Outbound virtual agents overview in ServiceTitan Max: Configuration and management

Overview

Outbound Virtual Agents help home service businesses respond to new leads quickly and book more jobs. From the Growth section of ServiceTitan, you can automate outbound lead follow-up using AI-powered SMS and voice agents that offer real appointment times from Adaptive Capacity and book jobs without CSR involvement.

This article explains what Outbound Virtual Agents is, who it's designed for, what you need to have in place to use it, and how Speed to Lead — its first goal — works alongside ServiceTitan Max workflows. It also covers how to manage your Voice Agent settings in Contact Center, which is the engine the voice and SMS agents run on. It is intended as an overview and eligibility guide. For step-by-step campaign setup, see Set up and launch outbound agent campaigns in Outbound Virtual Agents. For ongoing use, see Insights with Outbound Virtual Agents in ServiceTitan Max.

Things to know

• Speed to Lead requires Adaptive Capacity. If no availability exists, the agent cannot book jobs. This is the single biggest readiness check.

• The SMS and voice agents share the same configuration. Any change you make to a Voice Agent's persona, skills, job types, knowledge base, follow-up questions, or escalation settings in Contact Center applies to both channels.

• Once a CSR uses Takeover on the Interactions page, the AI agent stops sending automated messages for that lead. The CSR must continue the conversation manually.

• Existing auto-responders or other automated SMS tools must be turned off before launch to prevent duplicate messages.

• Notifying customers they're speaking with AI is a legal requirement in some locations. Make sure your opening message complies with the laws in your area.

• Once you customize an Account Level Voice Agent setting in Contact Center, Global defaults no longer apply to that tenant — even if you later change the Global setting.

• Exporting interaction data is not yet available. Interaction logs and transcripts can be reviewed directly in the Interactions page.

Best practices

• Before activating any campaign, confirm Adaptive Capacity is fully configured with current technician shifts, default capacity settings, available capacity, and arrival windows.

• When you start out, choose one targeting filter (Marketing Campaign or Source) rather than both, to keep your audience broad. Adding both will narrow your audience significantly.

• Include both new leads and returning-customer opportunities in Speed to Lead campaigns as a recommended starting setting.

• After uploading Knowledge Base files, place a test call to confirm the Voice Agent answers questions correctly using the uploaded content.

• For accurate attribution, give each campaign its own dedicated inbound tracking number.

• Use the Interactions page after launch to spot conversations that need a human touch, and refine messaging, timing, or targeting based on what you see.

Use cases

• After-hours plumbing lead from Angi. A plumbing company receives a lead from Angi at 7:45 PM when no CSRs are available. Speed to Lead texts the homeowner within seconds, offers the next available appointment slot from Adaptive Capacity, and books the job — all without human intervention.

• Voice fallback for non-responders. A roofing company adds a Voice Agent step after two unanswered SMS messages, so leads who don't respond to text still receive an outbound call from the AI agent.

What Outbound Virtual Agents is

Outbound Virtual Agents gives administrators and customer service representatives one place to manage outbound lead campaigns, monitor AI agent conversations, and measure automated outreach. Two channels power the outreach:

• SMS Agent — Sends automated, personalized text messages to leads.

• Voice Agent — Places automated outbound calls to leads using your virtual agent's configured persona, skills, and escalation rules.

The SMS and voice agents share the same virtual agent configuration. Persona, skills, job types, dispatch fees, and escalation settings you define for the Voice Agent in Contact Center also inform how the SMS Agent behaves and what its messages say. You can create multiple virtual agents to support different campaigns or goals.

Outbound Virtual Agents lives in the Growth section of the ServiceTitan navigation bar. Within Growth, you'll find two pages:

• Goals — Where you create, configure, and activate outbound campaigns. Each goal can have multiple campaigns targeting different lead sources, audiences, or virtual agents. Goals can be paused or reactivated at any time, and campaign priority can be set using the drag-to-reorder Workflow Priority tool when a lead might qualify for more than one active campaign.

• Interactions — A log of every conversation the agents have had. Each interaction record displays the channel, contact name, lead or opportunity link, goal, status, and an AI-generated summary. Full conversation transcripts and call recordings are accessible from each record.

Speed to Lead is Outbound Virtual Agents' first goal. When a new lead enters ServiceTitan from a supported lead source, the AI agent sends a personalized SMS, offers real-time availability powered by Adaptive Capacity, and books the job without CSR involvement.

