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Call Quality Problems

Diagnose and fix audio quality issues with your AI assistant calls.

Common Audio Issues​

Choppy or Robotic Audio​

Symptoms:

  • Voice cuts in and out
  • Sounds robotic or mechanical
  • Words are clipped

Causes:

  • Network congestion
  • Poor internet connection
  • Insufficient bandwidth
  • Wrong voice provider settings

Solutions:

1. Test from different network

  • Try WiFi vs cellular
  • Use landline if available
  • Test from different location

2. Check voice settings

  • Go to AI Assistants → Voice tab
  • Try different voice provider (ElevenLabs vs default)
  • Adjust stability/clarity settings
  • Lower voice speed if too fast

3. Optimize network

  • Close bandwidth-heavy applications
  • Disconnect other devices
  • Use wired connection if VoIP
  • Check router QoS settings

Low Volume / Hard to Hear​

Symptoms:

  • Assistant voice too quiet
  • Caller has to strain to hear
  • Inconsistent volume levels

Solutions:

1. Adjust phone settings

  • Increase phone volume
  • Check hearing aid compatibility
  • Test with headphones

2. Try different voice

  • Some voices are louder than others
  • Go to Voice tab
  • Select different voice
  • Test volume

3. Check call routing

  • If using call forwarding, may reduce volume
  • Try direct number assignment
  • Test without forwarding

Echo or Feedback​

Symptoms:

  • Hear own voice repeated
  • Feedback loop
  • Annoying echo effect

Causes:

  • Speakerphone usage
  • Multiple devices
  • Poor acoustic environment

Solutions:

1. Use handset

  • Avoid speakerphone
  • Use headphones with mic
  • Reduce distance from mic

2. Check environment

  • Reduce hard surfaces causing echo
  • Close doors/windows
  • Lower assistant volume

3. Disable echo devices

  • Turn off other phones/speakers in room
  • Mute unused microphones

Delay / Latency​

Symptoms:

  • Long pauses between responses
  • Conversation feels slow
  • Assistant takes forever to respond

Causes:

  • Network latency
  • Server processing time
  • Distance from data center

Check:

1. Test response time

  • Make test call
  • Time delay between question and answer
  • Normal: 1-2 seconds
  • Slow: 3+ seconds

2. Check status page

3. Optimize instructions

  • Shorter instructions = faster processing
  • Remove unnecessary complexity
  • Streamline knowledge base queries

Distorted or Garbled Audio​

Symptoms:

  • Voice sounds distorted
  • Words are garbled
  • Static or noise

Solutions:

1. Check phone/device

  • Test with different phone
  • Check speaker/mic not damaged
  • Try different handset

2. Change voice provider

  • Go to Voice tab
  • Switch provider (e.g., ElevenLabs → Standard)
  • Different providers handle audio differently
  • Test quality

3. Report to support

  • If persistent across devices
  • Provide call examples
  • We can investigate server-side issues

Transcription Issues​

Inaccurate Transcripts​

Problem: Transcripts show wrong words

Common mistakes:

  • Similar sounding words
  • Technical terms misheard
  • Names spelled wrong
  • Numbers incorrect

Solutions:

1. Speak clearly

  • Reduce background noise
  • Speak at normal pace
  • Enunciate clearly

2. Add pronunciation guide

  • In instructions, spell out difficult terms
  • Example: "Voka AI (spelled V-O-K-A)"
  • Provide phonetic spelling

3. Post-call correction

  • Transcripts are editable reference
  • Use recordings as source of truth
  • 90-95% accuracy is normal

Missing Transcript Sections​

Problem: Parts of conversation not transcribed

Causes:

  • Excessive silence
  • Very quiet speech
  • Technical glitch

Check:

  • Listen to recording
  • Verify audio exists
  • Note timestamp of missing section
  • Report to support with call ID

Voice Quality Settings​

Optimizing Voice Selection​

Test different voices:

  1. Go to AI Assistants → Voice tab
  2. Listen to samples
  3. Select voice
  4. Save
  5. Make test call

Voice characteristics:

ElevenLabs voices:

  • More natural sounding
  • Better for conversational tone
  • Slightly higher latency
  • May cost more (check plan)

Standard voices:

  • Lower latency
  • More consistent
  • Clearer for information delivery
  • Included in all plans

Professional voices:

  • Best quality
  • Natural intonation
  • Good for customer-facing
  • Premium feature

Adjusting Voice Parameters​

Speed:

  • Default: 1.0x
  • Slower: 0.8x - 0.9x (better clarity)
  • Faster: 1.1x - 1.2x (more efficient)

When to adjust:

  • Older customers: Slower
  • Professional services: Normal
  • High-volume info: Slightly faster

Stability:

  • Higher = more consistent
  • Lower = more expressive
  • Start at default and adjust

Clarity:

  • Higher = clearer enunciation
  • May sound less natural
  • Good for technical terms

