This article provides answers to frequently asked questions about handing off conversations.
1. Why doesn’t my chatbot hand off the conversation?
If the chatbot doesn’t hand off a conversation, there could be several reasons:
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Trigger mismatch: The end user’s request to be handed off was formulated differently from the set trigger. For example, the user says “I want to contact Piet” instead of “speak to a staff member.” In this case, add an additional trigger to cover this.
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Context missing: Ensure that the trigger matches the words and/or context of the end user’s request. The chatbot can recognize context, so an exact match is not always required.
2. The chatbot says the conversation is being handed off, but nothing appears in the inbox. Why?
When an end user requests to speak to a staff member, the chatbot may respond correctly but not actually hand off the conversation. This can happen if:
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Handoff is not correctly configured: Check whether the trigger is set to hand off to the correct inbox.
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The trigger is missing: The chatbot responds politely based on its personality settings but lacks a trigger to initiate the actual handoff.
Solution:
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If you want to hand off: Add a trigger with the words the chatbot should recognize.
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If you don’t want to hand off: Add an instruction specifying how the chatbot should respond without handing off. For example: “When someone requests to have their query handled by a staff member, ask them to send an email with their request.”
3. Why does the message sent by the chatbot before the handoff seem incorrect?
The instructions may not align well with the set triggers, resulting in unclear or inaccurate messages from the chatbot.
Example:
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Triggers: “speak to a staff member” & “contact customer service”
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Instruction: “If someone asks to speak to a staff member, let them know you are handing off the conversation.”
The end user says: “I want to contact customer service.” The chatbot responds: “Great that you want to speak to our customer service. You can contact us via support@watermelon.ai.” The conversation is then handed off, but the message does not make this clear.
Solution: Expand the instruction to cover multiple scenarios. For example: “If someone asks to speak to a staff member or contact customer service, let them know you are handing off the conversation.”
4. What if users don’t type the exact codeword or trigger?
The chatbot can recognize variations and typos as long as the context is clear. If the chatbot doesn’t understand a request, consider adding additional triggers or refining the instructions.
5. Can I use more than one trigger?
Yes, you can. However, limit the number of triggers to a small set of general ones to avoid confusion and inefficiency. Consider writing a comprehensive instruction that covers multiple scenarios instead of adding numerous individual triggers.
6. How can I test if my triggers and instructions work correctly?
Use the interactive tester in Watermelon to check if the chatbot responds as expected when a handoff trigger is used. Note that the interactive tester won’t show if the conversation is actually handed off to the (correct) inbox. For this, you need to activate the chatbot on one of the connected channels.