By Steve Baylis
When AI hands off to a human. Print this. Stick it on the wall.
The 4 default escalation triggers
1. Financing question with a number attached
Example phrases:
- “Can you do $400 a month?”
- “What if I put $5K down?”
- “What’s the lowest rate you can do?”
Why AI escalates: Pricing conversations need a human desk. AI doesn’t quote firm numbers.
Override if: You don’t desk deals through Diablo (rare).
2. Competitor mentioned by name
Example phrases:
- “I’m also looking at the Kia Sportage”
- “Honda quoted me $32,500”
- “Toyota dealer said the same thing”
Why AI escalates: Customer is comparing actively. A human can run the competitive frame better than AI.
Override if: Your sales process specifically wants AI to handle competitive comparisons (uncommon).
3. Frustration sentiment
Example phrases:
- “This is taking forever”
- “Are you a real person?”
- “I asked this already”
Why AI escalates: Frustrated buyers turn into 1-star Google reviews fast. Human takeover prevents the spiral.
Override if: Never. Always escalate frustration.
4. Hot intent + ready to come in
Example phrases:
- “Can I come in tonight?”
- “What time are you open until?”
- “I want to test drive it”
Why AI escalates: AI books the appointment, then hands off so the assigned rep can confirm and prep before the customer walks in.
Override if: You want AI to fully autonomously book and confirm without human review (some BDC-heavy stores do this).
Where to configure
Diablo → Settings → Speed to Lead → Escalation Rules
Each trigger has a toggle. Each has an “Edit phrases” button if you want to tweak the trigger keywords.
You can also add a 5th custom rule. Common custom rules:
- Trade-in mentioned (route to your trade specialist)
- Service-related question (route to service)
- Vehicle out of inventory (route to ordering specialist)
Where escalations land
Default routing: Assigned salesperson → manager on duty → owner-level fallback.
Change in Settings → Routing. Most stores leave defaults.
Quick-glance summary
| Trigger | Action | Override? |
|---|---|---|
| Financing + number | Escalate | Almost never |
| Competitor named | Escalate | Almost never |
| Frustration | Escalate | Never |
| Hot + ready | Escalate | Sometimes (BDC-heavy stores) |
AI Dealership Academy · learn.diablo-ai.com