A caller may ask something the business never approved, describe a service in unfamiliar terms, or give conflicting details. The wrong response is a confident guess; the useful response is a controlled path forward.
Recognize the boundary
List questions Nova may answer and examples that require confirmation. An unfamiliar request, unclear location, ambiguous policy, or missing calendar rule should trigger the uncertain path.
Use direct, respectful language
Say that the team needs to confirm the detail. Ask one clarifying question only when it can safely resolve the ambiguity; otherwise move to capture or escalation.
Capture only what the human needs
Record the question, relevant context, name, callback number, and preferred time when appropriate. Do not collect extra personal information simply because the answer is unknown.
Test uncertainty on purpose
Ask paraphrased questions, combine intents, interrupt, and request an out-of-scope promise. Verify the approved transfer, workspace record, voicemail, or safe fallback. AfterTone tests Nova with each customer; production SMS stays outside the advertised capability.