AI for Customer Support: Deflection and Escalation
AI can answer many routine support questions instantly, freeing your team for harder cases. The art is knowing when to hand over to a person — get that wrong and customers fume.
This article covers deflection done responsibly.
Deflection: Answering Without a Human
For common, well-documented questions, AI grounded in your knowledge base can resolve queries around the clock. This deflects them from your team while still helping the customer quickly.
Escalation: Knowing When to Stop
- The customer asks for a human.
- The AI is unsure or the topic is sensitive.
- Emotion or a complaint is detected.
- The same question loops without resolving.
Doing It Right
- Be honest that the customer is talking to AI.
- Pass full context to the human on hand-off.
- Track how often AI resolves versus escalates.
Frequently Asked Questions
Won't customers hate talking to a bot?
They dislike unhelpful bots that trap them. A fast, accurate assistant with an easy route to a human is usually welcomed.
If you need a hand with any of this, your Progressive Robot delivery team is ready to help. Raise a ticket from the Support area of your client portal or speak to your account manager and we will guide you through the next steps.