"Is this a real person?" Sooner or later a lead types it, or says it at the start of a call. The answer is the same every time: tell the truth, stop selling, and give them a real person with a real time. Everything else, the wording, the channel, the speed, is detail. This page has eight replies you can copy and a rule sheet for the handoff.
The example is Calloway Pest Control in Charlotte, owned by Maria, which uses an AI assistant to answer messages and calls. The replies work with any tool, and they apply to a human teammate covering for you too.
Why this moment matters
A lead who asks whether they are talking to a machine is doing two things at once. They are checking whether you are honest, and they are telling you how they want to be handled. Both are answered by the first sentence of your reply. A dodge ("I'm here to help!") reads as a yes, and a lead who has to ask twice trusts you less than one who gets a straight answer the first time.
Some states and the FCC have rules about disclosing bots and artificial voices, and they differ and change. This is general information, not legal advice. Telling the truth satisfies the spirit of every one of them and costs you almost nothing. See is AI cold calling legal for the calling rules.
The three requests, and what each really means
"Are you a bot?" is a question about honesty. Answer yes or no, plainly, then offer a person. "Let me talk to someone" is a request for a human. Give a name and a time. "Call me" is a channel preference. They want a voice, and sometimes they do not care who it is. Confirm the number and a window. Never treat any of the three as an objection to overcome.
Email replies
Are you a bot?
Fair question. I'm an AI assistant that works with Maria at Calloway Pest Control, and she reads these threads. If you'd rather hear from Maria directly, reply "person" and she'll email you by 3 p.m. today.
Let me talk to someone.
Of course. I've passed your message to Maria, who owns Calloway. She'll reply by 3 p.m. today. Is there a number where she can also reach you?
Call me.
Happy to set that up. Maria will call you. What's the best number, and is this afternoon or tomorrow morning better?
Text replies
Texts are short, so the reply must be short.
Yes, I'm an AI assistant for Calloway Pest Control. Want a person? Reply PERSON and Maria will text you within 30 minutes (we're open until 5).
Yes, I've asked Maria to call you. She's in until 5 today. Is this the best number?
Keep texts to leads who have agreed to be texted, and stop if they ask. If you are unsure about consent, ask a lawyer.
Phone replies
"Am I talking to a robot?"
Yes, I'm an AI assistant for Calloway Pest Control. I can take your details, or I can connect you to Maria. Which would you like?
"Let me talk to someone."
Of course. I'm connecting you now.
If nobody can pick up: "Maria isn't available right now. I can have her call you back by 9 tomorrow morning, and I'm texting her this minute so she sees it first. Which number should she use?" Never leave someone on hold with no promise.
"I don't want to talk to a computer."
I understand. I'll get a person to call you. What's the best number, and what time today works?
The handoff rule sheet
| Request arrives by | Business hours target | After hours |
|---|---|---|
| Phone, live | Transfer on the spot; if nobody answers, callback within 15 minutes | Callback by 9:00 a.m. next business day, stated to the caller |
| Text | Within 30 minutes | First thing next morning |
| Within 1 hour | By 10:00 a.m. next business day |
Five rules go with the table. The assistant stops selling the moment a person is requested. The handoff includes a short summary, so the lead never repeats themselves. The time given to the lead is a time someone will honor. Nobody uses a human name or photo to imply a person when it is software. And a second ask is never necessary.
Logging the request so it is not lost
Tag the contact "asked for a human," and record the time asked, the time handed off, who took it and the time they answered. Once a week, count the tags. If more than one lead in ten asks, the tone, the first message or the setup is off, and the log tells you where. Related reading: will callers mind AI answering, hire an AI, not a tool and what is an AI SDR, really. For the email side of replies, outbound that reads the reply, how to respond when a prospect says send me more info and what to do when someone replies to your cold email cover the other replies you will get.
Rocketship's workers do the finding, writing and answering on their own, and you decide how they handle a request like this: the person they hand a lead to, and the time they promise. Rocketship finds the buyers, emails them from your own Gmail, follows up, and books the meeting on its own. Plans that get you customers start at $24.99 a month (Launch), and both Launch and Frontier start with a 7-day free trial, card required. Answering your existing number works on Launch, with call minutes bought as you go ($15 for 50), and a dedicated line is $5 a month.