What does the agent do today when it can’t answer?
When the approved sources don’t answer a question, the agent is told to say it doesn’t know. With human handover off, which is the default, it then suggests contacting your team through your website’s usual contact options. With handover on, it offers your team instead, and the caller can choose Talk to a human. It has no account access, so it can’t check an order or change a setting, and it can’t arrange a callback.
Handover is an early release: your team verifies a UK or US phone number and turns handover on for each agent, and the person who answers hears a private briefing before the caller is connected. Customer routing is still being tested, so give every agent the routes below either way.
When a caller asks, the agent can note a bug report, feature request or other feedback on the conversation, and it’s told not to promise a fix.
Left alone, “your website’s usual contact options” is vague. The agent doesn’t know your support address, help centre or status page unless your instructions or knowledge tell it.
1. Match each kind of question to a contact route.
List the questions the agent can’t handle and where each should go. Choose routes callers can use on their own, because nobody on your team is alerted when a call ends.
| Situation | Why the agent can’t help | Route to give |
|---|---|---|
| Refund or billing dispute | It can’t see or change accounts | Your billing email or the billing page in your app |
| Account change, such as a new owner | It can’t confirm who is calling | Account settings, or your support email |
| Something seems broken for everyone | It can’t see your systems | Your status page |
| A question your docs don’t cover | No approved source answers it | Your help centre or support email |
| Wants to speak to a person | Without handover, which is off by default, the call can’t be transferred | Your support email, contact form or live chat. With handover on, it can also offer Talk to a human |
| Discounts, custom terms or a demo | It must not invent terms | Your contact or demo request form |
2. Put the routes in each agent’s instructions.
Add a short fallback section to the instructions. Give each route in words a listener can remember: a short email address, a menu path or a page name.
When you can't help
If approved knowledge doesn't answer the question, say you don't know
and give the matching route below. Don't guess.
If the request is vague, such as "it's not working", ask one
clarifying question first.
Refunds, invoices or billing disputes: email billing@example.com.
A specific account: say you can't see accounts, then suggest
support@example.com.
A possible outage: suggest checking status.example.com.
Wants a person: if Talk to a human is available on this call, explain
it. If not, say you can't transfer calls, then suggest
support@example.com or the chat button in the help centre.
Discounts, custom terms or a demo: suggest the form at
example.com/contact.
Give one route, say it slowly and offer to repeat it.
If they ask to report a bug or request a feature, note it for the team
and don't promise a fix.3. Add an approved contact source.
Callers also ask “how do I contact you?” outright. Add an approved source that answers it with the same routes and your hours, so the answer comes from knowledge and matches the instructions.
Title: Contact us: support, billing, sales and service status
How do I contact support, talk to a person or reach the team?
Email support@example.com. We reply on weekdays, 9am to 5pm UK time.
Billing, invoices or refunds: email billing@example.com.
Is something down? Check status.example.com for updates.
Sales, demos or custom terms: use the form at example.com/contact.
The voice agent can't arrange a callback.What does a good fallback response sound like?
A good fallback admits the gap, gives one route and stops. Use these lines as expected answers in your test set.
A question your sources don't cover
"I don't know that one, and I'd rather not guess. Our support team can
tell you: email support@example.com."
An account-specific request
"I can't see accounts, so I can't check that invoice. Email
billing@example.com with the invoice number."
A request for a person, with handover off
"I can't transfer this call. The quickest way to reach the team is
support@example.com, or the chat button in the help centre."
A request for a person, with handover on
"You can talk to the team. Choose Talk to a human, give your name and
choose Connect me."
Feedback
"I've noted that as a feature request for the team. I can't say whether
or when it will be built."4. Test the fallbacks, then track them.
Add a fallback question for each route to your test set: a refund request, a question your docs don’t cover and a request for a person. A pass is the right route said clearly, with no promise the agent can’t keep.
After launch, every “I don’t know” in a transcript is either a correct fallback or a missing article. Find them in your weekly review and fill the gaps that repeat.
Keep the same routes visible on your pages beside the widget, so callers can find them after the call.
Common questions
Should a voice agent ever guess an answer?
No. A guess sounds as confident as a right answer, and the caller can’t tell them apart. Kawl Now agents are told to say they don’t know when approved knowledge doesn’t answer, and, by default, to suggest your usual contact options instead.
Can the agent take a message for our team?
Only as feedback. When a caller asks, a Kawl Now agent can note a bug report, feature request or other feedback on the conversation, and you’ll see it in Conversations. It can’t arrange a callback, and nobody is emailed when feedback is noted, so give callers a route they can use themselves.
What should a fallback response include?
A plain admission that the agent doesn’t know, one specific next step the caller can take alone, and no promise it can’t keep. For a voice agent, make the next step easy to remember after hearing it once, such as a short email address or a menu path.