Switching Hotlines Between AI and Your Team
Every hotline has a single phone number and answers in one of two modes: an AI voice agent, or your team on a shift rotation. You can switch a hotline between modes at any time with one click, and the configuration for the inactive mode is preserved — so flipping back does not require re-setting anything.
The two modes
| Mode | Who answers | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| AI | Your configured AI voice agent. Escalates to a human via the escalation webhook when needed. | 24/7 coverage, FAQ-style guest enquiries, anything that does not require a human voice on the first answer. |
| My team | Customer reps on a scheduled shift rotation. Calls forward to the rep with the highest priority who is currently on shift. | Calls that must reach a person — Airbnb Support, urgent guest issues, time-sensitive situations. |
Switching between modes
Open Settings → Hotlines. Each hotline has a Mode control at the top of its card with two options: AI · My team.
- Click the option you want to switch to.
- The switch happens immediately — incoming calls from that moment on are routed by the new mode.
- The configuration for the previous mode is left intact in the background; you do not need to re-enter anything when switching back.
What is preserved across switches
Switching modes only changes which mode is currently active for routing calls. Everything else stays in place:
| When switching to… | …what stays untouched |
|---|---|
| My team | The bot assigned to AI mode, the escalation webhook, and the log webhook all remain configured. AI mode resumes immediately when you switch back. |
| AI | Customer reps assigned to this hotline keep their shift schedule. The team rotation is dormant — switch back and the same reps are still on call. |
Health warnings on the hotline card
The card surfaces a warning when the active mode is missing the configuration it needs to actually answer calls:
AI mode + no bot assigned
Calls will not be answered until you select a bot in the bot selector below the mode control.
Team mode + no reps scheduled
Calls will not be answered until a customer rep is on shift for this hotline. Use the Schedule reps → link on the card to jump to Support → Shifts.
Who can switch a hotline
Hotline mode can be switched by users with the following roles:
- Admin
- Manager
- Coordinator
Service users (cleaners, on-shift reps) see the hotline mode but cannot change it. This keeps accidental flips out of operational workflows.
Where to find this
Settings → Hotlines
The mode toggle lives at the top of each hotline card here. This is the canonical place to switch between AI and your team.
Support → Shifts → Configure
On the shifts page, each hotline card now has a Configure link that takes you to the same settings page if you need to toggle mode while reviewing coverage.