Chatbot vs live chat
The worst chatbot is the one you can't get past
Live chat puts a person on every conversation, which a small business can't staff around the clock. A chatbot answers in seconds at any hour, but a chatbot that traps people in a loop loses them.
A hybrid gives you both: the assistant handles what it can answer, and anything that needs you comes to you with the context attached, instead of the customer having to start again.
How it works
From "can I speak to someone?" to your inbox
The customer asks, or it knows to stop
A "Talk to a person" button is always under the chat. The first press asks what they need, so the assistant can try to answer; a second press hands over. It also hands over when it doesn't know, when someone is frustrated, or for complaints, refunds, injuries and legal disputes.
It takes their details
It asks for a name and a way to reach them, and only promises a response time if you've set one.
You're alerted
An email with their question and details, and a link to the conversation, once they've left a way to reach them. Complaints and urgent problems are marked urgent, and reach you even from a visitor who left nothing. It goes to everyone who gets your lead alerts, and to your Slack, Microsoft Teams or Google Chat channel if you've added one.
What it does
A handoff that doesn't lose the customer
Always a way out
"Talk to a person" is on screen in every chat, before the customer has typed a word.
Honest about what happened
The chat only says a person has been notified once your alert has actually been delivered.
Your promise, not ours
Set a callback promise, like "within an hour", and it tells customers exactly that. Without one, it never invents a response time.
A copy for the customer
A customer who leaves their details with an email address gets a short email: what they asked, that a person will follow up, your callback promise if you've set one, and when you next open if you're closed, holidays included. Their reply comes to you. It's on unless you turn it off in Settings.
Everything on Home
Handed-over questions appear on Home with the full conversation, why it handed over, and an "I handled this" button.
Answer it once
If it handed over because it didn't know, answer the question once as an FAQ and it can answer it next time. Tick a box on the same form and your answer is also emailed to the customer who asked, if they left an email address. If they come back to the chat within three hours, they see it there as a reply from the team. Test and correct groups these questions for you.
Clearly an AI
Every chat shows "AI assistant for" your business at the top, so customers know when they're talking to software.
In practice
A complaint goes straight to a person
- My color came out patchy yesterday and I'm really not happy.
- I'm sorry to hear that. I'll get this to the salon team so they can sort it out with you. What's your name and the best number to reach you?
A complaint is handed over, not argued with
- Jo Evans, (555) 010-0456.
- URGENT: Asked for you (Studio Nine Salon): Jo Evans (555) 010-0456 / "My color came out patchy yesterday..."
What it won't do
What handoff isn't
It gets the conversation to you. It isn't a live chat desk.
- You can't type into the customer's chat while they're in it. You call or email them, or send your written answer to a question it couldn't answer.
- It doesn't route to different staff members. Everyone on your alert list gets every request.
- The customer's copy and your emailed answer go by email only, to customers who gave an address. There's no text version.
- It doesn't transfer a phone call.
- Handoff alerts aren't repeated as reminders or sent to your backup contact.
Questions
Chatbot human handoff questions
Can I reply inside the customer's chat?
Not while they're in it. You get their details, their question and the conversation, and you call or email them. For a question it couldn't answer, you can email your written answer to the customer from the form that saves it, and it appears in their chat if they return within three hours. If you want to type into the chat window as it happens, a live chat tool such as tawk.to or Tidio is built for that.
What if a customer asks for a person after hours?
It takes their details and tells them someone will get back to them, using your callback promise if you've set one. If they gave an email address, they get a copy of what they asked that says when you next open. You're alerted straight away, and the question waits on Home for the morning. More on after-hours answering.
What happens if I don't reply?
The question stays on Home until you mark it handled. If the customer left their details, it also appears on your Leads page.
Can a chatbot hand off to a human?
Yes, if it's built to, and that's what human handoff means: the chatbot passes the conversation to a person when it should. Ours does it by taking the customer's details and emailing you what they asked, with a link to the full chat.
What is a hybrid chatbot?
A chatbot that handles common questions itself and brings in a person for the rest, instead of trying to answer everything.
Keep exploring
Other features
- Answers from your websiteReplies from your own pages and documents, and says when it doesn't know.
- Lead alertsNew leads emailed to you in seconds, with where they came from.
- BookingsYour booking page or Google Calendar, right in the chat.
- Test and correctCheck its answers before customers see them.
- ResultsWhat it adds, measured against visitors who never saw it.
- Chat widget and pageA chat bubble for your site and a link to share anywhere.