Voice AI Guide
Complete guide to using Voice AI for drive-thru ordering.
Overview
Voice AI uses advanced speech recognition and natural language understanding to assist with drive-thru order taking. The AI transcribes customer speech in real-time, suggests menu items, and can even respond to customers automatically.
Voice AI Capabilities
| Capability | Description |
|---|---|
| Real-Time Transcription | Live speech-to-text display |
| Intent Recognition | Understands order intent from natural speech |
| Menu Matching | Matches spoken items to menu |
| Upsell Suggestions | AI-powered add-on recommendations |
| Multilingual | English, Spanish, French support |
| Accent Adaptation | Learns local speech patterns |
Voice AI Overlay Interface
Layout
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Voice AI Overlay │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ Customer Speech (Live Transcription) │ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ "I'd like a large combo number three with │ │
│ │ a diet coke and can I get extra pickles" │ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ [🎤 LISTENING...] Confidence: 94%│ │
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ AI Detected Items │ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ ✓ Combo #3 - Large $10.99 [Accept] │ │
│ │ ✓ Diet Coke - Large (incl) [Accept] │ │
│ │ ✓ Extra Pickles +$0.00 [Accept] │ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ [Accept All] [Reject All] │ │
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ AI Suggestions │ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ 💡 "Would you like to add a cookie for $1.99?" │ │
│ │ [Suggest to Customer] [Skip] │ │
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │
│ ┌──────────────────┐ ┌──────────────────┐ │
│ │ [AI Speaking] │ │ [Manual Override] │ │
│ │ Greeting... │ │ Take over mic │ │
│ └──────────────────┘ └──────────────────┘ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Interface Elements
| Element | Description |
|---|---|
| Transcription Panel | Shows real-time customer speech |
| Confidence Indicator | AI confidence in transcription (0-100%) |
| Detected Items | Menu items AI extracted from speech |
| Accept/Reject | Staff controls for AI suggestions |
| AI Suggestions | Upsell and cross-sell recommendations |
| Manual Override | Button to take over from AI |
Using Voice AI
Starting a New Order
-
Customer arrives at speaker
- Voice AI detects presence (or staff presses "New Order")
- AI greets customer automatically (if enabled)
-
Customer speaks order
- Transcription appears in real-time
- AI highlights detected menu items
-
Review AI detections
- Green checkmark = high confidence match
- Yellow = possible match (review needed)
- Red = not found (manual entry needed)
-
Accept or modify
- Click "Accept" on correct items
- Click item to modify
- Click "Reject" to remove
Accepting AI Suggestions
Accept Individual Item:
Customer says: "I want a Big Mac"
AI shows:
✓ Big Mac $5.99 [Accept] [Modify] [Reject]
Click [Accept] to add to order
Accept All Items:
Customer says: "Two Big Macs, large fries, and two Cokes"
AI shows:
✓ Big Mac (x2) $11.98 [Accept]
✓ Large Fries $4.29 [Accept]
✓ Coca-Cola (x2) $3.98 [Accept]
Click [Accept All] to add all items at once
Modifying AI Suggestions
If AI detected the wrong item:
- Click on the item row
- Search for correct item
- Select correct item
- Quantity and modifiers preserved
Rejecting AI Suggestions
- Single item: Click [Reject] on that item
- All items: Click [Reject All]
- Partial: Accept correct items, reject incorrect ones
Confidence Indicators
Understanding Confidence Scores
| Score | Indicator | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 90-100% | 🟢 Green | High confidence, likely correct |
| 70-89% | 🟡 Yellow | Medium confidence, verify |
| Below 70% | 🔴 Red | Low confidence, likely wrong |
When to Trust AI
- Trust (90%+): Clear speech, common items
- Verify (70-89%): Modifiers, combos, similar-sounding items
- Manual (Below 70%): Accent issues, background noise, unusual requests
