AI Agent
AI Escalation to Human Support
When the AI Agent can't help a customer, it gracefully escalates to your human support team. This ensures customers always get the help they need.
When AI Escalates
The AI will offer escalation when:
Can't Find an Answer
The knowledge base doesn't contain information to answer the question.
Example:
Customer: "What's your refund policy for annual subscriptions?" AI: "I don't have information about annual subscription refunds in our documentation. Would you like me to connect you with our support team?"
Customer Requests Human Help
The customer explicitly asks to talk to a person.
Example:
Customer: "I need to speak with someone" AI: "Of course! I'll help you connect with our support team."
Question Requires Account Access
The question needs customer-specific information the AI doesn't have.
Example:
Customer: "Why was I charged twice this month?" AI: "I don't have access to account-specific billing information. Let me connect you with our support team who can look into this."
Complex or Sensitive Issues
Some topics are better handled by humans.
Example:
Customer: "I want to cancel my account and get a full refund" AI: "I understand. For account cancellation and refund requests, our support team can help you directly."
The Escalation Flow
Step 1: AI Recognizes Escalation Need
The AI determines it can't adequately help and offers to escalate.
Step 2: Customer Confirms
The customer agrees to create a support ticket.
Step 3: Escalation Form
The customer provides:
- Their email address (if not already known)
- Subject line (AI may suggest based on conversation)
- Any additional details
Step 4: Ticket Created
A support ticket is created with:
- Customer's information
- Subject and description
- Full conversation transcript from AI chat
- AI-suggested tags (if applicable)
Step 5: Team Notified
Your support team receives the ticket through normal channels:
- Appears in ticket inbox
- Notifications sent (Slack, email as configured)
- Auto-routing applies if tags trigger it
What Gets Included in Escalated Tickets
Conversation Transcript
The complete AI conversation is attached to the ticket, so your team sees:
- What the customer originally asked
- What the AI responded
- Where the conversation went
- Why escalation was needed
This context helps your team respond faster and more accurately.
Suggested Tags
Based on the conversation, the AI may suggest relevant tags:
- "Billing" for payment questions
- "Technical" for product issues
- "Account" for login/access problems
Tags can trigger auto-routing to the appropriate team.
Benefits of AI Escalation
For Customers
- No repeat information - Conversation context is preserved
- Smooth handoff - Clear transition from AI to human
- Always an option - Never stuck with only AI
- Quick start - Ticket created with context already captured
For Your Team
- Pre-qualified issues - AI handled simple questions first
- Full context - See what was already discussed
- Relevant routing - Tags help tickets reach the right team
- Reduced volume - Only true escalations come through
Monitoring Escalations
Track Escalation Rate
Monitor what percentage of AI conversations escalate:
- Low (< 20%): AI is handling most inquiries well
- Medium (20-40%): Normal, some topics need human attention
- High (> 40%): May indicate KB gaps or AI limitations
Analyze Escalation Reasons
Review escalated tickets to identify patterns:
| Pattern | Action |
|---|---|
| Common question without KB answer | Write an article |
| Unclear existing article | Improve the article |
| Account-specific questions | Expected (can't improve) |
| Frustrated customers | Review AI tone/responses |
Reduce Unnecessary Escalations
- Identify top escalation topics from ticket analysis
- Write or improve articles covering those topics
- Monitor if escalations decrease for those topics
Escalation Settings
Escalation Prompt
The message customers see when AI offers escalation. Customize tone and wording in settings if available.
Tag Suggestions
Configure which tags the AI can suggest during escalation. This improves routing accuracy.
Escalation Triggers
The AI automatically determines when to offer escalation. You can't configure specific triggers, but you can influence behavior by:
- Adding more comprehensive KB content
- Ensuring articles cover edge cases
- Writing clear, searchable article titles
Best Practices
Make Escalation Easy
Don't make customers work to reach humans:
- Keep the escalation form simple
- Don't require excessive information
- Acknowledge their time with AI
Respond to Escalations Quickly
Customers who escalated may already be frustrated:
- Prioritize escalated tickets
- Reference the AI conversation in your response
- Show you've read the context
Learn from Escalations
Every escalation is an opportunity:
- Identify missing KB content
- Find confusing documentation
- Understand customer pain points
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