Should the bot try to answer before escalating?

Yes for a genuine question, no for an explicit request to speak to someone. Attempting once is reasonable; refusing to hand over when asked is the behaviour that destroys trust.

What goes into the escalation?

The full conversation, the contact detail if one was given, and the page the visitor was on. The transcript is the important part — it is what stops the customer repeating themselves.

Can escalations go to different places for different bots?

Yes. Routing is per bot, which matters when you run several clients or several departments.

Configure

Set up handover so nobody repeats themselves

The handover is where most support bots fail. The customer explains everything again to a person who cannot see what was already tried.

Start freeNo credit card. 2 minute setup.

A bad handover is worse than no bot

If a customer has to repeat themselves, everything the assistant did was wasted and the interaction is now longer than if they had emailed in the first place. That single experience is what convinces people to type 'agent' immediately from then on.

Customers repeating their question to the first human
Agents receiving a name and no conversation
Escalations landing in an inbox nobody watches
No difference in behaviour inside and outside working hours

Decide the trigger

The default is a refusal — it could not answer and the customer still needs something. Also escalate on explicit request: if someone asks for a person, arguing with them is the fastest way to lose their goodwill.

On refusal

The natural point where a person adds something.

On request, immediately

Never make a customer fight the bot to reach a human.

Choose where it lands

Slack for teams that live there, email for lower volume, a ticket where you already run a helpdesk. The right answer is wherever someone will actually see it within your target response time.

Send the transcript with it

This is the part that matters. The full conversation goes with the escalation, so the agent opens with what the customer asked and what has already been ruled out, and can reply rather than interview.

Set availability so the offer is honest

Offering live handover when nobody is online produces a promise you cannot keep. Configure working hours so the assistant offers a person while your team is there and captures contact details when it is not.

The office hours setting, with a toggle to show office hours in the widget and a note that outside those hours visitors are told the team will be back later, while the AI answers around the clock either way. — The AI answers at every hour regardless. Office hours only change what the handover offers — a live person, or a message taken.

Common questions

Should the bot try to answer before escalating?: Yes for a genuine question, no for an explicit request to speak to someone. Attempting once is reasonable; refusing to hand over when asked is the behaviour that destroys trust.
What goes into the escalation?: The full conversation, the contact detail if one was given, and the page the visitor was on. The transcript is the important part — it is what stops the customer repeating themselves.
Can escalations go to different places for different bots?: Yes. Routing is per bot, which matters when you run several clients or several departments.