“The boiler is making a noise” may be a booking. “I smell gas” is not. Before any sales flow, a trades phone assistant needs a narrow and conservative emergency boundary.
Detect, do not diagnose
The assistant should not guess the cause or dictate risky repair steps. It detects a small set of clear warning signals, stops routine intake and gives the next step approved by the business.
| Signal | Assistant response | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Gas smell or smoke | Safety route and emergency guidance | Fault diagnosis |
| Active water leak | Urgent handoff | Next-week appointment |
| Shock or sparks | Keep away and seek proper help | Fuse-box instructions |
| Routine fault | Capture details | Needless alarm |
The trade expert owns the rulebook
- Which phrases and situations trigger the emergency route?
- Which number applies by region and opening hours?
- What safe wording has a qualified person approved?
- What happens when nobody is reachable internally?
Test clear and ambiguous examples, including accents and background noise. When uncertain, the assistant should hand off rather than reassure. The human handoff must include the warning it detected.
This is not remote medical or technical advice. It is a short, testable boundary that prevents an urgent call from getting trapped in an ordinary lead flow.
Sources
FAQ
Should Voice AI diagnose an emergency?
No. It should detect warning signals, avoid causal claims and route to approved help.
Who defines the rules?
The qualified business, based on region, services and on-call arrangements.
What if the signal is ambiguous?
Hand off conservatively rather than offering reassurance.
Does every urgent request need emergency services?
No. Rules must separate immediate danger from urgent but routine service.