How Outbound Virtual Agents fits in ServiceTitan Max

Outbound Virtual Agents is designed to coordinate activity across all workflows rather than operate as a standalone tool. A typical Speed to Lead workflow weaves together capabilities from across your platform:

• Adaptive Capacity is the source of real-time availability the AI agent quotes to leads. Without configured technician shifts, arrival windows, and capacity settings, the agent cannot offer appointments or book jobs.

• Contact Center is the engine your Voice Agent and SMS Agent run on. The persona, transcript, skills, job types, and escalation rules that shape how your virtual agents talk to leads are all managed in Contact Center Pro's Voice Agent settings.

• Marketing provides audience and campaign attribution data the AI agent uses for targeting. If Marketing is enabled, the leads object in CRM serves as the source for outbound campaigns.

• Scheduling booking links can be embedded in agent SMS messages, giving leads a direct path to self-book if they prefer.

• ServiceTitan Core is where bookings created by the AI agent land as scheduled jobs and where lead, customer, and opportunity records live.

• Field and Atlas carry the work forward into the field once the booking is made.

The intent is that you do not think of Outbound Virtual Agents as a separate product you log into. The agents identify the opportunity, the right ServiceTitan capability engages on it, and the outcome shows up back in the Growth section's Interactions view — so the entire team has a single thread of context.

Prerequisites

Adaptive Capacity

Adaptive Capacity is the most important prerequisite for Outbound Virtual Agents. The AI agent uses Adaptive Capacity to find and quote real appointment times to leads. If no availability exists, the agent cannot book jobs.

Before activating any campaign, confirm the following are configured and current:

• Technician shifts — Including any after-hours shifts your business uses. Set these up in the navigation bar by going to Schedule > Technician Shifts.

• Adaptive Capacity settings — Default capacity settings should be present and aligned with your calculated capacity. Configure these under Settings > Adaptive Capacity > Settings.

• Available capacity — Confirm capacity is actually showing in Schedule > Capacity Reporting for the dates the agent will be booking into.

• Arrival windows — These are the time ranges the agent quotes to customers. Set these under Settings > Operations > Arrival Windows.

Contact Center and Voice Agent configuration

Outbound Virtual Agents uses the Voice Agent capability inside Contact Center. Before you can launch campaigns, confirm the following:

• Contact Center is active on your tenant. Voice Agent settings are managed inside Contact Center.

• Contact Center requires an Enterprise Hub network. If you don't have one, talk with your CSM or PAM to request a network.

• A virtual agent is configured. Persona, Transcript, Skills and Capabilities, Job Types and Dispatch Fees, and Escalation and Rules should all be defined for at least one Voice Agent. The "Manage your Voice Agent settings in Contact Center Pro" section below walks through what to configure.

The SMS Agent shares the same configuration as the Voice Agent, so anything you set in Contact Center also shapes the content and behavior of SMS outreach.

Lead source configuration

Where your leads come from determines how they reach Outbound Virtual Agents.

• With Marketing Pro: Confirm leads are appearing in CRM's All Leads tab with tasks and activities available. The CRM leads object serves as the source for outbound campaigns.

For accurate attribution, each campaign should have its own dedicated inbound tracking number.

Disable conflicting auto-responders

Before launching any campaign, disable existing auto-responder or automated SMS tools under Settings > Communication > Chat. Competing automations will send duplicate messages to leads and create confusion.

Manage your Voice Agent settings in Contact Center

The Voice Agent your Outbound Virtual Agents campaigns use is configured in Contact Center. This is where you control how the agent introduces itself, what it can do, what it asks callers and leads, and what it knows about your business.

Access the Voice Agent settings

1. Navigate to Settings.

2. Locate Contact Center.

3. Click Voice Agent Settings. 

Each Voice Agent configured for your account appears as a tab at the top.

Global settings vs. Account Level settings

Contact Center Voice Agent settings are organized into two views in the top-right corner of the Voice Agent settings screen:

• Global — Default Voice Agent configuration that applies to all tenant accounts in your Contact Center network. Use this view to set up a consistent baseline experience across your business.

• Account Level — Per-tenant customization. Select a specific tenant account and customize its Voice Agent settings independently. Account Level settings override Global defaults for that tenant.

Note: Once you customize any setting at the Account Level, that setting is considered custom and Global defaults no longer apply to that tenant — even if you later change the Global setting. Custom settings always take precedence.

