Three signs a person is needed
1. The information is missing. The customer asks about something your documents don't cover: instalments, a discount, an exception. A good assistant doesn't guess. It says honestly that it can't confirm it and offers a button to your team.
2. The customer asks for a person. "I'd like to talk to someone" isn't a question to process. It's a request to respect right away.
3. There's a problem or a complaint. A wrong charge, a lost booking, a bad experience. Tone, context and sometimes a decision only you can make all matter here.
What to leave to the assistant, and what not to
The simple rule: if the answer can be confirmed quickly from a clear document, the assistant gives it. Opening hours, prices, required documents and cancellation policies are perfect candidates.
The assistant can also answer general questions about your field from general knowledge: what a term means, how to choose between two kinds of course, what's worth knowing before a first lesson. Curiosities like these don't need a person, or a special document.
If it needs interpretation, an exception or a commercial decision, the conversation goes to a colleague. The assistant doesn't have to solve everything. It has to get right what it can, and hand over the rest without losing the customer.
How to prepare a useful handoff
Pick the channel you already use: WhatsApp, phone, email or a contact page. The customer should reach you in one tap, without hunting for a number.
A good exercise: take your last 20–30 conversations and tag each one: answerable from documents, needed a person or information was missing. The third group tells you exactly what to add to your documents.
Limits worth accepting
There's no universal threshold for when a person should step in. And no assistant can make up for unclear internal rules or outdated documents. The clearer the information, the rarer and more useful the handoffs become.