Human Handoff
Human Handoff: Let Customers Talk to a Real Person When It Matters Most
Some conversations need a person. With human handoff, a customer on your website chat or WhatsApp can ask for someone from your team. LIA, ConnectLoop's AI sales agent, alerts your team right away and keeps helping until a team member accepts the chat and takes over.
No dead ends, no silence while they wait, and the AI picks up again when your team is done.
Works on website chat and WhatsApp · Google CASA Tier 2 Verified · Official Meta Business Partner
The problem
The Moment a Customer Asks for a Person Decides the Deal
AI handles most questions well. But when a buyer wants to negotiate, has a complex setup, or is simply ready to talk, a chat that can't reach a human loses them.
Dead ends
A Bot That Won't Let Go
The customer types “I want to talk to someone” three times and gets the same answer. They close the tab and try a competitor who picks up.
Silence
Waiting With Nothing Happening
When a handoff means a blank screen and a spinner, buyers assume nobody is coming. Every quiet minute makes them more likely to leave.
Missed alerts
Nobody Knows Someone Is Waiting
Requests for a person get buried in an inbox or a shared channel. By the time someone notices, the customer has gone.
The solution
How Does Human Handoff Work in ConnectLoop?
Human handoff lets a real person on your team step into a conversation when the AI isn't enough. It runs in three simple steps, on your website chat and on WhatsApp.
01
The Customer Asks for a Person
For example, “I want to speak to a sales agent.” LIA recognizes that the customer needs a person, not another answer.
02
Your Team Is Alerted
LIA tells the customer your team has been alerted and keeps helping in the meantime. Your team gets an email right away.
03
A Team Member Takes Over
Someone accepts the chat and replies. The customer sees that they are now chatting with your team, and the AI pauses.
| Stage | What happens |
|---|---|
| AI answers | LIA handles the conversation as usual. |
| Waiting | The customer has asked for a person. Your team is alerted, and LIA keeps helping in the meantime. |
| Team member | A person accepts the chat and replies. LIA is paused. |
| Back to AI | Once the team member closes the chat, LIA takes over again. |
Handoff and booking
What Happens When a Customer Asks for a Person?
It depends on whether human handoff and appointment booking are turned on. Either way, the customer always gets a next step.
| Human handoff | Appointments on | Appointments off |
|---|---|---|
| Handoff on | LIA asks whether the customer would like to Book appointment or Chat with team. | The customer goes straight to Chat with team. No question is asked. |
| Handoff off | The customer goes straight to Book appointment. | LIA replies politely and keeps answering. |
If nobody on your team is online, LIA offers an appointment instead, as long as booking is on. See how appointment booking works.
Alerts
Who Gets Alerted, and When?
Email alerts reach the right people at the right time, then narrow to the person handling the chat once it's accepted.
Who Counts as Online?
A team member is online when their status in the top-right corner says Available and the ConnectLoop dashboard is open. A background tab is fine. Available is on by default.
At least one team member needs to be online. If nobody is, the customer is told no one can join right now and is offered an appointment if booking is on.
Set Up Email Alerts in Two Steps
Add the email addresses that should be alerted under Notifications. Then open Human handoff, go to Settings, turn on Email the team and save.
The company admin isn't emailed automatically, so add their address under Notifications if they should get alerts too.
The queue
See Who's Waiting and Take Over in One Click
Every handoff lands in one queue on the Human handoff page. Accept a chat, reply, and close it when you're done.
Waiting
Chats nobody has picked up yet, marked amber.
My chats
The chats you're handling, marked blue.
All open
Every handoff in progress across your team.
History
Closed chats, so you can see what the AI missed.
The 24-hour rule
You can reply for 24 hours after the customer's last message. After that the chat shows as Expired, and you wait for the customer to write again.
Analytics
Track How Fast Your Team Responds
The Analytics tab shows how handoffs are going, so you can plan who needs to be online and when.
| Metric | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Handoffs | Chats sent to your team |
| Accepted | Chats a team member picked up |
| Average wait | Time until someone accepts a chat |
| Handling time | Time a person spent on the chat |
Permissions
Who Can Do What?
Admins control the setup. Every team member can accept and reply to chats.
| Task | Admins | Team members |
|---|---|---|
| Turn handoff on or off | Yes | No |
| Accept and reply to chats | Yes | Yes |
| View Analytics and the Switch log | Yes | No |
| Change handoff Settings | Yes | No |
The AI Does the First Conversation. Your Team Closes the Deal.
LIA answers, qualifies and books meetings around the clock. Human handoff makes sure that when a buyer wants a person, they get one, without waiting in silence and without starting over.
- Close bigger dealsA salesperson steps in at the right moment.
- Keep customers happyA person replies before they leave.
- Teach your AIClosed chats show what the AI missed.
- Plan your staffingWait times show when you need more people online.
Getting started
How Do You Turn On Human Handoff?
Setup takes a few minutes in your ConnectLoop dashboard.
- 01
Turn on handoff
Open Human handoff in the left menu and switch on Let customers ask for a person.
- 02
Add alert emails
Under Notifications, add the email addresses that should be alerted.
- 03
Email the team
In Human handoff, open Settings, turn on Email the team and save your changes.
- 04
Stay Available
Check your status says Available and keep the dashboard open. A background tab is fine.
- 05
Accept your first chat
Click Accept chat in the queue, reply, and click Close conversation when you're done.
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Human handoff lets a real person on your team step into a conversation when the AI isn't enough. In ConnectLoop, a customer asks for a person, LIA alerts your team and keeps helping, and a team member accepts the chat and takes over. When they close it, LIA takes over again.
Human handoff works on your website chat and on WhatsApp. Handoffs from both channels appear in the same queue on the Human handoff page.
No. LIA tells the customer your team has been alerted and keeps helping until a team member accepts the chat. When someone accepts, the customer sees a notice that they are now chatting with a member of your team.
The customer is told no one can join right now. If appointment booking is on, LIA offers to book an appointment instead, so the conversation still ends with a next step.
At least one team member must be Available with the dashboard open. A closed browser or a sleeping laptop counts as offline after 2 minutes. Also check that Email the team is turned on and that addresses are added under Notifications.
For 24 hours after the customer's last message. After that, the chat shows as Expired and can't be accepted. Your team waits for the customer to write again.
It closes by itself after 24 hours, and LIA takes over the conversation again.
No. LIA is paused while a team member handles the chat, so the customer only hears from your team. LIA takes over again once the chat is closed.
Messages with possibly offensive wording are blocked. Reword the message and send it again.
Only admins can turn handoff on or off, change its settings, and view Analytics and the Switch log. Every team member can accept and reply to chats.
Also included
Human Handoff Works With the Rest of LIA
- Appointment BookingLIA answers, qualifies and books meetings into your team's real calendar, inside the chat.How appointment booking works →
- WhatsApp SalesLIA answers and qualifies buyers on WhatsApp, with your team a handoff away.How WhatsApp sales works →
- The Handoff GuideWhen an AI sales agent should pass a buyer to a person, and how to do it well.Read the guide →
Give Every Customer a Way to Reach Your Team
Turn on human handoff, add your alert emails, and stay Available. The next customer who asks for a person gets one.
Free plan, no card required · Priced on conversations, not credits