AI Response Modes
Full AI Mode
AI handles the entire conversation:
- AI greets customer
- AI takes order via conversation
- AI suggests add-ons
- AI confirms order
- Staff reviews and sends to kitchen
Best for: High-volume, simple menus, clear audio
AI Assist Mode (Recommended)
AI transcribes and suggests, staff confirms:
- Staff greets customer
- AI transcribes speech
- AI suggests menu matches
- Staff accepts/modifies
- Staff confirms with customer
Best for: Most operations, training, complex menus
Manual Mode
Traditional headset operation:
- Staff handles entire conversation
- Staff manually enters items
- No AI assistance
Use when: AI issues, complex orders, customer preference
Switching Modes
Settings → Voice AI → Operating Mode
○ Full AI
● AI Assist (recommended)
○ Manual
Manual Override
When to Override
- Customer requests human interaction
- Complex modifications AI can't handle
- Audio quality issues
- AI making repeated errors
How to Override
- Press [Manual Override] button
- AI stops listening/speaking
- Staff takes over via headset
- AI continues transcribing (display only)
- Press [Resume AI] to return to AI mode
Override Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
F2 | Toggle AI on/off |
Hold Space | Temporary override (release to resume) |
Esc | Cancel AI action |
AI Greetings & Responses
Default Greetings
| Time | Greeting |
|---|---|
| Morning (6-11am) | "Good morning! Welcome to [Restaurant]. May I take your order?" |
| Afternoon (11am-5pm) | "Hi there! Welcome to [Restaurant]. What can I get for you today?" |
| Evening (5pm-close) | "Good evening! Welcome to [Restaurant]. Ready to order?" |
Customizing Greetings
Navigate to Settings → Voice AI → Greetings:
Morning Greeting:
[ Good morning! Welcome to Burger Palace! ]
Include promotions: ☑
Promotion: "Try our new breakfast burrito!"
Preview: [▶ Play]
AI Responses
| Situation | AI Response |
|---|---|
| Item added | "Got it, one [item]." |
| Modifier added | "With [modifier], perfect." |
| Order complete | "Your total is $X.XX. Please pull forward." |
| Didn't understand | "Sorry, could you repeat that?" |
| Item unavailable | "I'm sorry, we're out of [item]. Can I suggest [alternative]?" |
Handling Special Situations
Item Not on Menu
When customer requests something not on menu:
- AI displays: "Item not found: [spoken text]"
- Options:
- Search menu manually
- Offer alternative
- Special request (if allowed)
Complex Modifications
For modifications AI can't parse:
- AI displays: "Modification unclear"
- Click on item
- Add modifiers manually
- Confirm with customer
Multiple Speakers
When multiple people order:
- AI attempts to separate orders
- Staff can split into separate orders
- Use "Split Order" button
Background Noise
If transcription quality drops:
- AI shows low confidence
- Consider:
- Ask customer to repeat
- Use Manual Override
- Check audio calibration
Performance Tips
For Best Recognition
- Audio quality: Keep equipment maintained
- Clear speech: Train customers with clear signage
- Menu terms: Use AI-trained menu item names
- Modifiers: Add common modifiers to AI vocabulary
Improving AI Accuracy
- Report errors: Use "Report Issue" to train AI
- Add vocabulary: Add local terms to custom dictionary
- Update menu: Keep menu data current in system
Troubleshooting Voice AI
Common Issues
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| AI not hearing | Check microphone, audio calibration |
| Low confidence | Reduce background noise, recalibrate |
| Wrong items detected | Update menu data, report to AI training |
| AI speaking over customer | Adjust response delay in settings |
| AI not responding | Check network, restart Voice AI service |
Diagnostic Mode
Access Voice AI diagnostics:
- Settings → Voice AI → Diagnostics
- Run audio test
- Run recognition test
- View error logs
Related Documentation
- Hardware Setup - Audio equipment setup
- Voice Ordering Flow - Complete order workflow
- Training & Customization - Customize AI behavior
- Troubleshooting - Common issues