phone-calls

Phone Calls Skill

Make AI-powered phone calls on behalf of the user — book restaurants, make appointments, inquire about services, etc.

Provider: Bland AI

Why Bland AI?

• Simplest API of all options (Vapi, Retell are more complex)
• Just need phone_number + task to make a call
• Low latency, natural-sounding voices
• Pay-per-minute, no platform fees
• Self-hosted (data stays secure)

Setup Required

1. Create Bland AI Account

1. Go to https://app.bland.ai
2. Sign up with email
3. Add payment method (or use free trial credits)

2. Get API Key

1. Go to https://app.bland.ai/dashboard
2. Click your profile → API Keys
3. Copy your API key

3. Configure Clawdbot

Add to your environment or .env:

BLAND_API_KEY=sk-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Or store in ~/.clawd/secrets.json:

{
  "bland_api_key": "sk-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"
}

Usage

Basic Call

./phone-call.sh "+447123456789" "Call the restaurant and book a table for 2 at 7pm tonight under the name John"

With Custom Voice

./phone-call.sh "+447123456789" "Ask about their opening hours" --voice maya

Check Call Status

./check-call.sh <call_id>

How It Works

1. You provide a phone number and a task/objective
2. Bland AI calls the number with an AI agent
3. The AI follows your instructions naturally
4. You get a transcript and summary after the call

Example Tasks

Restaurant Booking:

Call this restaurant and book a table for 4 people on Saturday at 8pm. 
The booking should be under the name "Smith". If they ask for a phone 
number, give them +447123456789.

Appointment Inquiry:

Call this dental office and ask what appointments are available next 
week for a routine checkup. Get at least 3 options if possible.

Service Inquiry:

Call this plumber and ask if they can come out tomorrow to fix a 
leaking tap. Get a quote for the callout fee.

Pricing (Bland AI)

• Outbound calls: ~$0.09/minute (US)
• Varies by country — check https://app.bland.ai for current rates
• First calls may have free credits

Voice Options

Built-in voices:

• josh - Male, professional
• maya - Female, friendly (default)
• florian - Male, European accent
• derek - Male, casual
• june - Female, professional
• nat - Male, natural
• paige - Female, upbeat

Advanced Features

Voicemail Handling

The AI can detect voicemails and either hang up, leave a message, or ignore.

Call Recording

Set record: true to get a recording URL after the call.

Webhooks

Get notified when calls complete by setting a webhook URL.

Conversation Pathways

For complex flows (IVR menus, multi-step processes), create pathways in the Bland dashboard.

Limitations

• Cannot call emergency services (999, 911, etc.)
• Some numbers may be blocked (DNC lists)
• Rate limited: 1 call per 10 seconds to the same number
• Max call duration: 30 minutes default (configurable)

Troubleshooting

"Invalid phone number"

• Include country code: +44 for UK, +1 for US
• Remove spaces and parentheses

"Insufficient balance"

• Add credits at https://app.bland.ai/dashboard/billing

"Rate limit exceeded"

• Wait a few seconds between calls to the same number

Files

• phone-call.sh — Make a phone call
• check-call.sh — Check call status/transcript
• bland.sh — Low-level API wrapper