---
title: "Configure escalation triggers and actions for Voice Agent"
slug: "configure-escalation-triggers-and-actions-for-voice-agent"
updated: 2026-10-21T14:00:24Z
published: 2026-10-21T14:00:24Z
canonical: "help.servicetitan.com/configure-escalation-triggers-and-actions-for-voice-agent"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.servicetitan.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Configure escalation triggers and actions for Voice Agent

## Overview

> [!WARNING]
> **Coming ST-82:** New escalation actions (Pushback, then escalate; Pushback, then take a message; Just proceed) and a separate After Hours Action for each trigger will be available starting ST-82.

Voice Agent's **Escalation and Rules** settings control what happens when your Voice Agent detects a specific situation on a call. Trigger by trigger, you choose whether the Voice Agent hands the call to a live person, takes a message, pushes back once before doing either, or keeps the call going. You can also set a different action for calls that come in after hours. You can also turn on additional built-in trigger types and build custom triggers for scenarios specific to your business.

This gives your office direct control over which calls reach a person and which are captured for follow-up.

---

### 

#### Who uses this feature

- Administrators
- Applies to all business types
- Applies to all trades

#### Feature configuration

- Your account must have Voice Agent, which is part of the Virtual Agents package. This feature is included automatically — there is no separate add-on or opt-in.
- Administrator access to Voice Agent Settings is required to use this feature. Please contact the account administrator on your team.

## Things to know

- **Escalate call** — When the trigger condition is detected, the Voice Agent hands the call to a live person.
- **Take a message** — When the trigger condition is detected, the Voice Agent stays on the call and takes a message instead of transferring.
- **Pushback, then escalate** — The Voice Agent makes one attempt to help the caller. If the caller still asks for a person, the Voice Agent hands the call to a live person.
- **Pushback, then take a message** — The Voice Agent makes one attempt to help the caller. If the caller still asks for a person, the Voice Agent takes a message instead of transferring.
- **Just proceed** — The Voice Agent keeps the call going without escalating. For example, if a caller says they are not the homeowner, the Voice Agent skips that question and continues booking the job.
- Each trigger shows only the actions that apply to it, so the list of actions can differ from one trigger to the next.
- If **Escalate to a live agent** is turned off, **Escalate call** and **Pushback, then escalate** are not available.
- Previously, each trigger was a single checkbox: a checked box escalated the call and an unchecked box took a message, with no label to show which was happening.
- Existing escalation settings carry over automatically. A previously checked trigger becomes **Escalate call**, and an unchecked trigger becomes **Take a message**.
- The new actions don't change any trigger you've already set up. Each trigger keeps its current action until you choose a new one.
- You only need to make changes if you want to adjust behavior, turn on more triggers, or add a custom trigger.
- When a trigger is set to **Take a message**, the Voice Agent records the caller's message as a task so your team can follow up.
- If no task is in place, a taken message may not route to anyone.

## Best practices

- Set up your task types before using **Take a message**. Use either a single catch-all task that captures every message, or individual task types mapped to specific escalation triggers. For more information on setting up task types, see
- Give each custom trigger a clear name that describes the situation it covers.

## Set an action for a trigger

1. Go to **Virtual Agents › Agent Settings.**
2. Open the **Escalation and Rules** section.
3. Find the trigger you want to configure.
4. In the trigger's **Action** dropdown, select the action you want. Only the actions available for that trigger appear. ![Escalation triggers table shows customer scenarios routed to actions, with an open menu highlighting escalation options.](https://cdn.document360.io/961862ab-d0f2-4d91-bb62-a62ee8184eff/Images/Documentation/escalation triggers.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-31T03%3A47%3A05Z&se=2026-10-31T04%3A47%3A05Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=R9KZUmbcUv%2BG6APsE1KmfcFggnejYLDA71ofTvg%2BikU%3D)
5. Save your changes.

## Set an after-hours action for a trigger

You can give each trigger a second action for calls that come in after hours. For example, transfer calls during the day and take a message overnight. One Voice Agent handles both, so you don't need a separate agent for after-hours calls.

> [!NOTE]
> **Note:** The **After Hours Action** column appears only after an after-hours window is set up in **Skills and Capabilities**. For more information, see [Set Up Voice Agent After-Hours Booking (Without Dispatch Pro)](/construction/docs/voice-agent-after-hours-technician-booking).

1. Go to **Virtual Agents › Agent Settings.**
2. Open the **Escalation and Rules** section.
3. Find the trigger you want to configure.
4. In the **After Hours Action** column, select the action the Voice Agent should take for after-hours calls.
5. Save your changes.

- If you leave **After Hours Action** at its default, the Voice Agent uses the trigger's business-hours action after hours too. Nothing changes until you choose a different after-hours action.
- Each trigger offers the same actions in both columns, and custom triggers have an **After Hours Action** as well.
- If **Escalate to a live agent** is turned off, the after-hours actions that transfer the call are not available either.
- When you copy settings from an existing agent, its after-hours actions are copied too.

## Create a custom escalation trigger

For situations not covered by a built-in trigger, you can define your own — for example, escalating when a caller complains about a past job or reports a driver.

1. In **Escalation and Rules**, select the option to add a custom trigger. ![](https://cdn.document360.io/961862ab-d0f2-4d91-bb62-a62ee8184eff/Images/Documentation/configure-escalation-triggers-and-actions-for-voice-agent-1-image-l7iipc0s.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-31T03%3A47%3A05Z&se=2026-10-31T04%3A47%3A05Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=R9KZUmbcUv%2BG6APsE1KmfcFggnejYLDA71ofTvg%2BikU%3D)
2. Give the trigger a clear name that describes the situation (for example, "Complaint about a past job").
3. Add the phrases that should trigger the escalation.
4. Choose the trigger's action: **Escalate call**, **Take a message**, **Pushback, then escalate**, **Pushback, then take a message**, or **Just proceed**. If after-hours is set up, you can also choose an **After Hours Action**.
5. Save your changes.

## Want to learn more?

- Configure your [Voice Agent Settings in ServiceTitan](/construction/docs/configure-your-voice-agent-settings-in-servicetitan)
- Configure [Voice Agent Account Level settings in Contact Center Pro](/construction/docs/configure-voice-agent-account-level-settings-in-contact-center-pro)
- See [Set up task management](/construction/docs/set-up-task-management)
- See [Set Up Voice Agent After-Hours Booking (Without Dispatch Pro)](/construction/docs/voice-agent-after-hours-technician-booking)