Configure the Persona

The Persona section defines the Voice Agent's identity: the name customers hear, the business name the agent uses, and the reference documents the agent uses to answer questions.

1. In the Voice Agent settings, click Edit next to Persona.

2. In the Customer Facing Names section, enter:        

   • Voice Agent Name — The name the voice agent uses to introduce itself to callers.

   • Customer-Facing Business Name — The business name the agent provides to customers. These names can be inserted into your Opening and Closing Messages using bracketed shortcut terms.

3. Click Save.

Upload Knowledge Base files

The Knowledge Base in the Persona section lets you upload documents the Voice Agent uses to answer general business questions — beyond just booking jobs. Common uploads include price lists, service descriptions, membership brochures, service-area documents, financing guides, and equipment-brand lists.

1. In the Knowledge Base section, click Upload File and select the documents you want the Voice Agent to reference.

2. (Optional) Click Add Description to add a brief summary about each document. The description helps the agent understand when to reference the file.

3. Click Save.

After uploading, place a test call to confirm the Voice Agent answers questions correctly using the uploaded content. Examples of what the Voice Agent can answer once a Knowledge Base is in place:

• A homeowner asks about pricing for a standard tune-up — the agent finds the price list and answers.

• A caller asks what equipment brands you service — the agent lists the brands from your uploaded company profile.

• A caller asks about financing for a remodel — the agent explains the plans from your uploaded guide.

Configure the Transcript

The Transcript section controls the conversation flow: what the agent says at the start and end of each call, what follow-up questions it asks, how it handles objections, and how it communicates dispatch fees.

Opening and Closing Messages

1. In the Voice Agent settings, click Edit next to Transcript.

2. In the Opening and Closing Messages section, update:        

   • Opening — The message the Voice Agent uses to greet callers.

   • Closing — The message the Voice Agent uses to end the call. Use bracketed dynamic variables — [Account Name], [Voice Agent Name], [Customer-Facing Business Name] — to personalize messages without retyping per account.

3. A live preview appears next to each field, showing how the message will sound with your account's details filled in.

4. Click Save.

Note: The default scripts are examples only. You are responsible for complying with all applicable laws in the jurisdictions where you operate, including recording laws and requirements to disclose that calls are conducted by an AI-powered voice agent.

Custom Follow-up Questions

Custom Follow-up Questions let the Voice Agent ask specific questions about a caller's issue so your technicians arrive better prepared. For example, instead of just logging "AC not working," the agent can ask "Is the unit making any noise?" and capture a more useful answer.

1. In the Custom Follow Up Questions section, click + Add Issue to add a new entry.

2. For each entry, complete:        

   • Issue Type — Enter the issue type or job type this question applies to.

   • Question 1 — Enter the first follow-up question the agent asks.

   • Question 2 (Optional) — Enter a second follow-up question if needed.

3. Repeat for each additional issue type. Click + Add Issue to add more entries.

4. Click Save.

Examples by business type:

• Residential Service and Replacement — Ask how old the equipment is to help dispatch decide which technician to send. Ask where water is coming from when a caller reports a leak, to determine urgency.

• Residential Construction — Ask if the caller has approved architectural plans ready for review. Ask for square footage when a caller requests an estimate.

Dispatch Fee Message

Under Dispatch Fee Message, configure what the Voice Agent says based on the scenario:

• No specified dispatch fee — Mentions a fee may apply without stating an amount.

• Free service — States that the job has no dispatch fee.

• Specific amount — States the fee amount you set up in Job Types and Fees.

Click Save when finished.

Configure Skills and Capabilities

Skills and Capabilities control what scheduling actions the Voice Agent can perform.

1. In the Voice Agent settings, click Edit next to Skills and Capabilities.

2. Under Job Handling, select the actions to enable:        

   • Book jobs directly — Allows the Voice Agent to create a new job booking during the call.

   • Confirm and reschedule appointments — Allows the Voice Agent to look up existing appointments and make changes on the caller's behalf.

   • Book jobs after hours — Allows the Voice Agent to book jobs outside regular business hours. Choose between Outside Business Hours (uses business hours configured in ServiceTitan Settings > Operations > Business Hours) or Custom Timeframe (specify exact after-hours days and times).

3. Click Save.

Configure Job Types and Dispatch Fees

This section controls which job types the Voice Agent can book and how dispatch fees are communicated.

