues before going live
Optimization Tips
Separate high-value from standard leads: Create distinct profiles for premium cases (hospitalizations, commercial accidents) versus standard injury claims
Language-specific routing: Create duplicate profiles for Spanish-speaking callers with routing to bilingual staff
Minimize friction: The less information you collect, the faster the call and the higher your completion rate
What to Avoid
Too many identifiers (6+): This can slow down processing and cause confusion
Over-collecting information (8+ fields): Callers get frustrated with lengthy intake processes
Overlapping identifiers: If you handle multiple practice areas, ensure identifiers don't conflict between profiles
Redundant questions: Don't ask the same information twice (e.g., greeting already asks for name, don't ask again)
Common Profile Configurations
Most law firms benefit from these standard profile setups:
Single Practice Area Firms:
New leads profile (practice-specific identifiers)
Current/existing clients profile
Spanish-speaking callers profile (if applicable)
Direct staff transfer requests
Multi-Practice Firms:
Separate new lead profiles per practice area (Personal Injury, Divorce, Immigration, etc.)
Current/existing clients profile
Language-specific duplicate profiles (Spanish PI, Spanish Divorce, etc.)
Extension-based routing for staff members by name
High-Volume Personal Injury Firms:
Standard PI victims profile
Premium PI leads profile (serious injuries, hospitalizations)
At-fault accidents profile (disqualification routing)
Wrongful death profile (sensitive handling)
Current clients profile
Spanish-speaking versions of each
Why This Matters
The three-part profile system ensures every caller receives a tailored experience based on their specific needs, while your firm captures exactly the information required for effective follow-up. This system enables you to:
Maximize lead capture: Never miss a potential client call, even after hours or during busy periods
Improve lead quality: Automatically qualify or disqualify leads based on your criteria
Reduce staff burden: Handle routine calls automatically while routing priority calls to appropriate team members
Enhance client satisfaction: Provide immediate, personalized responses rather than generic phone trees
Support multilingual needs: Automatically detect and respond in the caller's language
Optimize resource allocation: Route high-value leads differently than standard inquiries
The iterative nature of the system means you can start with basic configurations and refine profiles over 1-2 weeks based on real call patterns, continuously improving your lead capture and client service.
Getting Help
The profile system is designed to be flexible for your firm's unique needs. If you need assistance setting up profiles or optimizing your configuration, please chat with our support team or reach out directly at [email protected].