> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://manuals.dialox.ai/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://manuals.dialox.ai/smart-receptionist/content-settings/content-section/colleagues.md).

# 4. Colleagues

The people callers ask for by name, how the receptionist recognises them, and when and where they can be reached.

**Content → 4. Colleagues** lists the people callers may ask for by name. The Guided Setup imports them from Enreach Contact. Here you fine-tune how each one is recognised and reached.

<figure><img src="https://3570729730-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FHmRSkEkoJwaBZ2OeQbHM%2Fuploads%2F3pGdhU6xVhdeV06YMnAs%2Fsr-42-content-4-colleague-saved.jpg?alt=media&amp;token=ed32758c-04af-414c-b9e2-2685797fc82b" alt="A colleague opened in Content → 4. Colleagues (name blurred)"><figcaption><p>A colleague opened in Content → 4. Colleagues (name blurred)</p></figcaption></figure>

## Fields per colleague

| Field                    | What it does                                                                                                                                                        | If empty                                            |
| ------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------- |
| **Full name** (required) | The colleague's name.                                                                                                                                               | —                                                   |
| **Aliases**              | Comma-separated first names, nicknames, likely mishearings and role words, for example *Bob, Robert, Rob*.                                                          | Only the full name is recognised.                   |
| **Role**                 | One line telling the AI who this person is, for example *Product owner for the Smart Receptionist*. **Never spoken.** It's also shown next to the name in the list. | Callers must use the name.                          |
| **Departments**          | One or more departments this colleague belongs to. Use **Add department** for more.                                                                                 | —                                                   |
| **Number**               | The colleague's extension or phone number (tick **Extension** for internal numbers).                                                                                | This colleague **only takes messages**.             |
| **Reachable by name**    | When **off**, a caller who asks for this colleague is connected to their department instead. The colleague is still tried as a member of that department.           | —                                                   |
| **Hours**                | A timeplan from 6. Timeplans for this colleague.                                                                                                                    | The company's telephone hours (1. Company).         |
| **Email for messages**   | Where messages for this colleague go.                                                                                                                               | The department's address, or else the front desk's. |

## How it shows in a conversation

**A role makes people findable without a name.** In this chat test, nobody's name was used. The receptionist matched *"the product owner of the Smart Receptionist"* to the colleague whose **Role** says exactly that, and handed the visitor over to that person.

<figure><img src="https://3570729730-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FHmRSkEkoJwaBZ2OeQbHM%2Fuploads%2FV0m6HVK2RJezb8lBBzqy%2Fsr2-t04a-colleague-role-request.jpg?alt=media&amp;token=03472a15-08a7-4fb5-8d3c-357657117a4a" alt="The visitor asks for “the product owner” (names blurred)"><figcaption><p>The visitor asks for "the product owner" (names blurred)</p></figcaption></figure>

<figure><img src="https://3570729730-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FHmRSkEkoJwaBZ2OeQbHM%2Fuploads%2Fp7Umkt9Ng9yNUDG9M34c%2Fsr2-t04b-colleague-role-handover.jpg?alt=media&amp;token=afe93a50-5362-4d70-9cb9-1e120502951f" alt="The receptionist recognised the colleague by their role and hands over (name blurred)"><figcaption><p>The receptionist recognised the colleague by their role and hands over (name blurred)</p></figcaption></figure>

**Presence is checked live.** On a call, whether a colleague is busy or logged out is read from Enreach Contact at the moment of the call. If they can't be reached, what happens next is set in **Settings → Call handling → Ask what a call is about, when a colleague is asked for by name**:

* **When the colleague cannot be reached** (default): the receptionist asks what it's about and offers whoever handles that subject.
* **Always, before putting the caller through**: the colleague hears the subject in the announcement.
* **Never**: the receptionist offers the colleague's own departments.

A caller who already said what it's about isn't asked again. A caller who would rather not say gets the option to leave a message for the colleague.

## Tips

* **Remove meeting rooms, test users and shared devices.** A colleague nobody asks for only makes the list longer.
* Add **mishearings** as aliases for names that speech recognition struggles with, for example *Janssen, Jansen, Janson*.
* Use **Reachable by name: off** for people who should always be reached through their team, such as managers.