AI Intake Automation Playbook
CommunicationMall Team
Estimated time: 10-14 days
AIIntakeAutomationWorkflowsCustomer Support
Deploy an AI-driven intake workflow that qualifies requests, captures structured data, routes cases, and syncs clean records into your systems.
Who this is for
- Operations leaders
- Support leaders
- RevOps
- IT / Engineering
Prerequisites
- Defined intake channels (web, email, chat, phone) and target response SLAs
- A destination system of record (CRM/helpdesk/case management) and API access
- Consent and retention requirements documented (GDPR/CCPA/HIPAA where applicable)
Steps
1. Define the intake contract
define-intake-contractMake intake data consistent, searchable, and routable.
Checklist
- List the minimum fields required to accept a request (name, contact, request type, urgency, jurisdiction, consent).
- Define validation rules (formats, required/optional, allowed values).
- Define routing rules (practice area, region, priority tiers, after-hours handling).
- Define escalation criteria (high risk, safety, regulated data, payment issues).
Outputs
- A canonical intake schema
- Routing decision table
- Escalation matrix
2. Unify channels and identity
channels-and-identityPrevent duplicates and ensure the right record is updated.
Checklist
- Choose a primary identifier strategy (email + phone normalization).
- Define merge rules for duplicates and conflict resolution.
- Capture channel metadata (source, campaign, referrer, timestamp).
- Add bot protection and rate limiting at the edge.
Outputs
- Identity normalization rules
- Deduplication policy
- Channel telemetry fields
3. Implement the intake agent with guardrails
agent-guardrailsCollect accurate data safely while reducing manual back-and-forth.
Checklist
- Define the agent’s system boundaries (what it can/can’t do).
- Implement input validation and output encoding for every free-text field.
- Add a safe escalation path for missing context or regulated content.
- Implement CSRF protection for any state-changing web interactions.
Outputs
- Agent prompt boundaries
- Validation ruleset
- Escalation workflow
4. Integrate with the system of record
system-of-record-integrationCreate/update records reliably and idempotently.
Checklist
- Implement idempotency keys for create/update operations.
- Map intake schema to your destination fields (including custom fields).
- Add retry with backoff for transient failures and dead-letter for hard failures.
- Log structured events for every write (create/update/merge) with correlation IDs.
Outputs
- Field mapping
- Idempotent write plan
- Operational runbook for failures
5. Add observability and quality controls
observability-and-qualityMake the system measurable, debuggable, and continuously improvable.
Checklist
- Emit metrics for conversion, drop-off, escalation, and response time.
- Track user satisfaction signals and resolution outcomes.
- Add dashboards for funnel health and integration errors.
- Implement PII-safe logging and retention policies.
Outputs
- Dashboards
- Alerts
- Quality review checklist
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Relevant Industries
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