> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://blackbox.dasha.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Handle Caller Silence with Reminders and Timeouts

> Automatically handle caller silence with configurable reminders and timeouts. When callers go silent, your agent prompts ('Are you still there?') and gracefully ends calls after no response. Prevents calls from hanging indefinitely when callers walk away, put phones down, or lose connection.

Handle abandoned calls gracefully. When callers go silent, your agent prompts them with reminders and eventually ends the call — preventing indefinite waits that waste resources.

**What you'll learn:** Reminder configuration, silence thresholds, timeout actions, and re-engagement strategies.

## Why Use Silence Management?

### Prevents Indefinite Calls

Callers sometimes walk away from calls without hanging up, causing agents to wait indefinitely. Silence management detects inactivity and ends these abandoned calls.

### Maintains Caller Engagement

Reminders can re-engage callers who are distracted or temporarily stepped away, giving them opportunities to continue the conversation.

### Improves Metrics

Automatically ending inactive calls provides accurate completion metrics and prevents inflated call duration statistics.

### Cost Control

Indefinitely waiting for silent callers wastes resources and incurs unnecessary costs. Silence management terminates these calls efficiently.

### Better User Experience

Polite reminders show attentiveness while timeouts provide closure instead of leaving calls in limbo.

## How to Configure Silence Management

### Step 1: Enable Silence Management

1. Open your agent's configuration
2. Navigate to the **Features** tab
3. Find **Silence Management** and toggle it on

### Step 2: Configure Reminder Settings

**Max Reminder Attempts** (0-10)

* Number of times agent will prompt caller before taking action
* 0 = No reminders, jump straight to timeout or end call
* 1-3 = Recommended for most use cases
* 4-6 = Moderate patience, multiple opportunities to re-engage
* 7-10 = Very patient, may feel excessive to callers

**Reminder Silence Threshold** (1-30 seconds)

* How long the caller must be silent before agent sends a reminder
* 5-10 seconds = Quick response to silence
* 10-15 seconds = Moderate patience (recommended)
* 15-30 seconds = Very patient, allows long pauses

**Example:** With threshold of 10 seconds and 3 max attempts:

1. Caller silent for 10 seconds → First reminder
2. Still silent for 10 more seconds → Second reminder
3. Still silent for 10 more seconds → Third reminder
4. Still silent → Action taken (end call or timeout)

### Step 3: Configure End Behavior

**End When Reminder Limit Exceeded**

* Toggle: Yes or No
* If enabled: Call ends after all reminder attempts are exhausted
* If disabled: Call continues indefinitely (not recommended)

**Recommended:** Enable to prevent indefinite calls

### Step 4: Configure Extended Silence Timeout (Optional)

**Extended Silence Timeout** (minimum 10 seconds, optional)

* Hard timeout for absolute silence regardless of reminders
* If caller is completely silent (no speech, no background noise), call ends after this duration
* Provides safety net even if reminder system doesn't trigger

**When to use:**

* Enable for outbound campaigns (prevents stuck calls)
* Consider disabling for inbound support (callers may need time to gather information)

**Recommended value:** 30-60 seconds for most use cases

## Configuration Examples

<Accordion title="Example: Efficient Outbound Campaign">
  ```json theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}}
  {
    "silenceManagement": "enabled",
    "maxReminderAttempts": 2,
    "reminderSilenceThreshold": 8,
    "endWhenLimitExceeded": true,
    "extendedSilenceTimeout": 30
  }
  ```

  **Rationale:** Quick, efficient handling. If caller is unresponsive after two prompts, end call and move on.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Example: Patient Customer Support">
  ```json theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}}
  {
    "silenceManagement": "enabled",
    "maxReminderAttempts": 4,
    "reminderSilenceThreshold": 12,
    "endWhenLimitExceeded": true,
    "extendedSilenceTimeout": 60
  }
  ```

  **Rationale:** Give callers multiple opportunities to respond. They may be looking for information or thinking.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Example: Survey Collection">
  ```json theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}}
  {
    "silenceManagement": "enabled",
    "maxReminderAttempts": 3,
    "reminderSilenceThreshold": 10,
    "endWhenLimitExceeded": true,
    "extendedSilenceTimeout": 45
  }
  ```

  **Rationale:** Balanced approach. Surveys need responses, but give reasonable time to think about answers.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Example: Aggressive Timeout (High Volume)">
  ```json theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}}
  {
    "silenceManagement": "enabled",
    "maxReminderAttempts": 1,
    "reminderSilenceThreshold": 6,
    "endWhenLimitExceeded": true,
    "extendedSilenceTimeout": 20
  }
  ```

  **Rationale:** Maximize efficiency. Single prompt, then move on. Best for high-volume, low-engagement scenarios.
</Accordion>

## Reminder Phrase Examples

Configure reminder phrases in your system prompt:

**Polite Reminders:**

* "I'm sorry, I didn't hear that. Are you still there?"
* "Hello? Can you hear me okay?"
* "Did you have any questions for me?"
* "I want to make sure I didn't lose you. Are you still with me?"

