# How does handover from chat to a live agent work? > Handover from AI assistant to live agent: when to hand over, what the visitor sees at handover, and what happens when no one is available. Step by step. Source page: https://dblinx.net/en/smartoperator/blog/sohbetten-canli-temsilciye-devretme --- Live support # How does handover from chat to a live agent work? A good chat assistant does not try to resolve every query itself; it hands over the conversation to your team at the right moment. We explain how handover works step by step. SmartOperator team5 min readPublished: 17.10.2026 - [Live support](/en/smartoperator/blog/#etiket-canli-destek) - [Handover](/en/smartoperator/blog/#etiket-devir) - [Teamwork](/en/smartoperator/blog/#etiket-ekip-calismasi) The AI assistant answers questions within seconds; but some conversations require a human: complaints, special price requests, complex orders or questions not covered by the assistant’s knowledge base. At these moments, how smoothly the conversation passes to your team determines the visitor’s experience. ## When does the AI assistant hand over the conversation to a live agent? The company sets the handover rule: never hand over, always hand over, or hand over when unsure. Handover is appropriate when the visitor wants to speak with an authorised person, when the answer is not in the knowledge base or catalogue, or when the visitor gives a satisfaction score of 3 or below, which automatically triggers a handover request. ## What does the visitor see upon handover? The agent clicks Handover or starts typing directly; the AI goes silent and any generated response is not sent. A note appears in the visitor’s window indicating the agent has joined the chat, and while the agent types, “Customer representative is typing…” is displayed. Once finished, clicking Return to Assistant resumes the AI conversation, and a note informs the visitor of this. ## When should it be handed over? There are three typical situations for handover: - **The visitor requests it:** Delaying a visitor who says “I want to speak with an authorised person” damages trust. - **No source available:** If the answer is not in the knowledge base or catalogue, handover is preferable to guessing. - **Dissatisfaction:** Low scores or complaints indicate that a human should join the conversation. In SmartOperator, the company sets the handover rule: agents never hand over, always hand over, or hand over when unsure. Satisfaction scores of 3 or below also trigger automatic handover requests. ## What happens at the moment of handover? When a handover request arrives, the panel sends a notification; once the agent takes over, a note is shown to the visitor and the AI goes silent. - **Notification:** When a handover request arrives, the panel sends sound and desktop notifications; the number of pending items appears in the tab title. - **Take over:** The agent clicks the Take Over button on the conversation header or starts typing directly; typing automatically takes over the conversation. - **Note to visitor:** A note appears in the window stating “Our customer representative has joined the chat”; the surname is not displayed. - **AI goes silent:** If an AI response is being generated during handover, it is not sent. - **Return:** Once the task is complete, clicking Return to Assistant resumes the AI conversation; a note informs the visitor of this. The agent can see the full conversation history, the page the visitor is on, and the responses provided by the AI. ## Tools assisting agents The taking-over agent does not start from scratch. Conversation history, the page the visitor is on, and previous conversations (last 10 conversations in the visitor card) are all visible on the same screen. While typing: - **Response draft:** The AI prepares a draft by reviewing the conversation, knowledge base and catalogue; the draft does not go to the visitor but appears in the typing box. It is guided not to write information without a source and marks areas to be verified. - **Quick replies:** Selected with / in the message box; if the visitor’s real name is known, it is included in the reply. - **Note:** A note is left for the team member; it does not go to the visitor or AI. While the agent is typing, the visitor sees "Customer representative is typing…" in the window. ## If no one is available Transfer requests should not be lost outside working hours or when all agents are busy. In SmartOperator, if no agent is available, the assistant shows a contact form to the visitor; name, phone or email and notes appear on the Dashboard's Returns screen. If you have defined a notification email address, you also receive an email. If you have entered your working hours, the visitor is told when they will be called back. Return requests are tracked as New, Called and Completed. ## As the team grows: assignment and capacity In teams with multiple agents, chats can be manually assigned to team members. If automatic assignment is enabled, the chat transferred by the assistant goes to the online agent with the fewest chats who has not reached their limit. A limit can be set on the number of chats each agent can handle simultaneously; agents in the "Busy" status do not participate in automatic assignment. - Define your transfer rule: never, always, or if unsure. - Enter your working hours and notification email address. - Add frequently written answers as quick replies. - If the team consists of multiple people, set the per-agent chat limit and automatic assignment. ## How SmartOperator solves this In SmartOperator, your team takes over the conversation with a single click and the AI falls silent; if no one is available, the visitor's contact details fall onto the dashboard. - **One-click takeover:** Upon takeover, the AI falls silent, and a note indicating the agent has joined is shown to the visitor. - **Answer draft and quick replies:** The agent edits the draft and sends it themselves. - **Return request:** If no one is available, the visitor's contact details fall onto the dashboard. - **Assignment and capacity:** Manual or automatic assignment, per-agent chat limit. [Live support](/en/smartoperator/canli-destek.html)[Takeover and return](/en/smartoperator/belgeler/temsilci/devralmak-ve-geri-vermek.html)[Return requests](/en/smartoperator/belgeler/temsilci/geri-donus-taleplerini-islemek.html) ## Frequently asked questions What does the visitor see upon handover? A note appears in the window stating that the agent has joined the chat; while the agent is typing, "Customer representative is typing…" is displayed. Agent messages are shown in the window with a separate label. What happens to transfer requests outside working hours? If no agent is available, the assistant shows a contact form; the request falls onto the Returns screen. If you have defined a notification email address, you also receive an email. Can I return the conversation to the AI? Yes. With "Return to Assistant", the AI continues the conversation from where it left off; a note telling the visitor this is shown. ## Let's configure according to your team's workflow Enter how many agents will work and your transfer rules; let's complete the setup together. [Request a quote](https://dblinx.net/en/teklif-iste?urun=smartoperator)[Live support](/en/smartoperator/canli-destek.html) ## Related articles - [Setup ### AI sales assistant setup for e-commerce sites: 2 lines of code Adding an AI sales assistant to your e-commerce site starts with a two-line tag. We explain all steps from the tag to going live. 4 min read](/en/smartoperator/blog/e-ticaret-sitesine-yapay-zeka-satis-asistani-kurulumu.html) - [Site actions ### Site actions: adding to cart from chat and redirecting to pages The difference between an assistant answering queries and an assistant working with users lies in site actions: adding to cart from chat, navigating to pages, and booking appointments. 4 min read](/en/smartoperator/blog/sohbetten-sepete-ekleme-ve-yonlendirme.html) - [Security ### Protecting the chat bot from spam and bot traffic An open chat window is a target for automated traffic and misuse. It is protected by message limits, robot verification, and blocking. 4 min read](/en/smartoperator/blog/sohbet-botunu-spam-ve-bot-trafiginden-korumak.html)