1. In the Voice Agent settings, click Edit next to Job Types and Dispatch Fees.

2. Enable Voice Agent Can Book for each job type the agent should book.        

   Tip: Select multiple job types and click Enable to turn them on in bulk; toggle off or select and click Disable to remove.

3. (Optional) In the Description column, click Add description to enter a short summary that helps the Voice Agent match the customer's request to the right job type.

4. In the Dispatch Fee and After-Hours Dispatch Fee columns, set a fee per job type and choose No specified dispatch fee, Free service, or Specific amount.

5. Click Apply, then Save.

Configure Escalation and Rules

Escalation Triggers let you decide which situations automatically escalate a call from the agent to a human. Triggers are organized into four categories: Sentiment, Appointment and Scheduling, Operational Constraints, and Verification and Identity.

1. Under Escalation Triggers, select the checkbox next to each situation that should escalate the call, or deselect any you want the Voice Agent to handle on its own.

2. Click Save.

Featured use case: Speed to Lead

Speed to Lead is the first goal available in Outbound Virtual Agents and is designed to address one of the highest-impact problems in service: response time on inbound leads. Lead response time has direct, measurable impact on conversion, especially for leads from third-party aggregators where the first contractor to respond is often the one who wins the job.

What Speed to Lead does

When a new lead enters ServiceTitan from a supported lead source, Speed to Lead:

1. Identifies the lead as a match for an active campaign based on your audience configuration.

2. Sends a personalized SMS through the SMS Agent — typically within seconds of the lead entering ServiceTitan.

3. Offers real appointment times pulled from Adaptive Capacity.

4. Books the job when the lead confirms — without CSR involvement.

If the lead doesn't respond to SMS, you can build follow-up into the campaign sequence: additional SMS attempts, a Voice Agent call, delays between contact attempts, and a final Manual Task that hands the lead off to a human team member for personal follow-up.

How Speed to Lead works with ServiceTitan workflows:

Speed to Lead is a clear example of why ServiceTitan Max content describes the platform as connected rather than as separate products:

• Adaptive Capacity provides the available appointment slots the agent offers.

• Contact Center is the engine the Voice and SMS Agents run on, using the persona, transcript, follow-up questions, knowledge base, and escalation rules you configured.

• Marketing supplies attribution and audience data to the agent.

• Scheduling booking links can be embedded in agent messages.

• ServiceTitan Core is where the booked job lands.

You do not configure Speed to Lead as a standalone product. You configure your Adaptive Capacity, your Contact Center Voice Agent, your lead sources, and your campaign — and Speed to Lead emerges from those pieces working together.

What "getting started" looks like

Because activation is handled by the ServiceTitan team rather than through a self-service setting, here's what to expect as a ServiceTitan Max customer:

1. Talk with your Customer Success Manager or Pro Account Manager about Outbound Virtual Agents. They'll confirm your tenant's readiness — that you have Adaptive Capacity configured with current shifts and arrival windows, a Contact Center Voice Agent set up, and lead sources configured the way you want them attributed.

2. Confirm permissions are granted. Your account administrator will need to grant View Customer Chats, Send Message, and Edit Voice Agent Settings to the right users.

3. Configure your Voice Agent in Contact Center. Set the Persona (including any Knowledge Base files), Transcript (including Custom Follow-up Questions), Skills and Capabilities, Job Types and Dispatch Fees, and Escalation and Rules. The "Manage your Voice Agent settings in Contact Center Pro" section above walks through each piece.

4. Your tenant is activated by the ServiceTitan team. Once activated, you'll see the Growth section appear in your ServiceTitan navigation bar with the Goals and Interactions pages.

5. Configure your first campaign. Your CSM or PAM will help you build your first Speed to Lead campaign — choosing the lead source, the Voice Agent, the tracking number, the audience filters, and the message sequence. The first time you open a goal, you'll be prompted to confirm an outbound phone number and agree to transactional SMS terms and conditions.

6. Review and adjust. After launch, use the Interactions page to spot conversations that need a human touch. Refine messaging, timing, or targeting based on what you see.

Want to learn more?

• See Insights with Outbound Virtual Agents in ServiceTitan Max

• See Configure Contact Center for ServiceTitan Max

• See Configure Adaptive Capacity for Smart Dispatching in ServiceTitan Max

• See Set up your online scheduler in ServiceTitan Max