Call Routing & Escalation

Call routing determines how and when calls are transferred from AI agents to human operators. Effective routing ensures callers reach the right person while maximizing AI resolution rates.

Routing Types

Cold Transfer

Immediately transfer the call without context:

{
  "type": "cold_transfer",
  "destination": "+14155551234"
}

The caller is connected directly. The recipient has no context about the call. Use when:

Caller explicitly requests a specific person
Emergency situations requiring immediate human contact
Simple routing (e.g., “Press 1 for sales”)

Warm Transfer

Agent briefs the recipient before connecting:

{
  "type": "warm_transfer",
  "destination": "+14155551234",
  "brief": "Connecting a patient who needs to reschedule their appointment for tomorrow."
}

The AI:

Places caller on hold
Calls the destination
Provides context to the recipient
Connects both parties

Use when:

Complex situations requiring context
Caller has already explained their issue
Recipient needs preparation

Announced Transfer

Similar to warm transfer, but the caller hears the announcement:

{
  "type": "announced_transfer",
  "destination": "+14155551234",
  "announcement": "I'm transferring you to our billing department. They'll be able to help with your invoice question."
}

Queue Transfer

Route to a call queue or ring group:

{
  "type": "queue_transfer",
  "queue_id": "queue_support",
  "priority": "high",
  "wait_message": "Please hold while I connect you to an available representative."
}

Routing Rules

Configure conditions that trigger routing:

Intent-Based Routing

{
  "routing_rules": [
    {
      "condition": "intent == 'billing_dispute'",
      "action": {
        "type": "warm_transfer",
        "destination": "+14155551111"
      }
    },
    {
      "condition": "intent == 'technical_support'",
      "action": {
        "type": "queue_transfer",
        "queue_id": "queue_tech"
      }
    }
  ]
}

Keyword-Based Routing

{
  "routing_rules": [
    {
      "condition": "keywords_detected(['emergency', 'urgent', 'critical'])",
      "action": {
        "type": "cold_transfer",
        "destination": "+14155559999",
        "priority": "immediate"
      }
    }
  ]
}

Caller-Based Routing

{
  "routing_rules": [
    {
      "condition": "caller.account_tier == 'enterprise'",
      "action": {
        "type": "queue_transfer",
        "queue_id": "queue_enterprise"
      }
    },
    {
      "condition": "caller.assigned_rep != null",
      "action": {
        "type": "warm_transfer",
        "destination": "{{caller.assigned_rep.phone}}"
      }
    }
  ]
}

Time-Based Routing

{
  "routing_rules": [
    {
      "condition": "is_business_hours == false",
      "action": {
        "type": "voicemail",
        "mailbox_id": "after_hours"
      }
    }
  ]
}

Escalation Triggers

Define when the AI should escalate to humans:

Automatic Triggers

Trigger	Description
`max_turns_exceeded`	Conversation exceeds turn limit
`low_confidence`	AI confidence drops below threshold
`sentiment_negative`	Caller becomes frustrated
`repeated_failure`	AI fails to understand multiple times
`explicit_request`	Caller asks for a human

Configuration

{
  "escalation": {
    "triggers": {
      "max_turns": 10,
      "confidence_threshold": 0.6,
      "sentiment_threshold": -0.5,
      "failure_count": 3
    },
    "default_action": {
      "type": "warm_transfer",
      "destination": "+14155551234"
    }
  }
}

Destination Types

Phone Numbers

Direct transfer to a phone number:

{
  "destination": "+14155551234"
}

Extensions

Transfer to an internal extension:

{
  "destination": "ext:1234"
}

SIP Addresses

Transfer via SIP:

{
  "destination": "sip:user@domain.com"
}

Queues

Route to a call queue:

{
  "destination": "queue:support",
  "queue_options": {
    "max_wait_time": 300,
    "position_announcement": true
  }
}

Ring Groups

Ring multiple numbers simultaneously:

{
  "destination": "ring_group:sales",
  "ring_strategy": "simultaneous",
  "ring_time": 30
}

Fallback Handling

Configure behavior when routing fails:

{
  "routing": {
    "destination": "+14155551234",
    "fallback": {
      "on_no_answer": {
        "action": "try_alternate",
        "destination": "+14155555678",
        "timeout": 30
      },
      "on_busy": {
        "action": "voicemail",
        "mailbox_id": "general"
      },
      "on_failure": {
        "action": "collect_callback",
        "message": "I'm unable to connect you right now. Can I have someone call you back?"
      }
    }
  }
}

Transfer Context

Pass information to the receiving party:

Screen Pop Data

{
  "transfer_context": {
    "screen_pop": {
      "caller_name": "{{caller.name}}",
      "caller_phone": "{{caller.phone}}",
      "account_id": "{{caller.account_id}}",
      "call_summary": "{{conversation.summary}}",
      "intent": "{{detected_intent}}"
    }
  }
}

Whisper Message

Play a message to the recipient before connecting:

{
  "transfer_context": {
    "whisper": "Incoming call from {{caller.name}} regarding {{detected_intent}}."
  }
}

Analytics

Track routing effectiveness:

Metric	Description
Transfer Rate	Percentage of calls transferred
Escalation Rate	Percentage escalated due to triggers
Transfer Success	Successful vs. failed transfers
Hold Time	Average time callers wait during transfer
Resolution After Transfer	First-call resolution post-transfer

Best Practices

Minimize cold transfers

Warm transfers provide better caller experience and equip recipients with context.

Set appropriate timeouts

Don’t leave callers on hold too long. 30 seconds is a good maximum before fallback.

Always have a fallback

Every routing path should have a fallback for when the destination is unavailable.

Monitor escalation rates

High escalation rates indicate the AI needs better training or knowledge.

Test routing paths

Regularly test all routing scenarios to ensure they work as expected.

Next Steps

Warm Transfers — Detailed warm transfer configuration
Live Transcription — Provide real-time context to agents
Webhooks — Trigger actions on transfer events

Welcome

Core Concepts

Voice & Communication

Integrations

Security & Compliance

Enterprise

Call Routing & Escalation

Call Routing & Escalation

Routing Types

Cold Transfer

Warm Transfer

Announced Transfer

Queue Transfer

Routing Rules

Intent-Based Routing

Keyword-Based Routing

Caller-Based Routing

Time-Based Routing

Escalation Triggers

Automatic Triggers

Configuration

Destination Types

Phone Numbers

Extensions

SIP Addresses

Queues

Ring Groups

Fallback Handling

Transfer Context

Screen Pop Data

Whisper Message

Analytics

Best Practices

Next Steps

​Call Routing & Escalation

​Routing Types

​Cold Transfer

​Warm Transfer

​Announced Transfer

​Queue Transfer

​Routing Rules

​Intent-Based Routing

​Keyword-Based Routing

​Caller-Based Routing

​Time-Based Routing

​Escalation Triggers

​Automatic Triggers

​Configuration

​Destination Types

​Phone Numbers

​Extensions

​SIP Addresses

​Queues

​Ring Groups

​Fallback Handling

​Transfer Context

​Screen Pop Data

​Whisper Message

​Analytics

​Best Practices

​Next Steps

Call Routing & Escalation

Routing Types

Cold Transfer

Warm Transfer

Announced Transfer

Queue Transfer

Routing Rules

Intent-Based Routing

Keyword-Based Routing

Caller-Based Routing

Time-Based Routing

Escalation Triggers

Automatic Triggers

Configuration

Destination Types

Phone Numbers

Extensions

SIP Addresses

Queues

Ring Groups

Fallback Handling

Transfer Context

Screen Pop Data

Whisper Message

Analytics

Best Practices

Next Steps