A website or messaging chat assistant that hands hard cases to a person
SI answers common questions in chat from your own website and documents, and passes anything unusual to a person with the conversation attached.
Worth knowing: Law, medical and financial offices: the assistant should share general office information only and never anything that reads as advice on a specific situation.
The problem
People ask the same questions in chat or messaging apps at all hours. Either someone answers late, or the chat widget is a form that just says 'we will get back to you'.
What SI does
SI answers from an approved set of sources: your website, FAQ, price list and policies. It can collect details for a quote or booking request. When a question falls outside its sources, involves a complaint, or the person asks for a human, it stops, says someone will follow up, and sends the conversation summary to staff.
Examples
The same job looks different in different businesses. These are illustrations, not client results.
- Landscaping company
A visitor asks whether spring cleanups are still available in their town; SI confirms the service area, collects the address and yard size, and sends the request to the office.
- Immigration law office
SI answers questions about office hours, consultation fees and what documents to bring, and hands any question about a specific case to staff.
- Adult language classes
SI explains class levels and start dates and collects placement-test requests.
What it takes to set up
An approved knowledge source, the chat or messaging tool, and clear rules for handoff. Setup is often one to two weeks including testing with real questions.
What a human still checks
- SI answers only from approved sources and says so when it does not know.
- Anything involving money, complaints or exceptions is handed to a person.
- Staff review a sample of conversations each week and correct answers.
Try it yourself
Paste this into your SI tool of choice and swap the [bracketed] parts for your own details. It asks SI to stop and show you before it does anything.
Using only these sources [website pages, FAQ, price list], answer customer questions in [chat/WhatsApp]. If a question is not covered, involves a complaint or money, or the person asks for a human, say that someone will follow up within [time] and send a summary to [staff contact]. Pause and show me before sending, submitting, posting or changing anything.
Next step
Want this built? Book a free 30-minute consult
Bring one real example, such as an export, an inbox, or a spreadsheet. We will map the steps and decide what SI drafts and what you approve.