Slack Escalations

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Overview

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Requirements

• Active Slack workspace
• Slack integration connected (see Integration Setup below)
• Slack channel for escalation notifications
• Appropriate permissions to post messages

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Setup Instructions

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Step 1: Connect Slack Integration

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Step 2: Create Escalation Path

1. Navigate to Agents → Your Agent → Escalations
2. Click “Create Escalation Path”
3. Fill in the basic information:
   • Name: Descriptive name (e.g., “Support Team Slack”)
   • Platform: Select “Slack”
   • Platform Integration: Choose your connected Slack workspace

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Step 3: Configure Slack Settings

• Escalation Channel: The Slack channel where notifications will be sent (e.g., #customer-support)
• Notification Template (optional): Custom message format for escalations
• Mention Users (optional): Automatically mention specific users (e.g., @oncall)
• Thread Replies: Enable to keep conversation in threads

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Step 4: Set Up Triggers (Optional)

• Manual Only: Only when customer requests or AI determines need
• Message Count: After specific number of messages (e.g., 5)
• Keywords: When certain words detected (e.g., “urgent”, “manager”)

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Step 5: Save Configuration

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Configuration Options

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Notification Template

🚨 New Escalation from Live Chat

Customer: {{customer_name}}
Channel: {{channel_name}}
Reason: {{escalation_reason}}

Conversation Summary:
{{conversation_summary}}

View full conversation: {{conversation_url}}

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Available Variables

• {{customer_name}}: Customer’s name or identifier
• {{channel_name}}: Communication channel (Live Chat, SMS, etc.)
• {{escalation_reason}}: Why the conversation was escalated
• {{conversation_summary}}: Brief summary of the conversation
• {{conversation_url}}: Link to full conversation in Support Unicorn
• {{agent_name}}: Name of the AI agent

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Escalation Triggers

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Manual Only

• Customer explicitly requests human help
• AI determines it cannot assist (low confidence)

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Message Count Trigger

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Keyword Trigger

• Urgent: “urgent”, “asap”, “emergency”
• Escalation: “manager”, “supervisor”, “escalate”
• Dissatisfaction: “unacceptable”, “frustrated”, “complaint”

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How It Works

1. Slack Notification: Message posted to configured channel
2. AI Pauses: AI agent stops responding to the conversation
3. Team Notified: Support team members receive Slack notification
4. Context Included: Full conversation history shared
5. Human Takeover: Team member responds through original channel

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Managing Slack Escalations

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Test Connection

1. Navigate to Agents → Your Agent → Escalations
2. Find your Slack escalation path
3. Click “Test Connection”
4. Verify test message appears in Slack channel

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Activate/Deactivate

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Edit Settings

1. Navigate to Agents → Your Agent → Escalations
2. Click the Slack escalation path
3. Update configuration
4. Click “Save Changes”

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Set Priority

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Best Practices

1. Dedicated Channel: Use a specific channel for escalations (e.g., #ai-escalations)
2. Clear Notifications: Include relevant context in notification templates
3. Mention On-Call: Tag the current on-call support person
4. Thread Conversations: Enable threading to keep channel organized
5. Monitor Response Time: Track how quickly team responds to escalations
6. Regular Testing: Test the escalation path weekly

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Example Use Cases

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Use Case 1: General Support Escalations

• Channel: #customer-support
• Trigger: Message count > 5
• Mentions: @oncall
• Thread Replies: Enabled

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Use Case 2: Urgent Issues

• Channel: #urgent-support
• Trigger: Keywords (“urgent”, “emergency”, “critical”)
• Mentions: @support-lead @oncall
• Thread Replies: Disabled

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Use Case 3: Billing Inquiries

• Channel: #billing-team
• Trigger: Keywords (“refund”, “charge”, “billing”, “payment”)
• Mentions: @billing-team
• Thread Replies: Enabled

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Using in Procedures

If the customer needs more help:
{{escalate:escal_slack_support}}
I've notified our support team. Someone will assist you shortly!

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Troubleshooting

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Notifications Not Appearing in Slack

• Verify Slack integration is connected and active
• Check that the channel name is correct (include #)
• Ensure bot has permission to post in the channel
• Invite the Support Unicorn bot to the channel
• Test connection using “Test Connection” button

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Mentions Not Working

• Verify user handles are correct (e.g., @username)
• Use user IDs instead of display names for reliability
• Ensure mentioned users have access to the channel

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Duplicate Notifications

• Check for multiple active escalation paths with same triggers
• Review trigger conditions to make them more specific
• Set priority order to control which path fires first

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Messages Missing Context

• Verify notification template includes conversation variables
• Check that webhook is configured correctly
• Review escalation service logs for errors

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Next Steps