Routine vs. task Playbook

[Ian_Stack]

Goal: To create a virtual sales agent for 1 product

Steps: 

1. Customer calls number -> triggers 1st playbook agent

2. There are 4 playbooks: Greet and Welcome, Product Details, Customer Intake, and Credit Card Payment.

This series of playbooks should then transition back into the main flow along with updated parameters of customers name, product choice, credit card info etc.

Which playbooks should I use for these series of playbooks(routine vs. task)?  Furthermore, these playbooks must take in session parameters, create new ones, and return them back into the flow. Do I need to create new parameters in playbooks? Do I need to create them outside of the playbooks UI, If they need to me manipulated later in the DF cx agent flow?

What is the best practice in playbooks for this and which ones should use?

[dawnberdan]

Hi @Ian_Stack,

Welcome to Google Cloud Community!

For your virtual sales agent, it’s essential to structure the playbooks effectively to ensure smooth transitions and proper parameter handling. Here’s how you can structure your playbooks effectively:

Playbook Types: Routine vs. Task

Routine Playbooks: Best for handling standard interactions that don’t require complex logic. You can use routine playbooks for:

• Greet and Welcome - standard greeting flow.
• Product Details - providing predefined product information.

Task Playbooks: Ideal for handling dynamic interactions where parameters need to be created, modified, or passed between flows. Use task playbooks for:

• Customer Intake - capturing customer details dynamically.
• Credit Card Payment - processing payment details securely.

For Handling Session Parameters:

• Creating New Parameters: You will need to create new parameters within playbooks to store customer details (name, product choice, payment info).
• Returning Parameters to the Main Flow: Ensure that each playbook updates session parameters so they can be accessed later in the conversation.

Best Practices for Playbooks:

1. Use Clear Naming Conventions: Ensure playbook names are descriptive (e.g., Customer_Intake_Playbook instead of Playbook_1).

2. Define Concise Goals: Each playbook should have a clear purpose (e.g., "Capture customer details and return them to the main flow").

3. Ensure Smooth Transitions: Use session parameters to pass data between playbooks and the main flow.

4. Validate Data Before Passing: Ensure customer details (e.g., credit card info) are properly formatted before transitioning back to the main flow.

5. Use Webhooks for External Processing: If payment processing requires external validation, integrate webhooks within the Credit Card Payment playbook.

You can also refer to this document for additional details on best practices for creating playbooks in Dialogflow CX.

Was this helpful? If so, please accept this answer as “Solution”. If you need additional assistance, reply here within 2 business days and I’ll be happy to help.

[Ian_Stack]

Hello there,

I thought routine playbooks were the only playbooks that could recieve input session parameters. Does this mean a routine playbooks would to be only used as I need the parameters from the flow to playbook 1 to playbook 2... to transitioned flows?

Based off this what type of playbooks would you recommend? for this series?

[Ian_Stack]

Hello @dawnberdan , between the two playbook types, do both allow the input and output of session parameters?

[dawnberdan]

Hi @Ian_Stack,

Yes, both types of playbooks support the use of input and output parameters, which can be mapped to session parameters. When a playbook starts, its input parameters can receive values from session parameters that share the same name. Conversely, when a playbook finishes, its output parameters can assign their values to session parameters with matching names. This mechanism allows playbooks to seamlessly exchange data with the overall conversation flow and with each other.

Hope it helps!