How an AI operator avoids making things up: guarding against wrong prices and extra promises
Sado AI team · · 4 min read
In short
An AI hallucination is when a model, lacking the facts, confidently states an invented answer: a discount that doesn’t exist, a wrong price, another branch’s address. On the phone it’s especially risky, because what’s said becomes a promise to the customer. To prevent it, the operator should answer only from the company’s written information, say “a manager will call you back” to unknown questions and follow a list of things never to promise. Keep the facts short and current, and review call transcripts regularly.
What a hallucination is and why it happens
A language model builds its answer on the “most likely next word” principle. With the facts, the answer is right. Without them, the model doesn’t stay quiet: it guesses what similar companies usually say and says it confidently.
In a chat, the customer can reread and check such an answer. On the phone they heard “Yes, there’s a discount”, and they’ll ask for exactly that at the till. How the model works: large language models on calls.
Common mistakes on the phone
| Caller asks | Made-up answer | Right answer |
|---|---|---|
| “Any discounts?” | “Yes, 15% off today” | If it’s in the facts, says so; if not: “A manager will check and call you back” |
| “Do you have a branch in Sergeli?” | “Yes, next to Sergeli bazaar” | Names only branches on the list |
| “Can you deliver tomorrow?” | “Of course, by lunchtime” | Gives the delivery terms, promises no exact day |
| “Can I take this medicine with another one?” | Gives advice | “A doctor or pharmacist will tell you that” |
These mistakes have one thing in common: they all appear where facts are missing. So half the protection is complete facts, and the other half is letting the operator say “I don’t know”.
Six rules against made-up answers
- Answers only from written facts. Prices, addresses, hours, services and delivery terms are given to the operator in writing; it takes nothing from elsewhere.
- An “I don’t know” rule. To a question not in the facts, the operator says “A manager will check and call you back”, and a task is opened.
- A list of things never to promise. For example: discounts, an exact delivery day, warranty periods, that a price won’t change.
- Short facts that don’t contradict. If an old and a new price sit side by side, the model can’t tell which to say.
- Medical, legal and financial questions go to a specialist. The operator books an appointment but gives no diagnosis or advice.
- Read transcripts regularly. Once a week, review for example 10–20 call transcripts: is every number the operator said in the facts?
Example: a question not in the facts
Caller: Assalomu alaykum, is there a discount on glasses frames right now?
Sado: Va alaykum assalom! Frames start at 250 thousand so‘m. I don’t have exact information on discounts, so a manager will check and call you back. Is that okay?
Caller: Fine, have them call this number.
Sado: Okay. May I have your name?
Caller: Dilfuza.
Sado: Thank you, Dilfuza. A manager will call you. Anything else?
The operator said what it knew, didn’t invent the rest and set the next step. The manager gets a ready task: who, which number, what question. The optician and price are an invented example.
How it works in Sado
Sado’s operator answers only from your company’s information: prices, addresses, hours, services, delivery terms. To a question that isn’t there, it says a manager will call back and creates a task. In a clinic it doesn’t diagnose or name medicines.
The recording and transcript of every call are kept in the portal, so you can check what the operator said at any time. More: AI operator for incoming calls and FAQ. Try it live: ask something that isn’t in its facts.
Questions
Can hallucinations be removed completely?
The risk can’t be brought to zero, but it can be cut a lot: written facts only, the “I don’t know” rule and checking transcripts. That’s why keeping every call’s recording and transcript matters.
What if our prices change often?
On the day a price changes, update the operator’s facts too and remove the old price. If both stay, the operator may get it wrong.
How do I know the operator made something up?
Compare the numbers, dates and promises in the call transcript with your facts. If it said something that isn’t there, write an exact answer for that question or add it to the list of things never to promise.
Is it the same on calls in Uzbek?
Yes, these rules don’t depend on the language. Sado speaks Uzbek and Russian and in both answers only from company information: Uzbek-speaking AI operator.