**Contextual Reminders:**

* "Take your time. Let me know when you're ready."
* "I'm here when you have that information."
* "No rush—I'll wait while you check."

**Final Attempt:**

* "I haven't heard from you in a while. Should we continue this conversation?"
* "I'll need to end the call soon if I don't hear back."

## Common Use Cases

### Outbound Appointment Reminders

* **Configuration:** 3 reminders, 10-second threshold, 45-second extended timeout
* **Why:** Give callers time to check schedules, but end efficiently if no response

### Inbound Customer Support

* **Configuration:** 5 reminders, 15-second threshold, 60-second extended timeout
* **Why:** Callers may be gathering information or multitasking; be patient

### Lead Qualification

* **Configuration:** 2 reminders, 8-second threshold, 30-second extended timeout
* **Why:** Uninterested leads often go silent; move on quickly

### Survey Collection

* **Configuration:** 3 reminders, 12-second threshold, 45-second extended timeout
* **Why:** Respondents need time to think, but surveys should progress

### Technical Support Triage

* **Configuration:** 4 reminders, 15-second threshold, no extended timeout
* **Why:** Users may be checking settings or restarting devices; be very patient

## Monitoring and Optimization

### Key Metrics

* **Silence-triggered endings** - What percentage of calls end due to silence?
* **Average reminders sent** - How many prompts before callers respond or call ends?
* **Re-engagement rate** - Do reminders successfully bring callers back?
* **Caller feedback** - Do callers mention feeling rushed or interrupted?

### Optimization Signals

**High silence ending rate** (>15%)

* Thresholds may be too aggressive
* Consider increasing silence threshold
* Add more reminder attempts

**Low re-engagement after reminders**

* Reminders may not be effective
* Review reminder phrasing
* Consider reducing attempts if they never work

**Caller complaints about interruptions**

* Threshold too short for use case
* Increase to 12-15 seconds
* Review types of questions requiring longer think time

**Many calls hitting extended timeout**

* Extended timeout may be too short
* Or indicates many abandoned/stuck calls
* Analyze call patterns to determine root cause

## Technical Considerations

### Audio Processing

Silence detection uses voice activity detection (VAD):

* Distinguishes speech from background noise
* Background noise alone counts as silence
* Brief utterances ("um", "uh") reset timer

### Reminder Timing

Reminders are sent by the agent naturally within conversation flow:

* Agent speaks reminder phrase
* Waits for caller response
* If still silent, timer continues

### Compatibility

Silence management works across:

* ✅ Outbound phone calls
* ✅ Inbound phone calls
* ✅ Web-based voice calls
* ✅ All agent configurations

## Troubleshooting

### Problem: Reminders Trigger During Long Pauses

**Solution:** Increase silence threshold to 15-20 seconds. Some questions require extended thinking time. Review question complexity.

### Problem: Calls Never End Despite Silence

**Solution:** Verify "End When Limit Exceeded" is enabled. Enable extended silence timeout as backup. Check that reminders are configured properly.

### Problem: Too Many Calls Ending Due to Silence

**Solution:** Increase silence threshold to give more time. Review call recordings to understand why callers go silent. Consider adding more context-aware reminder phrases.

### Problem: Reminders Feel Abrupt or Rude

**Solution:** Increase silence threshold before first reminder. Review reminder phrasing in system prompt for politeness. Consider contextual reminders ("Take your time").

### Problem: Extended Timeout Triggering Too Often

**Solution:** Increase timeout duration to 60-90 seconds. Or disable if reminder system is working well. Check for network issues causing false silence detection.

<Accordion title="System Prompt Integration">
  Include silence handling guidance:

  ```
  If the caller is silent for a while, politely check if they're still there or if
  they need more time. Use phrases like "Take your time" or "Are you still there?"

  If you send multiple reminders without response, explain that you'll need to end
  the call soon: "I'll need to end our call if I don't hear from you."
  ```
</Accordion>

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Maximum Call Duration" icon="clock" href="/docs/advanced-features/max-call-duration">
    Set time-based call limits
  </Card>

  <Card title="Fillers" icon="hourglass-half" href="/docs/advanced-features/fillers">
    Add verbal pauses during processing
  </Card>

  <Card title="Talk First" icon="message" href="/docs/advanced-features/talk-first">
    Control conversation initiation
  </Card>

  <Card title="IVR Detection" icon="phone-volume" href="/docs/advanced-features/ivr-detection">
    Handle voicemail and automated systems
  </Card>
</CardGroup>