Customer Support with AI Voice Agents
Build a 24/7 customer support bot that responds with AI-powered voice messages in Telegram. Customers get instant, personalized answers from your knowledge base—perfect for e-commerce, SaaS, and service businesses.
Last updated
October 1, 2025
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Key Takeaways
- AI voice responses in Telegram - Customers send a text message, get a spoken answer back
- RAG-powered answers - The AI searches your uploaded documentation, not its training data
- ElevenLabs voice synthesis - Converts text answers into natural-sounding voice messages
- Customizable - Swap the AI model, change the voice, or adjust the system prompt
What This Workflow Does
This workflow turns a Telegram group or channel into an AI-powered support agent that responds with voice messages. When a customer sends a text message, the workflow searches your Needle knowledge base using RAG, generates an answer with GPT, converts it to speech with ElevenLabs, and sends the voice message back in Telegram.
Use cases:
- Answer product questions, shipping info, or return policies via voice
- Provide hands-free support for field workers or on-the-go teams
- Offer a more personal support experience compared to text-only bots
How It Works
| Step | What Happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Telegram trigger | A customer sends a message in your Telegram group |
| 2. AI searches knowledge base | GPT queries your Needle collection using the search_collection tool |
| 3. Text-to-speech | ElevenLabs converts the AI's answer into a voice message |
| 4. Merge and send | The text answer and audio are combined and sent back via Telegram |
Setup Instructions
- Create a Telegram bot via @BotFather and save the bot token
- Disable privacy mode in @BotFather:
/mybots> Your Bot > Bot Settings > Group Privacy > Turn OFF - Add the bot to your Telegram group as a member
- Get your Chat ID using the "List Chats" node in the workflow (must be numeric, e.g.
-1001234567890) - Connect your ElevenLabs account and choose a voice
- Upload your support docs (FAQs, product info, policies) to a Needle collection
- Open the AI node, select
search_collection, and choose your Needle collection - Click "Use template" and run the workflow
Customization
| What You Can Change | How |
|---|---|
| AI model | Change the model in the AI node (default: GPT-4.1) |
| Voice | Pick a different ElevenLabs voice ID in the text-to-speech node |
| System prompt | Edit the system message in the AI node to change tone or word limit |
| Knowledge base | Upload different documents to your Needle collection |
FAQ
Q: Why isn't my bot responding to messages? A: The most common cause is privacy mode. By default, Telegram bots only see messages that mention them directly. Disable privacy mode via @BotFather to let the bot see all messages in the group.
Q: What format should the Chat ID be in?
A: It must be a numeric ID like -1001234567890. It is not a username or @handle. You can get it using the "List Chats" node or @getidsbot.
Q: How accurate are the answers? A: The AI only answers based on documents in your Needle collection (RAG), so answers are grounded in your actual content.
Q: Can I use a different voice or language? A: Yes. ElevenLabs supports multiple voices and languages. Change the voice ID and model in the text-to-speech node.
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