stage / reviewed 27 Sep 2026
Stage 5: hand off with context
Move a conversation to a named person without losing the customer's question.
The situation
Handoff succeeds when the receiving person accepts responsibility and can see the reason for contact, prior answer and promised next step. A notification alone is not acceptance.
Work through it
- Define the sender, receiver and acceptance event for each handoff. Include a backup when the assigned person is away.
- Carry the source, key question, permission state and promised follow-up in the record. Remove private detail the receiver does not need.
- Test exceptions such as duplicate records, an unavailable teammate and a customer changing channels. Review dropped cases weekly.
What to measure
- Handoffs accepted by a named owner
- Time from escalation to acceptance
- Inquiries requiring the customer to repeat context
Boundaries
- A shared inbox is useful only if assignment and review actually happen.
- Avoid adding a second system before the source of truth is defined.
Questions for your own workflow
- What does acceptance look like?
- Which context must travel with the conversation?
- Who catches unaccepted handoffs?