Define the questions it can answer
Begin with a narrow set of supported topics, such as opening hours, service scope or where to find an order reference. Give the assistant maintained source material and an owner who updates it. Do not treat the whole internet as the company knowledge base. If an answer depends on a customer’s account, the system needs appropriate authentication and access boundaries before retrieving that information.
Design the handoff as a core feature
Customers should be able to ask for a person without discovering a hidden phrase. Pass a concise conversation summary, the customer’s question and any relevant reference to the receiving team. Keep the original conversation accessible for context. Tell the customer what happens next and avoid promising an immediate reply when nobody is available. A good handoff prevents the customer from explaining the same problem repeatedly.
Keep consequential actions under control
Answering a question is different from changing a booking, issuing a refund or promising a commercial exception. Define which actions require a person’s review. Use clear confirmation steps for supported changes and record the outcome. When information is missing or conflicting, the assistant should ask a focused question or escalate. Confidence in the wording is not evidence that the underlying answer is correct.
Evaluate conversations, not just response speed
Review a sample of resolved and escalated conversations. Look for repeated misunderstandings, incorrect routing and customers who abandon the interaction. Track whether the handoff actually reaches the right team. The system should reduce effort across the whole support journey. If automation answers quickly but creates extra follow-up work, improve the knowledge and routing before increasing its responsibilities.
Have a workflow or product idea in mind?
Talk it through with Teras Core ↗
