Human handoff checklist

An AI assistant needs a clear answer to “what happens next?” when it cannot help. A visitor asking for a person, a missing fact, or a request outside the agreed scope should lead to a defined action. Without that plan, a reassuring reply can leave the customer waiting for a callback that nobody has actually been asked to make.

This checklist helps you define allowed tasks, approved sources, escalation wording, and the person or team responsible for each handoff. It distinguishes a recorded request from a real notification or a transferred call, and asks you to decide what happens outside business hours. The goal is wording that matches what the system and your staff can actually deliver.

Complete it with the people who will operate the workflow, then test an unavailable staff member and a failed notification. Agree what context is passed on, collect only what is needed, and give staff a way to pause the assistant. Revisit the checklist as the business changes and handoff failures reveal gaps in the process.