Setup Guide
Escalation Path Setup Guide
How to set up your Voice Agent's (VA) escalation paths so every caller gets to the right person — not back into a queue.
Your Voice Agent (VA) can transfer callers to a specific person or number based on what they're calling about — before it ever loops back to a general CSR queue. Think of it as an AI receptionist that already knows where to send people.
Without custom paths, all escalations route to a single number, requiring your CSR to re-triage each call. Custom paths eliminate that extra step by sending callers directly to the right destination.
Where to Set This Up
In ServiceTitan, go to:
Settings → Voice Agent → select your agent → Edit → Escalation Rules → Escalation Paths
Click Add Path to create a new escalation route.
Give each path a Label (internal name — customers don't see this).
Add the Keywords that will trigger it — these are words or phrases the customer says.
Enter the Phone Number or Queue the call should route to.
Write a short Transfer Message — what the VA says to the customer before connecting them.
Save, then test by calling in and saying one of your trigger keywords.
Escalation Path Examples
Here are the most common paths we set up with customers — with example keywords and transfer scripts you can copy directly.
Billing & Invoices
Trigger keywords
billing, balance due, charge on my account, refund, question about billing
Route to
[Billing contact name] at [billing phone number or extension]
What the VA says before transferring
"It sounds like you have a billing question — let me connect you with our billing team right now. One moment."
Note: Billing is the #1 custom escalation path we recommend. Your VA can take payment if you are on ST Payments! So routing billing calls to a dedicated person (not back to your CSR queue) saves everyone time if they are not calling about an open invoice or balance. Designate one person as your billing point of contact and use their direct number here.
Careers & Hiring
Trigger keywords
hiring, job opening, apply, career, job application, looking for work, join your team, is there a position
Route to
HR contact or office manager direct number
What the VA says before transferring
"It sounds like you're interested in joining our team — let me connect you with the right person. One moment."
Note: You can add as many paths as you need. Start with Billing — it's the most impactful. Add more as you see escalation patterns in your VA reporting. Check the top escalation reasons tab monthly and build a new path whenever the same reason keeps surfacing, and you have a new place to route them.
Writing good keywords: Use plain language — the words your customers actually say, not internal department names. "Balance due" works better than "AR inquiry". Aim for 3–6 keywords per path.
Don't Forget Your Default Escalation Number
Separate from custom paths, your VA needs one default escalation destination — this is where calls go when a customer asks for a human but doesn't trigger any specific keyword path.
Go to: Settings → Voice Agent → Edit → Escalation Rules.
Under the default escalation section, enter your main CSR queue or a general office number.
This is the catch-all. If a caller says "I just want to talk to someone" without using a keyword that matches a custom path, this is where they land.
Make sure not to use your main line that routes to your VA for this. If this is an overflow agent, just make sure it routes to a different number. If used for After Hours, many teams choose not to set up escalation.
Need help? Contact your Product or Sales Retention Specialist for more details.