Methods and systems for responding to a query in a communication system. One system includes an electronic computing device including a transceiver configured to receive a query from a communication device. The electronic computing device further includes an electronic processor configured to generate a response to the query, and determine a channel availability of a communication system that the electronic computing device uses to communicate with the communication device. The electronic processor is further configured to transmit, via the transceiver, the response to the communication device as voice data over a voice channel in response to determining that the channel availability is above a predetermined threshold. The electronic processor is further configured to transmit the response to the communication device as text data over a text channel separate from the voice channel in response to determining that the channel availability is below the predetermined threshold.