> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.maiagent.ai/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.maiagent.ai/maiagent-user-guide/en/serve/human-handoff/human-handoff-operations.md).

# Human Agent Takeover and Replies

Daily operations for human support agents—setting availability and time off, receiving handoff notifications, taking over conversations, replying to users, transferring to colleagues or back to AI, an

This page explains what human support agents do after a conversation is handed off. For handoff conditions and assignment rules, see [Human Handoff Settings](/maiagent-user-guide/en/serve/human-handoff.md).

## Set Your Availability <a href="#my-availability" id="my-availability"></a>

On the conversations page, your current availability appears to the right of the list title (such as <mark style="color:blue;">"All Conversations"</mark>). Open the menu to select:

* **Available**: Automatic assignment assigns conversations to you as usual
* **Pause Assignments**: Automatic assignment skips you; conversations you are already handling are unaffected, and you can still take over conversations from "Unassigned" yourself
* **My Time Off…**: Set time-off periods (multiple periods are supported, with minute-level precision in your browser's local time zone). You will not receive automatic assignments during these periods; availability resumes automatically when each period ends

Your status applies to all conversation platforms you belong to. During time off, the status displays "On Time Off (until end time)".

<figure><img src="https://1360999650-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F6v6TNkkOQVfRYfcNirHL%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-e7e173d83a5b827d24011fcf98f2822efdea1755%2Fhandoff-my-availability-menu.png?alt=media" alt="My availability menu on the conversations page"><figcaption><p>The "My Availability" menu on the conversations page: Available, Pause Assignments, and My Time Off</p></figcaption></figure>

The following scenario illustrates how to use this menu:

> A support agent has a two-hour training session in the afternoon. Before leaving, she switches her status to "Pause Assignments" on the conversations page. The two unresolved conversations she is handling remain assigned to her; new human handoff conversations are assigned to other colleagues during this period. When she returns to her desk and switches back to "Available", automatic assignment immediately resumes assigning conversations to her.

{% hint style="info" %}
If the menu displays "Not on the Assignment List", you are not on the "Assignable Support Agents" list for any conversation platform. Automatic assignment already excludes you, so you do not need to change your status. To receive automatic assignments, ask the conversation platform administrator to add you to the list in [Assignment Settings](/maiagent-user-guide/en/serve/human-handoff.md#assignable-members). Administrators can also adjust agents' availability and time off in assignment settings; see [Agent Availability](/maiagent-user-guide/en/serve/human-handoff.md#agent-availability).
{% endhint %}

## Receive Handoff Notifications <a href="#receive-notification" id="receive-notification"></a>

When a conversation is assigned to you, you receive both of the following (depending on the [Human Handoff Notification](/maiagent-user-guide/en/serve/human-handoff/handoff-notification.md) settings):

* **Email notification**: Contains a conversation link that opens the conversation directly
* **Notification center announcement**: A handoff announcement appears in the notification center at the top right of the platform

## Take Over a Conversation <a href="#take-over" id="take-over"></a>

Conversations assigned to you (through automatic assignment or transfers from colleagues) appear in the <mark style="color:blue;">"Mine"</mark> tab. AI automatic replies stop as soon as a conversation is assigned to you. Open it and reply directly in the input box; no additional button clicks are needed:

* Your messages are sent to the user immediately through the original channel (the website chat window, LINE, Teams, and so on)
* The user receives a "Successful Handoff Message" (if configured), displaying the name of the support agent taking over

For conversations without an assigned agent (being handled by AI, queued, or unassigned), open the conversation and click <mark style="color:blue;">"Take Over"</mark>: it is assigned to you, and AI automatic replies stop. You can also use this method to manually take over a conversation that AI is replying to when human handoff is disabled on the platform.

### Unassigned Conversations <a href="#unassigned-queue" id="unassigned-queue"></a>

Conversations remain in the <mark style="color:blue;">"Unassigned"</mark> tab, waiting for a support agent to claim them, in the following cases:

* No agents on the assignment list are available (all are at capacity, have paused assignments, or are on time off)
* The conversation platform's assignment mode is set to "Claim Mode"
* Users leave messages outside service hours (with the offline behavior set to "Accept Messages")

Any support agent with the required permissions can click <mark style="color:blue;">"Take Over"</mark> in the "Unassigned" tab to claim a conversation.

