Playbook
When the rep is on leave, the beat does not order.
Every day a rep is absent, the outlets on their beat go unvisited. Some will buy from whoever does visit.
The problem
Beats are planned around visits. When a rep is on leave, sick or on another beat, nobody calls the outlets, and the orders that would have been booked are lost for that cycle.
The playbook
- Start from attendance. Each morning, take the list of reps who are absent.
- Build the call list. Every outlet on those reps’ beats for today.
- Call in parallel. The order agent calls each outlet, with retries for no-answer.
- Take the order. Price list, minimums and schemes applied; order sent to the distributor.
- Route the rest. Credit questions and complaints to a person with a summary.
- Report the day. Orders, outlets reached and calls worth a listen, in the evening digest.
Ground rules
- Use the same prices and schemes the rep would offer.
- Tell the outlet the call is on behalf of the brand and its rep.
- Honour any outlet that does not want calls.
- Let the rep see what was ordered when they return.
How to measure it
Outlets on absent beats that ordered, compared with similar days before; orders sent to distributors; handovers and complaints. For how the order call itself works, see AI order-taking calls.
How AI Calling does it
AI Calling runs two voice agents on the same engine: an order agent that calls outlets and answers the retailer helpline, and a sales concierge that answers and calls back high-value enquiries. Both work from your knowledge base only: price list by zone and pack, minimums, schemes and policies. They reply in the caller’s language (English, Hindi, Hinglish or Marathi), make hundreds of calls in parallel, and use five tools: write the order, book a visit, transfer to a person, add to do-not-call and end the call. Orders go to the distributor before the call ends; complaints and complex questions go to a person with a summary. If a caller seriously asks, the agent never claims to be human. Every call is saved as a transcript, summary and outcome, scored for price accuracy, script, compliance and listening, and rolled into a daily digest on WhatsApp and email.
Questions
How do I cover a sales rep’s beat when they are on leave?
Each morning, take the absent reps from attendance, list the outlets on their beats, and have an order agent call each one, sending orders to the distributor.
Will outlets accept an order call instead of a visit?
Many retailers re-order the same items regularly; a short call with the right prices and schemes, and a person available for anything else, works for routine orders.
See it on your own data. AI Calling — Voice agents that take orders. Book a 30-minute working session with an engineer.