Dialogflow CX - DTFM parameter not recognized

[Sallamos]

Hello, I have spent the last 24 hours obsessing over setting up a telephony agent with alongside our chat agent. This agent should work both with voice inputs, as well as DTFM inputs, however - the only way I am able to make DF CX recognize a DTFM input is by tying it to an intent, which leaves quite a headache for me structure wise, as I would have to reset intents halfway through to allow for multiple "press 1 to x" or have unique DTFM number for every action.

I am trying to achieve a state in which my agent recognizes a DTFM input and matches it to a parameter, or creates one which i later reset and can enter "1" again later down the line with different effect.

Anything i try - setting up parameters somewhere else to be recognized, switching DTFM settings, tying DTFM to entities, nothing works and always comes back with a no match like this.

Anybody ever encountered something similar, or has an easy fix i could follow? Any intent matching was not successful for me, neither using dtmf_digits_xxx nor dtfm [1-9] with or without an ending.

[Sallamos]

Bumping, anyone figured how to reliably program an intent which recognizes DTMF inputs?

[ruthseki]

Hi @Sallamos,

Welcome to Google Cloud Community!

It seems you are running into some difficulties setting up a telephony agent that can handle both voice and DTMF inputs in Dialogflow CX. You want to recognize DTMF inputs and use them to set parameters or trigger actions without having to rely on intents.

Let me try to shed some light on why this is challenging and offer some alternative approaches you might consider.

Here's why you might be facing challenges:

• Intent-Based DTMF Recognition: Dialogflow CX currently heavily relies on intents for recognizing user input. While you can associate DTMF inputs with intents, this can be cumbersome for multiple reasons:
• Intents for Each Action: You might need a separate intent for each DTMF input, which can become unwieldy if you have many actions.
• State Management: The intent structure might not allow you to smoothly manage state transitions as you progress through a multi-step process.
• Parameter Matching: The challenge lies in finding a way to match the DTMF input directly to a parameter without being tied to a specific intent.

While you can't directly overcome these limitations, here are some workarounds:

1.Custom Fulfillment:

• Handling DTMF via webhook: You could leverage custom fulfillment with a webhook. This allows you to receive the DTMF input from Dialogflow CX and process it.
• Logic within webhook: Inside your webhook, you can write code to map DTMF inputs to specific actions or parameter values.
• Updating context: You can update the Dialogflow CX conversation context with the extracted information from the DTMF input.

2.Leverage Dialogflow CX's Capabilities (within limitations):

• Parameter-based Input: While Dialogflow CX might not have a perfect solution for directly mapping DTMF to parameters, you can try using the "prompt" element to gather the DTMF input.
• Prompt for DTMF input: In a prompt, you could suggest "Press 1 for option A, 2 for option B, etc." This way, the user provides the DTMF input, and you can capture it as a parameter.
• Using the parameter: You can then use this captured DTMF parameter in subsequent transitions or actions.

Here are some key points to consider:

• Robust Error Handling: Implement error handling in your webhook or prompt responses to handle cases where the user input is invalid or unexpected.
• Testing: Thoroughly test your agent with various DTMF input scenarios to ensure it behaves as expected.
• Security: If using custom fulfillment, be sure to secure your webhook endpoint and follow best practices for handling sensitive data.

For comprehensive guidance on DTMF integration, I recommend checking out the dedicated DTMF for telephony integrations.

It's great to keep in mind that Dialogflow CX's support for DTMF in telephony integrations is still in its preview phase. This means we're actively working to enhance and expand its capabilities. While it's a powerful tool, you might find some limitations as we continue to refine this feature. You can find more information about the preview features in the release notes dated March 25, 2024.

I hope the above information is helpful.

[Sallamos]

Hello, 
I have resulted this option as going into intents and making intent for every single number pressed on dtmf, and mapping those dtmf inputs as a dtmf shortcuts for each intent. It is very unwieldy and robust, but it is the only way that the current dialogflow would consistently accept and recognize dtmf inputs.