# What is Handoff?

> Passing ownership of a ticket from one person or team to another.

Canonical: https://www.decimal.app/glossary/handoff · Last reviewed: 2026-09-23

A handoff happens when a ticket changes owner: between shifts, tiers, or teams, or from an AI agent to a human. A good handoff carries all the context so the next owner doesn't start over.

## Why it matters

Each handoff adds wait time and risks dropped context. Customers notice when they have to repeat themselves.

## Best practices

1. Summarize at the moment of transfer. Issue, evidence, what's been tried, next step.
2. Keep the customer informed. Tell them who has it and when to expect news.
3. Count handoffs per ticket. High counts point to routing problems.

## How Decimal helps

When Decimal hands a ticket to a person, it includes a summary and the investigation trail, so nobody has to re-read the whole thread.

## Related terms

- [Escalation Path](https://www.decimal.app/glossary/escalation-path): The defined route a ticket follows when the current owner can't resolve it.
- [Follow-the-Sun Support](https://www.decimal.app/glossary/follow-the-sun): Passing open tickets between teams in different time zones for 24-hour coverage.
- [Internal Note](https://www.decimal.app/glossary/internal-note): A private comment on a ticket, visible to the team but not the customer.

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