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Reduce perceived wait times with verbal pauses. Filler phrases like “let me check that” make delays feel up to 40% shorter and signal the agent is actively working. What you’ll learn: Filler phrase configuration, recommended phrases, and strategies for natural-sounding processing delays.

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Why Use Fillers?

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Reduce Perceived Wait Time

Research shows verbal acknowledgment during pauses reduces perceived wait time by up to 40%. Saying “let me check that” feels shorter than 3 seconds of silence.

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Increase Conversation Naturalness

Humans rarely speak in perfectly polished sentences. Natural hesitations and thinking pauses are part of authentic conversation. Fillers make your agent sound less robotic.

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Maintain Caller Engagement

Silence can cause callers to wonder if the call dropped or the agent stopped listening. Fillers reassure callers the agent is actively processing their request.

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Set Appropriate Expectations

Phrases like “let me look that up” or “give me just a moment” signal that the agent is working on something, preparing callers for a brief pause.

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How to Configure Fillers

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Step 1: Enable Fillers

  1. Open your agent’s configuration
  2. Navigate to the Features tab
  3. Find Fillers and toggle it on

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Step 2: Configure Filler Phrases

Add the verbal pauses your agent should use:
  1. Click Add Filler Phrase
  2. Enter a natural hesitation phrase
  3. Repeat to add multiple phrases (agent will randomly select)
The agent will randomly select from your configured filler phrases whenever a response is delayed. Include a variety of phrases for natural variation: Examples:
  • “Um”
  • “Uh”
  • “Hmm”
  • “Let me see”
  • “One moment”
  • “Let me check that for you”
  • “Let me look that up”
  • “Give me just a moment”
  • “Let me think about that”
  • “Just a second”
Recommendation: Include 5-8 varied phrases so the agent doesn’t repeat the same filler too frequently. Mix shorter and longer phrases to match your agent’s personality.

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Step 3: Test Filler Behavior

Make test calls to verify filler behavior:
  1. Have conversations with your agent
  2. Listen for fillers when responses are delayed
  3. Verify fillers sound natural and appropriate for your agent’s personality
  4. Confirm fillers don’t interrupt conversation flow
  5. Ensure fillers reduce awkward silence

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Configuration Examples

{
  "fillers": "enabled",
  "phrases": [
    "Let me check that for you",
    "One moment please",
    "Let me look that up",
    "Just a moment",
    "Let me find that information"
  ]
}
Result: Professional, helpful tone during information retrieval.
{
  "fillers": "enabled",
  "phrases": [
    "Um, let me see",
    "Hmm, good question",
    "Let me think about that",
    "Give me just a second",
    "Let me check on that"
  ]
}
Result: Casual, conversational tone with natural hesitations.
{
  "fillers": "enabled",
  "phrases": [
    "One moment",
    "Just a second",
    "Let me check"
  ]
}
Result: Minimal but effective acknowledgment during pauses.

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Common Use Cases

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Professional Support Agents

  • Filler style: Polite and helpful
  • Example phrases: “Let me check that for you”, “One moment please”, “Let me look that up”
  • Why: Maintains professional tone during any response delays

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Conversational Sales Agents

  • Filler style: Casual and natural
  • Example phrases: “Hmm, let me think”, “Um, let me see”, “That’s a good question”
  • Why: Creates authentic, human-like conversation with natural hesitations

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Minimal/Efficient Agents

  • Filler style: Brief acknowledgments
  • Example phrases: “One moment”, “Just a second”, “Let me check”
  • Why: Acknowledges delays without excessive talking

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Friendly Service Agents

  • Filler style: Warm and reassuring
  • Example phrases: “Let me find that for you”, “Give me just a moment”, “Let me see here”
  • Why: Keeps callers comfortable during any pauses in conversation

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Technical Considerations

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Response Delays

The agent uses fillers whenever response is delayed, regardless of the reason (LLM processing, knowledge base searches, API calls, or any other delay). For very short delays (under 1 second), fillers may not be used. For very long delays (over 10 seconds), consider optimizing your systems.

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Speech Timing

Fillers are spoken using the same voice and settings as your agent’s primary voice. They blend naturally into the conversation audio stream.

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Compatibility

Fillers work across all call types and integrations:
  • ✅ Outbound phone calls
  • ✅ Inbound phone calls
  • ✅ Web-based voice calls
  • ✅ All voice vendors and models

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Troubleshooting

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Problem: Fillers Used Too Frequently

Solution: This usually indicates your agent is experiencing slow processing. Optimize knowledge base queries, external APIs, or consider using a faster language model. Fillers are symptoms of delays, not the cause.

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Problem: Fillers Sound Awkward

Solution: Review your filler phrase list. Remove overly formal or informal phrases that don’t match your agent’s personality. Test different phrases to find natural-sounding options.

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Problem: Same Filler Repeats Often

Solution: Add more filler phrases (aim for 6-8 varied options). More variety prevents noticeable repetition.

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Problem: Fillers Don’t Appear

Solution: Verify fillers are enabled and you have phrases configured. Fillers only appear during response delays—if your agent responds instantly, fillers won’t be used.

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Measuring Effectiveness

Track these metrics to evaluate filler impact:
  • Perceived wait time - Survey callers about wait time perception
  • Call completion rate - Compare rates before/after enabling fillers
  • Caller interruptions - Fewer “hello? are you there?” interruptions
  • Conversation naturalness ratings - Improved naturalness scores

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Next steps

Backchannel

Add active listening cues while callers speak

Ambient Noise

Add realistic background sounds

Talk First

Control opening greetings

Voice & Speech

Configure voice settings