Hotline Coverage & Shifts
Some calls must reach a human — not an AI. Hotline coverage lets your team sign up for shifts so there is always a person available to answer calls that require guaranteed human response. This article explains the concept, how shifts work, and how to keep your hotlines covered.
What is a human hotline?
Enhanced Rentals supports two types of hotlines:
| Type | Who answers | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| AI Hotline | AI voice assistant | General guest enquiries — check-in, codes, house rules |
| Human Hotline | Team member on shift | Calls that must reach a human — Airbnb Support, urgent issues, calls where an AI response would cause a penalty |
A human hotline routes the call directly to whoever is currently on shift for that hotline. No AI picks up first. The caller hears a ring tone and the shift member's phone rings.
How shifts work
A shift is a time-limited registration that says: “I am available to answer calls on this hotline right now.”
When a team member starts a shift, they are added to the coverage roster for that hotline. Inbound calls are routed to them for the duration of the shift. When the shift ends — or they manually leave — they are removed from the roster.
| Concept | What it means |
|---|---|
| Covered | At least one team member is on shift for this hotline. Inbound calls will reach a person. |
| Uncovered | Nobody is on shift. Inbound calls will go unanswered. A warning is shown in the admin panel. |
| Priority | When multiple team members are on shift, the call is routed to the highest-priority agent first. |
| Shift expiry | Each shift has an end time. When it expires, the agent is automatically removed from the roster. |
Where to manage coverage
Coverage is managed in two places in the admin panel:
Support → Shifts
The main coverage page. Shows all human hotlines and their current coverage status. Admins can see who is on shift, add team members to a hotline, and remove agents from the roster. A Covered badge appears when at least one agent is active; Uncovered when none are.
Overview page — My Shifts widget
Each team member sees their own active shifts on the Overview page. They can join available hotlines or end their current shifts from here without navigating to the Shifts page. This is the fastest way for an agent to check in at the start of their working day.
Starting and ending a shift
To start a shift:
- Go to Support → Shifts or open the My Shifts widget on the Overview page.
- Find the hotline you want to cover.
- Click Start shift and select your shift duration.
- Your phone number is now registered on the roster. Inbound calls will ring your phone.
To end a shift early:
- Open the My Shifts widget on the Overview page.
- Click the remove button next to your active shift.
Priority and call routing
When more than one team member is on shift for the same hotline, inbound calls are routed based on priority. The agent with the highest priority (lowest number) is called first. If they do not answer, the call falls to the next agent in priority order.
Priority is set when adding an agent to the shift roster. An admin can adjust priorities from the Support → Shifts page.
What happens when a hotline is uncovered
If no team member is on shift when a call comes in:
- The call is not answered — it rings out or goes to voicemail if configured.
- A warning badge appears in the admin panel navigation bar for all team members.
- No Slack notification is sent for the missed call (unlike AI escalations).
Related articles
Setting Up a Hotline
How to purchase a phone number and create your first hotline.
Escalations & Support
How AI escalations work and how to take over a live call from your browser.
User Roles & Permissions
Which roles can manage shifts and add agents to the roster.
Phone Numbers
Purchasing and managing phone numbers for your hotlines.