Assign conversations and hand off from AI

Assign Conversations and Hand Off from AI

Vaanexa lets teams assign customer conversations to specific team members and take over conversations that are being handled by an AI agent. AI can also automatically hand off conversations when a customer requests human assistance, the AI is uncertain, or a configured handoff rule is triggered.

What is Assign Conversations and Hand Off from AI?

Conversation assignment gives a specific team member responsibility for a customer conversation. Assigned conversations are available through the team member's Assigned to me filter.

AI handoff allows a human team member to take control of a conversation when AI should no longer handle it. Vaanexa pauses the AI when a team member starts typing, helping prevent the AI and human from responding at the same time.

Automatic handoff can also transfer conversations to a human when predefined conditions are met.

Why use Assign Conversations and Hand Off from AI?

This workflow helps you:

• Give conversations a clear owner.
• Make assigned conversations easier for team members to find.
• Let humans take over AI conversations without talking over the AI.
• Automatically route conversations that need human attention.
• Respond when customers explicitly request a person.
• Handle conversations where the AI is not confident.
• Keep AI and human communication within the same conversation.

Real-Life Use Case

The situation

Imagine UrbanNest Realty uses an AI agent to handle routine customer enquiries. Some customers, however, need to speak with a sales representative or ask questions that require human judgment.

The problem

Without a clear handoff process, the team may need to constantly monitor AI conversations to identify when human assistance is required.

What happens without the feature?

The team may:

• Miss conversations that need human attention.
• Respond while the AI is still replying.
• Make customers repeat information.
• Spend time manually searching for conversations requiring follow-up.
• Leave ownership of important conversations unclear.

How Vaanexa helps

Vaanexa lets team members assign conversations, take over from AI, and automatically hand off conversations when configured conditions are met.

When a team member starts typing in an AI-handled conversation, Vaanexa pauses the AI for that conversation. The team member can continue the conversation without competing with an automated response.

The new workflow

Customer message → AI handles conversation → Handoff required → Human takes over → Team member continues conversation

This creates a clear transition between AI-assisted communication and human support.

Case Study

Business

UrbanNest Realty

Challenge

UrbanNest uses AI to handle routine customer questions but needs its sales team to take over conversations when customers request a person or when the AI cannot confidently handle the request.

Objective

Create a clear process for assigning conversations and moving conversations from AI to human team members.

Vaanexa Solution

UrbanNest uses conversation assignment for team ownership and AI handoff for conversations that require human attention.

Team members can use the Assign menu to assign conversations. When a team member starts typing in an AI-handled conversation, Vaanexa pauses the AI. Automatic handoff can also be triggered by customer requests, low AI confidence, or configured handoff rules.

Outcome

UrbanNest can combine AI-assisted conversations with human follow-up while keeping conversation ownership and handoff clear.

How Assign Conversations and Hand Off from AI works

Vaanexa supports three ways to manage conversation ownership:

1. Manual assignment
   A team member opens a conversation and assigns it to another team member using the Assign menu.

2. Human takeover
   A team member starts typing in a conversation being handled by AI. Vaanexa pauses the AI for that conversation.

3. Automatic handoff
   The AI hands the conversation to a human when a configured handoff condition is met.

Handed-off conversations are flagged in the inbox and the assignee is notified.

Before you begin

Before assigning conversations or using AI handoff:

• Make sure your team members have the appropriate workspace access.
• Configure your AI agent and its handoff rules where applicable.
• Decide which conversations should require human assistance.
• Make sure team members understand how assigned conversations are handled.
• Review your roles and permissions if your workspace uses lead ownership restrictions.

How to use Assign Conversations and Hand Off from AI

Assign a conversation

1. Open Inbox.
2. Open the conversation you want to assign.
3. Use the Assign menu in the conversation header.
4. Select the team member who should handle the conversation.
5. The assignee is notified.
6. The conversation appears in the assignee's Assigned to me filter.

Take over from the AI

1. Open a conversation currently being handled by an AI agent.
2. Review the conversation history.
3. Start typing your response.
4. Vaanexa pauses the AI for that conversation.
5. Continue the conversation as the human team member.
6. Use Resume AI when you want to hand the conversation back to the AI.

Automatic handoff

The AI hands a conversation to a human when:

• The customer asks for a person.
• The AI is not confident about the answer.
• The conversation matches a handoff rule configured in the AI agent's settings.

When a conversation is handed off:

1. The conversation is flagged in the inbox.
2. The assigned team member is notified.
3. The team member can review the conversation history.
4. The team member continues the conversation.

Understanding the feature

Best practices

1. Assign conversations to the right team member
   Consider the customer's request and the team member responsible for handling it.

2. Review the conversation before taking over
   Read the existing conversation so the customer does not need to repeat information.

3. Use automatic handoff rules carefully
   Configure rules around situations where human involvement is genuinely required.

4. Use Resume AI when appropriate
   Once the human portion of the conversation is complete, return the conversation to AI when continued AI handling makes sense.

5. Monitor handed-off conversations
   Respond to flagged conversations promptly so customers are not left waiting.

6. Review lead permissions
   Make sure your team understands how own-leads permissions affect which conversations members can see.

Common scenarios

Customer requests a human

A customer asks to speak with a person. The AI automatically hands off the conversation to a human team member.

AI is uncertain

The AI is not confident about an answer, so the conversation is handed off rather than providing an unreliable response.

Sales representative takes over

A sales representative opens an AI-handled conversation and starts typing. Vaanexa pauses the AI so the representative can respond directly.

Specialist assignment

A conversation requires a specific team member, so the conversation is manually assigned using the Assign menu.

Returning to AI

After a team member finishes handling a specific issue, they use Resume AI to return the conversation to AI handling.

Common mistakes

Forgetting to assign ownership

A conversation that requires human follow-up should have a clear responsible team member.

Taking over without reading the conversation

Always review the conversation history before responding.

Forgetting that typing pauses AI

When you start typing in an AI-handled conversation, Vaanexa pauses the AI for that conversation.

Not resuming AI when appropriate

If the conversation no longer requires human handling, use Resume AI when appropriate.

Ignoring handoff notifications

Handed-off conversations are flagged and the assignee is notified. These conversations should be reviewed promptly.

Frequently asked questions

How do I assign a conversation?

Open the conversation and use the Assign menu in the header. Select the team member who should handle it.

What happens after I assign a conversation?

The assignee is notified, and the conversation appears in their Assigned to me filter.

What happens when I start typing while AI is responding?

Vaanexa pauses the AI for that conversation so the human team member can respond without the AI talking over them.

How do I give the conversation back to AI?

Use Resume AI to hand the conversation back to the AI.

When does AI automatically hand off a conversation?

AI can hand off a conversation when the customer asks for a person, the AI is not confident about the answer, or the conversation matches a handoff rule configured in the agent's settings.

How do I know when a conversation has been handed off?

Handed-off conversations are flagged in the inbox, and the assignee is notified.

Related concepts

• Using the Unified Inbox
• AI agents
• AI approvals
• Roles and permissions
• Leads
• Customers
• Pipeline
• Tasks
• Automations
• Connect WhatsApp
• Connect Instagram
• Connect a Facebook Page
• Connect Threads