How Deflection Works in Solve Email

This article explains how deflection works in Solve Email, Forethought’s AI-powered email support tool. It covers the three types of Solve Email—Classic, Email Autoflows, and Interactive Email—and how deflection is determined in each case. You'll learn the ground rules that govern when a case is marked as Deflected (resolved by AI) or Not Deflected (requires human intervention), with breakdowns for each email type, scenarios based on user actions, and visual diagrams to clarify the logic behind deflection tracking. Whether users engage only via email or click into the Interactive Widget, this guide outlines how those interactions impact deflection outcomes.

What Is Solve Email and Deflection?

Solve Email is a product within the Solve suite that functions similarly to the Solve Widget but is intended for email-based conversations between end users and an AI agent. For example, when an end user emails the support team with a question—like how to reset their password—the AI agent can respond and resolve the issue through email.

There are three types of Solve Email:

1. Classic Email – Sends a single AI-generated email response to the end user.
2. Email Autoflows – Sends a new AI-generated email for every user reply until AI is unable to find a relevant response, enabling more dynamic, back-and-forth conversations via email.
3. Interactive Email – Includes a direct link to the Solve Widget for conversations that require multiple steps or escalation to a human agent. The Interactive Email is not a standalone feature, it needs to be combined with Classic Email or Email Autoflows.
   
   

Deflection refers to the AI agent’s ability to resolve an inquiry without the need for human intervention. There are two outcomes:

• Deflected: The AI resolved the user’s issue successfully. No human agent was needed.
• Not Deflected: The AI couldn’t resolve the issue, and the conversation is handed off to a human agent for further assistance.

How Deflection Works in Solve Email

This section outlines the ground rules for email deflection and explains how deflection is determined across the different types of Solve Email.

Email Deflection Ground Rules

Deflection behavior changes depending on whether the user engages with the Interactive Email link or not.

If the user uses Classic Email or Email Autoflows but does not click the Interactive Email link:

• Once a conversation is marked as not deflected, that status is final.
• No further user actions (e.g., thumbs up/down or replies) will change the deflection status.

If the user clicks the Interactive Email link:

• All email feedback is ignored.
• Deflection status is determined only by what happens in the interactive Solve Widget experience.

Classic Email

With Classic Email, end users only receive one email response.

The email conversation is marked as Non-deflected if any of the following triggers occur:

• The user clicks the thumbs-down button.
• The user replies to the AI-generated response with a follow-up question.

In all other scenarios, the email will remain marked as Deflected, including when:

• The user responds with just an ending message (e.g., "Thank you," "This is great," "You are amazing").
• The user clicks the thumbs-up button.
• The user does not respond at all.
• The agent responds before the user can (this is a rare scenario).

To illustrate, see the diagram below:

Email Autoflows

With Email Autoflows, users receive multiple responses from the AI agent—one AI email per user reply.

An email conversation is marked as Non-deflected if any of the following occurs:

• The user clicks thumbs down on any of the AI-generated responses
  → This immediately stops Email Autoflows from sending further AI replies.
• Email Autoflows cannot provide a good response, and the conversation routes to the Fallback workflow.

An email conversation is marked as Deflected in all other scenarios, such as:

• The user keeps asking follow-up questions, and Email Autoflows successfully continues responding until the issue is resolved.

To visualize this logic, refer to the flowchart below:

Interactive Email

Interactive Email is not a standalone feature—it works alongside either Classic Email or Email Autoflows. When using Interactive Email, the deflection status depends on where the user chooses to interact:

Scenario 1: If the User Clicks the Interactive Widget Link

Once the user clicks the link to open the widget, everything that happens in the widget decides the deflection status.

Deflected:

• The interactive widget helps the user solve their issue without needing a human agent.

Not Deflected:

• The interactive widget was not able to provide a good response and triggered Fallback. 

Scenario 2: If the User Does Not Click the Widget Link

The deflection status is decided based on the email interaction.

Classic Email (1 AI reply only)

Not Deflected if:

• The user clicks thumbs down.
• The user replies with a follow-up question.

Deflected in all other cases:

• The user responds with a closing message (e.g., “Thanks,” “That helps,” etc.).
• The user clicks thumbs up.
• The user doesn't reply at all.
  
  

Email Autoflows (1 AI email per user reply)

Not Deflected if:

• The user clicks thumbs down in any AI response.
• The AI can’t provide a good response and trigger a fallback workflow.

Deflected:

• The AI keeps responding and resolves the issue.

Summary of How User Actions Affect Deflection in Interactive Email