Chatbot handover to human agents
AI answers instantly, your team steps in when needed: in the same chat, without making the customer start over.
A chatbot handover, the handover from chatbot to a human agent, combines the best of both worlds. The AI agent answers frequent questions 24/7. When the customer asks to talk to a person, or the request becomes sensitive, it hands the conversation over to an agent on your team. The customer stays in the same chat, the agent sees what the bot has already collected and nobody has to repeat the same information.
It answers a real concern. According to a Gartner survey of more than 5,700 customers, 64% would prefer companies didn't use AI for customer service. Their top concern is that it will become harder to reach a person. With Crafter.ai live chat, automation and human support work together: on your website, on WhatsApp, on social media and over the phone with voicebots.
Customers can always ask for a person and get one
The agent picks up where the bot left off, with no repeated questions
People focus only on the conversations that truly need a human
How does the handover to a human agent work?
FROM BOT TO PERSON, AND BACK
1. The customer asks for a person. They just write it naturally, for example "I'd like to talk to an agent". The AI agent confirms the request and places the conversation in your team's queue. The customer does not have to switch channel, open a new window or start over.
2. An agent takes over the conversation. From the live chat console, the first available agent opens the conversation. They see the history and the data the bot has already collected, such as name, order number or reason for contact. The customer is notified that a person has joined the chat and reads the replies in the same place where they were talking to the AI.
3. The bot takes over again. Once the agent has solved the issue, they release the conversation and the AI agent goes back to handling the next requests. If different expertise is needed, the agent can transfer the chat to an online colleague before closing it. You can see how to turn it on in the Live Chat guide.
The same principle applies on the phone. Voicebots built with Crafter.ai can transfer the call to a human agent when needed, so the voice channel never leaves the customer without a way out either.
Who already uses it. In Vega Carburanti's customer care, the chatbot answers frequent questions and hands the conversation to a live chat agent when needed. Requests for human intervention dropped by 70% (read the Vega case). The e-Kanban help desk chatbot connects the user with an agent when it cannot find a solution. TLC Marketing uses handover on WhatsApp so partners can talk to a consultant (read the TLC case).
Crafter.ai Agent
Online · customer supportWhen should the chatbot hand over to a human agent?
Discover the main applications of AI Agents for your hybrid customer care and how they can transform your business.
The customer asks for a person
When someone writes that they want to talk to an agent, the chatbot does not keep pushing automated answers: it confirms the request and connects them with the team.
Complaints and sensitive situations
Disputes, service issues or unhappy customers need empathy and decision-making power: handing over to an agent stops a complaint from turning into churn.
Complex sales and negotiations
The bot qualifies the contact and collects key information, then hands the conversation to a sales rep at the moment the customer is ready to decide.
Cases that need checks
Refunds, exceptions, contract changes or questions outside the knowledge base are handled by someone with the authority to do so, using the data already collected by the bot.
Regulated industries
In banking, insurance and healthcare some requests must be followed by a person: the AI agent acts as the first filter and routes the customer to the right agent.
Voicebot calls
When a phone call goes beyond what the voicebot can solve, the call is transferred to an agent, without forcing the customer to call back.
A console built for agents and for team leads
Agents reply from a simple web console that opens directly from Crafter.ai. Team leads manage availability, roles and workload without any extra tools.
Shared queue and notifications
Waiting conversations arrive in a single queue, with sound alerts and browser notifications, so no request goes unanswered.
Transfer to a colleague
If different expertise is needed, the agent passes the conversation to an online colleague, who receives the full chat history.
Business hours and holidays
Set time slots, closing days and national holidays: outside business hours the customer gets a clear message instead of waiting in vain.
Agent availability
Each agent can set themselves as unavailable, for a break or back-office work, and stops receiving new conversations until they are back.
Roles and permissions
Agent, Supervisor and Admin, plus custom roles: decide who replies, who sees the whole team's conversations and who manages settings and invitations.
Team dashboard
Team leads see in real time the conversations in queue, in progress and handled, also broken down by agent.
Chatbot handover, chatbot only or agents only
Three ways to organise chat support: the table shows why the hybrid model, with handover to a human agent, is the one that combines efficiency and customer trust.
| Feature | Chatbot with human handover | Chatbot only | Human agents only |
|---|---|---|---|
| Availability | 24/7 with AI, agents during the hours you choose | 24/7 | Only during team hours |
| Complex or sensitive requests | Handed to a person with full context | Risk of poor answers or dead ends | Handled, but with queues at peak times |
| Waiting times | Instant answers, queue only for those asking for a person | Instant | Depend on the number of agents |
| Repeating information | No: the agent sees the data collected by the bot | Not applicable | The customer explains everything again |
| Team workload | Only the conversations that need a person | None, but unhappy customers | Every conversation, even repetitive ones |
| Customer trust | High: they know they can always reach someone | Low when there is no way out | High, but at a high cost |
Chatbot handover is when a virtual assistant, after handling simple requests on its own, transfers the conversation to a person on the team in real time. The handover happens in the same chat, the agent receives the context collected by the bot and, once they are done, the AI starts answering again.
Learn more: Agentic AI and human in the loop in customer serviceChatbot handover features
Crafter.ai combines the most advanced AI technologies to offer a complete and customizable solution for your hybrid customer care.
Chatbot handover channels
Integrate Crafter.ai AI Agents on the channels most used by your customers.
What they say about us
Gea has allowed us to reduce live chat operations and to allocate the work of our resources to higher value activities.
We are very satisfied with the performance of the solution which allows us to optimize our level of service, by promoting autonomous access to our booking service, on one hand, and by handling requests that require intervention of our operators, on the other.
client companies
published case studies
supported languages
Frequently asked questions
What is chatbot handover?
It is when a chatbot answers the most common requests on its own and, when needed, hands the conversation over to a person on your team. The customer stays in the same chat and the agent sees what the bot has already collected.
How does a customer reach a human agent?
They just ask, in their own words: for example "I'd like to talk to an agent". The chatbot confirms and puts the conversation in the queue for the first available agent.
Does the agent see what the customer told the bot?
Yes. The agent reads the conversation and the details the bot collected before the handover, so the customer does not have to repeat the same information.
What happens if no agents are available?
You can set business hours, closing days and holidays. Outside business hours, or if nobody picks up the request in time, the customer receives an automatic message letting them know, instead of waiting with no answer.
Which channels support handover to a human agent?
It works on your website chat, on WhatsApp, on Telegram, on social channels such as Messenger and Instagram, in your mobile app and on Slack and Microsoft Teams. On the phone, Crafter.ai voicebots can transfer the call to a human agent.
Does the chatbot take over again after the agent?
Yes. When the agent closes the conversation, the AI agent automatically goes back to answering the customer's next requests.
Do I need external live chat software?
No. The agent console is part of Crafter.ai: you activate it from the bot, open it with one click and it includes the queue, transfers, roles and a team dashboard. To evaluate your use case you can request a demo.
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