New to Coding – Need Feedback on My Approach

I’m new to coding and software development, and I’m working on a project in Python 3.11 that uses Ultravox (a voice AI) to make outbound calls and collect information about cars. (This is a proxy example for privacy reasons.)

I am only posting this to know if my logic is sound or if there's a better to solve this issue. I am hoping to solve my data collection / check list issue via built in coding since I find prompting to be unpredictable / unreliable.

How the App Works

The calls collect details about a car, including:

• Manufacturer (Toyota, Ford, BMW)
• Model (Camry, F-150, Tesla)
• Year (2020, 2022, 2023)
• Engine Type (Gasoline, Hybrid, Electric)
• Transmission (Automatic, Manual, Single-Speed)
• Drive Train (4×4, AWD, RWD, FWD)

Problem with My Initial Approach

I originally used Regex to scan the transcript and check if all required details were collected before ending the call. The output looked like this:

• Manufacturer: Tesla
• Model: Plaid
• Year:
• Engine Type: Electric
• Transmission:
• Drive Train: Dual Motor

Since Year and Transmission were missing, the AI would know to ask about them.

Issues with this approach:

• Regex checking caused a 2-second delay, making the call feel unnatural.
• Some key details were still missing despite being coded to ask for them.

New Idea: Boolean Checklist

Instead of running Regex mid-call, I’m thinking of using a simple True/False checklist to track whether a category was collected. Then, I’d run Regex only at the end to verify completeness.

• Example Boolean Checklist:
• Manufacturer: True
• Model: True
• Year: False
• Engine Type: True
• Transmission: False
• Drive Train: True

Concerns & Questions

1. Is this an effective way to track missing data in a real-time call scenario?
2. How can I ensure similar categories aren’t conflated?
   • Example: If the car is Electric, we still need to ask if it’s Single or Dual Motor.
   • Just because it’s Electric doesn’t mean it’s a Tesla.
3. The app sometimes forgets a related subcategory.
   • Example: It asks if the car is Electric and if it has a Single-Speed Transmission, but it forgets to ask if it’s Dual Motor.
4. It sometimes skips completely unrelated categories.
   • Example: It gathers all powertrain info but forgets to ask about leather seats. Would a Boolean Checklist help prevent this?