{% hint style="warning" %}
Conversations in the "Unassigned" queue do not trigger Email notifications. When using message mode or claim mode, arrange for staff to check this tab regularly so that users' messages are handled.
{% endhint %}

All messages users send while waiting in the queue are preserved in the conversation and are visible when you take over. If the conversation platform enables "Allow Users to Cancel Human Handoff", users can cancel before the conversation is assigned to an agent and return to AI service. The conversation then leaves the "Unassigned" list (agents do not receive an additional notification when users cancel).

## Transfer and Return to AI <a href="#transfer-and-return" id="transfer-and-return"></a>

* **Transfer to a colleague**: Open a conversation you are handling in the <mark style="color:blue;">"Mine"</mark> tab, click <mark style="color:blue;">"Transfer"</mark>, and select a colleague. You can enter a reason for the transfer (for example, the issue belongs to another team). For unassigned conversations, use <mark style="color:blue;">"Assign Agent"</mark> to assign them to a specific colleague
* **Return to AI Agent**: When you finish handling a conversation, click <mark style="color:blue;">"Return to AI Agent"</mark> in the <mark style="color:blue;">"Mine"</mark> tab to resume AI automatic replies

If the conversation platform enables [Reassign on Timeout](/maiagent-user-guide/en/serve/human-handoff.md#reassign-on-timeout), a conversation automatically assigned to you is reassigned to the next available colleague if you have not replied to the user by the waiting timeout. Send your first reply promptly after receiving an assignment.

Every handoff, takeover, and return is recorded in the conversation's event timeline (for example, "Human Agent Took Over" or "Queue Timed Out, Returned to AI Agent"), allowing you to trace the handling process later.

## What Users See <a href="#end-user-experience" id="end-user-experience"></a>

During handoff, users receive messages corresponding to each stage (message content can be customized in [Handoff Messages](/maiagent-user-guide/en/serve/human-handoff.md#transfer-messages)):

1. Handoff triggered → Handoff notification message (for example, "Connecting you to a human support agent. Please wait")
2. Entering the queue → Queue waiting message (can display queue position and estimated wait time)
3. Sending another message while queued → Waiting reminder (requires [Queue Reminders](/maiagent-user-guide/en/serve/human-handoff.md#queue-reminder) to be enabled; shown only once within each cooldown period)
4. User cancels → After clicking "Let AI Answer" or entering a cancellation keyword, the user receives a return message, and AI answers the last message the user sent while queued (requires [Allow Users to Cancel Human Handoff](/maiagent-user-guide/en/serve/human-handoff.md#queue-cancel) to be enabled)
5. Agent takes over → Successful handoff message (can display the agent's name)
6. Queue timeout → Timeout notification message, followed by a return to AI service (if reassign on timeout is enabled, the conversation is first reassigned to other currently available agents who have not yet been assigned this conversation; it returns to AI only when no agents are available for assignment)
7. Outside service hours → Offline message

## Satisfaction Feedback <a href="#satisfaction-feedback" id="satisfaction-feedback"></a>

User feedback on service quality comes from two sources:

### Message Feedback (Thumbs Up / Thumbs Down) <a href="#message-feedback" id="message-feedback"></a>

Users can give each reply a thumbs up or thumbs down and add written suggestions. You can view this feedback in the conversation history.

### Conversation Satisfaction Survey (1–5) <a href="#satisfaction-survey" id="satisfaction-survey"></a>

Web Chat supports an overall satisfaction survey: after a conversation has been idle for a period, a rating of 1–5 (dissatisfied to satisfied) and an optional comments field appear automatically. Each conversation allows one submission.

To configure it, go to <mark style="color:blue;">"Conversation Platforms"</mark> → select the web platform → <mark style="color:blue;">"Satisfaction Survey Settings"</mark>. Enable <mark style="color:blue;">"Enable Satisfaction Survey"</mark>, then adjust <mark style="color:blue;">"Delay (Minutes)"</mark> and <mark style="color:blue;">"Survey Title Text"</mark>.

<figure><img src="https://1360999650-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F6v6TNkkOQVfRYfcNirHL%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-5f113d624c370a34f7fe10054e2fe8b63bb54114%2Fwebchat-satisfaction-survey.png?alt=media" alt="Satisfaction survey settings screen"><figcaption><p>Satisfaction survey settings for the web platform</p></figcaption></figure>

Responses appear in the <mark style="color:blue;">"Conversation Satisfaction"</mark> field for the conversation. In the admin interface, you can filter by score to review them.


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