Chatbot–human handoffs can be a tricky process for businesses to manage. It’s important that the transition is as seamless as possible, so customers don’t feel like they are being passed around or ignored. This is a critical customer touchpoint. If handled with empathy and finesse, you might retain a client or patient even if they were initially unhappy with your service.
On the flip side, if a frustrated client can’t communicate easily with you or a customer service team member, they may quit supporting your business or practice.
In this article, you’ll learn how chatbots and human agents can work together to create a better customer experience. We’ll discuss common scenarios requiring human intervention, and the key benefits of a smooth change from bot to human.
Chatbots, AI, and customer communication automation
Customer communications automation is a relatively new field with its own lingo. The terms “chatbot,” “bot,” “ai,” “communications platform,” and “customer experience solution,” have different meanings depending on the vendor and the industry for which it’s designed.
The terms “chatbot” and “bot,” for example, describe software that carries on conversations with customers or patients through texting or web chat.
- AI (Artificial Intelligence) is technology that simulates human intelligence for tasks like language understanding and problem-solving.
- A communications platform is a platform that integrates multiple tools (like chatbots and SMS) to manage customer interactions.
- A customer experience solution is software or a service (or both) designed to improve how businesses interact with customers, ensuring satisfaction and efficiency
It’s important to understand that there is a broad range of capabilities that fall under the “chatbot” umbrella.
On the low end are keyword-based bots that can perform a few simple tasks if the customer uses the right keywords. For instance, the bot may be able to book an appointment for a single service. Many low-end bots can be set up by the user with a chatbot builder. However, because they don’t have a mechanism to “learn” as they converse with customers, their capabilities remain static.
On the other end of the spectrum are sophisticated Artificial Intelligence solutions that use NLP (Natural Language Processing) and machine learning. These platforms are developed by AI specialists that train the bot with millions of conversations in the target industry.
Furthermore, a full-service vendor customizes the AI assistant for the client’s business model and a service team continually monitors it. This way, they can ensure it’s working correctly and solve problems as they arise. In the process, they train it to handle increasingly complex issues. This is how the “Software as a Service” (SaaS) model is supposed to work. SaaS implies a dynamic partnership between vendor and client, one that provides increasingly more business value over time.
With that explanation, note that when we use the term “chatbot,” or “bot,” we are referring to the software that converses with the customer, though it may be a component of a larger and more powerful customer communications solution.
Common scenarios for chatbot to human handoff
While many customer interactions can be efficiently handled by Artificial Intelligence, there are some scenarios that require a human. Here are some common customer scenarios:
- Complex Problem Solving
- Resolving Complaints
- Establishing Trust
- Qualifying Sales Leads
When a customer presents a multifaceted issue requiring a deep understanding of context, a human agent is often the best option. For instance:
- A dental patient might ask about insurance coverage and treatment options, requiring nuanced knowledge of policies and procedures.
- A fitness customer could need help creating a personalized membership package based on unique health goals.
In these cases, a chatbot handoff to a human agent can assess the situation, provide tailored solutions, and resolve concerns effectively.
Resolving complaints
Upset customers often need empathy and understanding—something chatbots aren’t great at providing. Consider these examples:
- A beauty client upset about a missed appointment seeks reassurance and a resolution.
- A dental patient frustrated by a billing issue wants immediate clarification and action.
Human agents can de-escalate tension, apologize sincerely, and offer solutions that restore trust and satisfaction.
Establishing trust
Building rapport is essential for long-term customer relationships. A chatbot might introduce a service, but a human agent often seals the deal:
- A fitness customer curious about a premium membership might need a human to explain the benefits and address specific questions.
- A beauty client booking a high-value service like a bridal package wants reassurance that their experience will be flawless.
Humans bring the personal touch needed to create confidence and loyalty.
Qualifying sales leads
2-3 paragraphs. Describe the importance of qualified sales leads then describe different scenarios in which a human is superior to AI when attempting to nurture and win new patients, customers, etc.
Not all inquiries are equal—some are opportunities for growth. A chatbot can collect basic information, but humans excel at identifying and nurturing high-value leads:
- A dental practice can prioritize leads for patients requiring ongoing care.
