How to Draft Customer Replies with AI

In this article, you'll discover how agents can use AI to draft the optimal or best replies to customers’ inquiries

Optimal replies refer to answers that are relevant to the customers’ needs or inquiries, where information is accurate and without grammatical errors or typos, and that match your business’ brand voice.

Methods

• Method 1: Draft accurate replies with a single click using AI Assist.

• Method 2: Draft replies that match AI Assist Persona with your brand voice.

• Method 3: Optimize replies with AI Prompts.

You can apply these methods concurrently to ensure you cover all areas to enhance the capabilities of your AI Assist.

Method 1: Draft accurate replies with a single click using AI Assist

For AI Assist to draft accurate replies to customer queries, you have to first provide information (known as Knowledge Source on the platform) that can be used to draft those replies. The information sources can be from existing documentation and self-help material, business website links, product FAQs, Snippets and/or the internet. You can review and edit the drafted replies before sending to the customers.

There are 3 options to enrich the Knowledge Source. You can apply these options simultaneously depending on your needs.

Prerequisite: Only Workspace Managers and Owners have the rights to access and modify the AI Assist settings.

Option 1: AI-drafted replies based on existing documentation or webpage links

Upload information, such as a link to your business or product FAQ, for AI Assist to reference when drafting customer replies. This option comes in handy for businesses that already have existing information ready for upload.

Option 2: AI-drafted replies based on existing Snippets

If your agents rely heavily on existing Snippets on the platform to converse with customers, then turn the Use Snippets as a Knowledge Source toggle on. AI Assist will automatically refer to the Snippets for answering queries, eliminating the need for agents to memorize all the Snippets and manually select them.

Turn this toggle off if your business does not use Snippets.

Option 3: AI-drafted replies based on external sources

If your business primarily handles general inquiries and sees value in incorporating replies from external sources like the internet, consider turning the Reply Outside of Added Knowledge Sources toggle on.

This benefits businesses in fields like legal services, consulting or education, where customers often seek generic information about specific laws or career prospects in various courses of study.

Turn this toggle off if your business demands precise replies or aims to prevent AI Assist from mentioning competitor brands or products.

Please be aware that enabling the Reply Outside of Added Knowledge Sources toggle may result in information from external sources that could be inaccurate or irrelevant. It is crucial to review the replies before sending them to customers.

Method 2: Draft replies that match AI Assist Persona with your brand voice

You can define the persona of AI Assist, specify the role or purpose it has in a conversation and shape its personality or skillset to govern its behavior, ensuring that the drafted replies align more closely with your brand voice.

In addition, you can have AI Assist to draft goal-oriented replies. For example, it can intelligently suggest scheduling an appointment with your sales team.

Refer here for examples on how to craft your AI Assist persona.

Method 3: Optimize replies with AI Prompts

Conversations with customers can be greatly improved by enhancing the quality of each message using AI Prompts. There are 4 default prompts available on the platform. For an example, agents can use the Fix spelling & grammar prompt to correct typos and errors in replies. This ensures a high level of professionalism and clarity in their communication with customers.

Customized prompts are designed for more specific needs. For an example, if your business mainly deals with customers in Mexico, add an AI Prompt that allows your agents to conveniently translate replies to Mexican Spanish before sending them to customers. Example of the AI Prompt is as follows:

Learn how to add AI Prompts here.

Best Practices

1. Ensure Knowledge Sources are always updated to avoid AI Assist referencing to outdated or incorrect information.
2. With updated Knowledge Sources, test your AI Assist to ensure you are satisfied with the replies drafted. Learn how to do it here.
3. Establish an internal feedback system for agents to report inaccuracies and suggest improvements to AI-drafted replies. This contributes to an ongoing learning process for both your agents and AI Assist in an effort to deliver the best replies to your customers.

Example of a Use Case:

Improve Students’ Onboarding Experience

• When students start their journey at an educational institution, they often share common questions revolving around topics like orientation session dates, tuition fees, financial aid availability, dormitory arrangements and more. With AI Assist, support professionals can effortlessly draft accurate replies to these common questions. This streamlined approach ensures that students experience a smoother onboarding process and receive tailored support that precisely addresses their needs.