Choose when busy-service calls move to Ava

AssistCall team · Updated November 6, 2026 · Operational guidance to adapt and approve for your business

The decision this workflow supports

A host who is seating guests cannot always answer a ringing phone. Decide what should happen during that overlap before enabling overflow. The useful decision is whether an unanswered call becomes an information conversation or a staff callback request.

Put the review process in place

Have the floor manager choose a trial overflow threshold and identify the notification destination. Keep the published business number unchanged. Make one test with staff answering promptly and another with the phone deliberately unanswered; compare where each call lands.

Worked example for your team

For a fictional trial, the host answers the first call while the second arrives during a seating conversation. The second caller asks about a future team lunch. The expected handoff is a catering inquiry, not a request for the host to abandon the guest being seated. Next, repeat the trial with a caller who only wants the published dinner hours. That caller should receive the information without creating an unnecessary callback. Compare the two records to confirm that overflow routing does not automatically turn every answered question into staff work.

Sample wording to approve

“Thanks for calling. I am Ava, the restaurant’s AI assistant. I can share approved restaurant information or take a request for the team while they help guests.” This wording is a draft for the restaurant owner to approve before use.

Fields for the staff handoff

Staff need called location, caller’s question, callback preference, time received, and assigned shift manager. Mark uncertain details explicitly and keep the requested action separate from anything restaurant staff have already confirmed.

Acceptance tests before use

A promptly answered call stays with staff. An overflow call reaches the approved greeting. An unanswered question becomes one callback request, not a promised reservation. Record the observed result, assign any mismatch, and repeat the affected scenario after correction.