The operational decision
Give staff a repair task when a published number or link stops working. A general-information handoff gives the caller a dependable next step. It does not quietly become patient intake, a callback commitment or evidence that someone on staff has accepted responsibility for a request.
Prepare the workflow
Test the reported route independently and use only an approved alternate while the owner investigates; do not collect patient messages as a substitute.
Example wording for approval
“The usual contact route appears unavailable in this example. Please use the practice's verified alternate contact if listed; I cannot receive patient information here.”
Worked example
A fictional contact link returns an error and the main number cannot be reached during testing. Staff have approved an alternate business contact, but it is not a patient-message inbox. The assistant should describe that alternate only for its approved purpose and avoid accepting personal requests as a workaround. The repair ticket records the failed route and test time. Restoring the primary destination requires another external check; changing the text to say available does not repair the route.
Handoff record
Record these task-specific fields: failed destination, test time, approved alternate, repair owner.
Acceptance check
Disable the fictional primary destination. The reply should use the approved fallback without claiming that a transfer or message succeeded.
Try Ava with your business’s public information ↗