- A fitness center can focus on prospects ready to commit to annual memberships.
Human intervention ensures leads are handled strategically, maximizing conversion potential.
The benefits of chatbot to human handoff
To successfully manage the scenarios described, you need a customer service chatbot platform that makes it easy for you to take over the conversation, solve a specific problem and then hand it back to the AI. This delicate balance of automation and personal engagement provides important benefits:
- Faster issue resolution
- Improved customer experience and satisfaction
- Increased efficiency
- Accuracy oversight
- AI training opportunities
1. Faster issue resolution
Customers don’t want delays. A smooth transition from bot to live agent, followed by a seamless human to AI handoff minimizes wait times, ensuring problems are addressed quickly and efficiently.
2. Improved customer experience and satisfaction
With a smooth chatbot to human handover, you are better equipped to handle a complex or emotional customer interaction, and can deliver a more personalized human touch when assisting patients or customers.
3. Increased efficiency, lower costs
Chatbots handle routine tasks, freeing up human agents for more complex issues. This improves productivity while reducing staffing costs.
4. Accuracy oversight
With the ability to review the AI’s responses, you can help ensure your AI customer service platform is providing accurate answers to the client.
5. AI Training Opportunities
If you have a more sophisticated AI solution, the handoff between AI and live agent can provide opportunities for the AI to learn from the interactions and improve its responses over time.
For instance, a human agent resolving a nuanced customer inquiry can demonstrate conversational patterns, preferred phrasing, or decision-making processes that the AI can learn from and incorporate into its responses. This iterative learning enables the AI to handle similar situations with greater accuracy and efficiency in the future, reducing the need for human intervention over time.
The ability to transition back to the chatbot after human resolution further amplifies these benefits. Once the agent has addressed the specific concern, the AI can re-engage the customer to provide follow-up actions, such as scheduling appointments or collecting feedback. This bi-directional flow ensures consistency, saves time, and fosters a unified customer experience. By continually refining the AI’s capabilities, businesses not only improve efficiency but also elevate the overall quality of their customer interactions.
Seamless transitions—both from chatbot to human and back to AI—create a dynamic partnership between automation and human expertise. Solutions like TrueLark’s Business Messenger optimize this process, ensuring your AI assistant remains responsive, relevant, and capable of meeting customer needs as they evolve.
What is TrueLark Business Messenger?
Business Messenger is included in our best-in-class Ai-powered customer communications platform. It creates a bridge between the Virtual Receptionist and the live agent so that customers can easily transition from one to the other without having to repeat themselves or start over from scratch.
Business Messenger:
- Allows you to pause the AI auto-response when needed, take care of a single issue, and then hand the conversation back to the AI
- Centralizes all conversations in your TrueLark account where you can follow up using the same channel from which the client contacted your business
- Maintains a list of callbacks sorted by level of urgency
- Integrates with any configuration of customer support architecture
Business Messenger provides multichannel customer service management from an easy to use interface where you can manage conversations from all of your customer service channels. These could include chatbots, SMS tools, web chat, contact center software, social media and digital channels at multiple business locations
Business Messenger takes your customer service operations to the next level by harmonizing automation with human processes. We’ve tailored it to the way savvy business owners in the beauty/fitness and dental industries manage communications. This ensures that your clients are always receiving the best service possible and that you are meeting their needs in a timely manner.
The power of customer analytics
TrueLark also provides detailed analytics so you can track how successful your AI human handoff process is and make changes if needed. Our analytics provide valuable insights into customer behavior, preferences, and trends, which you can use to improve the customer service experience.
Additionally, you can use this data to create targeted campaigns and promotions that are tailored specifically to your customers’ needs. By leveraging the power of TrueLark AI technology, businesses can ensure that their customer service experience is always up-to-date and relevant.
Learn More About Business Manager
For more information about how TrueLark’s Business Manager can help you succeed with a seamless chatbot to human (and back) experience, book a Business Messenger demo and speak with a TrueLark specialist to discuss your customer service needs.