Network & Infrastructure​

Testing Your Connection​

Speed test:

  • Visit speedtest.net
  • Minimum: 1 Mbps upload/download
  • Recommended: 5+ Mbps
  • Low jitter (<30ms)

VoIP quality test:

  • Call from stable connection
  • Note any issues
  • Try from different location
  • Compare results

Improving Network Quality​

For VoIP phones:

  • Use QoS (Quality of Service) settings
  • Prioritize voice traffic
  • Wired connection preferred
  • Dedicated VLAN if possible

For mobile:

  • Strong signal (3+ bars)
  • LTE/5G preferred
  • Avoid crowded towers
  • WiFi calling if available

For landline:

  • Usually best quality
  • Minimal network issues
  • Most consistent

Regional & Provider Issues​

Data Center Regions​

Check your region:

  • Go to AI Assistants → Calling tab
  • See "Anchor Site" or "Region"
  • Should be closest to your location

Regions:

  • US East (Virginia)
  • US West (California)
  • US Central (Iowa)

Change if needed:

  • Select closer region
  • Save and test
  • Can reduce latency

Carrier-Specific Issues​

Some carriers have known issues:

VoIP carriers:

  • May have codec mismatches
  • Check codec settings (G.711 preferred)
  • Contact carrier support

Mobile carriers:

  • HD Voice may help or hurt
  • Test with/without WiFi calling
  • Try different network (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile)

International:

  • Higher latency expected
  • Quality varies by country
  • May need local data center

Troubleshooting Steps​

Quick Diagnostic​

Follow these steps in order:

1. Test from different phone (2 min)

  • If issue persists → Network or configuration
  • If issue resolved → Original phone problem

2. Try different network (2 min)

  • If issue persists → Configuration or server
  • If issue resolved → Network problem

3. Change voice provider (5 min)

  • If issue persists → Deeper investigation needed
  • If issue resolved → Voice provider incompatibility

4. Check status page (1 min)

  • Any outages or issues?
  • Region-specific problems?

5. Contact support (if unresolved)

  • Provide diagnostic results
  • Include call examples
  • Note what you tested

Creating Test Calls​

Structured testing:

Test 1: Baseline

  • Call from known good phone
  • Ask standard questions
  • Rate quality 1-10
  • Note any issues

Test 2: Different network

  • Same phone, different network
  • Same questions
  • Compare to baseline

Test 3: Different voice

  • Change voice in settings
  • Same phone, same network
  • Compare quality

Test 4: Different phone

  • Different device
  • Same network
  • Final comparison

Reporting Quality Issues​

What to Include​

When contacting support about quality:

Required information:

  • Call date/time
  • Phone number called from
  • Specific issue (choppy, delay, etc.)
  • What you've tested
  • Still occurring? (yes/no)

Helpful information:

  • Call recording or transcript
  • Network type (WiFi, LTE, landline)
  • Location (city/state)
  • Phone model
  • Any patterns (time of day, certain callers, etc.)

Getting Priority Support​

For critical quality issues:

Business/Enterprise customers:

  • Tag ticket as "Quality Issue - Urgent"
  • 4-hour response time
  • Priority escalation
  • Direct engineer access

All customers:

  • Check status page
  • Report in support ticket
  • 24-hour standard response
  • Include all diagnostic info

Prevention & Best Practices​

Optimal Setup​

For best call quality:

✅ Use:

  • Wired landline (best)
  • Strong WiFi connection
  • LTE/5G with good signal
  • Quality headset/mic
  • Quiet environment

❌ Avoid:

  • Public WiFi
  • Weak cellular signal
  • Speakerphone
  • Noisy environment
  • Too many simultaneous calls

Regular Monitoring​

Check quality weekly:

  • Make test calls
  • Review call analytics
  • Read transcripts
  • Listen to random recordings
  • Track any patterns

Red flags:

  • Increasing complaints
  • Multiple dropped calls
  • Consistent poor transcription
  • Latency increasing

Advanced Troubleshooting​

For Technical Users​

Check codec settings:

  • Preferred: G.711 (PCMU/PCMA)
  • Supported: G.729, Opus
  • Avoid: G.723, old codecs

Network diagnostics:

  • Ping test to vok aai.com
  • Traceroute for path issues
  • Jitter measurement
  • Packet loss check

SIP debugging (if using SIP):

  • Check SIP headers
  • Verify authentication
  • Review INVITE/OK flow
  • Check RTP streams

Still Having Issues?​

If quality remains poor:

  1. Document the problem

    • Multiple call examples
    • Different times/days
    • Various callers
    • Consistent pattern

  2. Contact support

    • Email: [email protected]
    • Subject: "Call Quality Issue - [Your Issue]"
    • Include all diagnostic info
    • Request escalation if urgent

  3. Temporary workarounds

    • Use backup phone number
    • Switch to different network
    • Change voice provider
    • Adjust voice settings