Looking for AI customer service software? Here is an overview of the top 6 solutions and their features, pricing, and user ratings in 2024.

AI customer service software: 6 best solutions for 2024

There are not so many things that are more irritating than trying to reach a customer service team and getting no answer for hours. When a company can’t build efficient real-time communication with clients, it can become a fatal mistake for a business and its prospects to grow.

If you have a general understanding of the specific nature of agents' work, you may say that it is practically impossible to provide an accurate detailed response within a couple of seconds. We have to agree with you. However, artificial intelligence (AI) in general, and agent assist technology in particular, can change the game for businesses.

## What is AI agent assist?

Agent assist is a software tool that helps human agents across various industries enhance their interaction with customers. These solutions are powered by AI, namely artificial intelligence, which allows them to analyze questions sent by customers. Based on the context, such tools can make suggestions for the best possible responses.

This functionality is ensured thanks to the combination of several emerging technologies. Machine learning, natural language processing (NLP), automatic speech recognition (ASR), and data analytics are among the most important ones.

To provide answers, agent assist tools rely on various sources. For example, they can use internal and external knowledge bases, previously provided chatbot responses, and other resources that contain information in text form. These solutions can learn from interactions with customers, which makes their responses more comprehensive and efficient over time.

### Key features of AI agent assistants

Different software tools of this type can be enhanced with various functionalities. However, as a rule, they include the following features:

-   guidance cards that are provided in real time,

-   guided script for building the most efficient conversation flow,

-   proactive issue prediction,

-   a comprehensive knowledge base that typically unites several resources,

-   real-time transcription for voice calls,

-   process automation,

-   data-driven insight generation,

-   automatic reporting.


## How AI agent assist can help your business

-   **Faster request resolution.** With checklists and automatic guidance cards provided by a real-time agent assist tool, agents need less time to process customer requests.

-   **Fewer errors.** The majority of mistakes in the agent and customer interaction are usually caused by a human factor. When the requests are processed automatically, the risk of misunderstanding will be lower.

-   **Enhanced customer experiences.** With AI tools agents do not need to focus on searching for accurate facts. They can concentrate more on building highly personalized empathetic interactions with clients.

-   **Increased agent productivity.** Automated request processing and knowledge searches are the main driving forces that allow agents to deal with more inquiries in less time.

-   **Faster agent onboarding.** You can train newcomers on previously provided suggestions and conversations. As a result, the training process will take less time.

-   **Higher agent retention**. Working as a customer support specialist can be very stressful. That’s why a lot of specialists start thinking about quitting already within the first 12 months. Easy-to-use AI agent assist tools help to create more comfortable working conditions.

-   **Valuable business insights**. Advanced AI agent assist products can detect customer trends, identify behavior patterns, and analyze agents’ KPIs. These insights are highly valuable for managers. They can make better-informed decisions related to business strategy and professional training for agents.

-   **More sales.** Enhanced customer experiences, faster responses, and more personalized interaction result in better conversions. What’s more, customer acquisition cost is decreased as well as overall operating expenses.


This range of benefits makes agent assist technology a good choice practically for any domain that presupposes interaction with customers.

## AI agent assist in customer support

Real time agent assist software can help to unite several digital communication channels under one roof. As a result, it will be significantly easier for human agents to maintain omnichannel interaction with clients.

For customer support, it is vital to work with inquiries as fast as possible. AI can process a large number of inputs simultaneously and provide answers based on the chosen knowledge resources.

Agents assist tools can also provide multilingual support. With this feature, businesses can offer communication to customers in their native languages. This approach makes the interaction for clients more convenient and better understandable.

## AI agent assist in call centers

AI agent assist can be of great help not only in written communication but also in voice conversations.

Artificial intelligence can process natural speech in real time. Thanks to this, it immediately offers guidance cards with lists of possible actions that are expected to bring the best results in handling the issue.

Moreover, such solutions can also facilitate after-call work for employees. AI makes real-time transcription and gets the entire content of a conversation in the form of text. Then, the script can be processed and summarized.

A high-quality summary saves agents from huge volumes of routine work. So, they can put more effort and time into elaborating solutions for customer issues.

## Final word

Today clients seem to be spoilt with good service (and it is a positive trend). To stay afloat businesses need to correspond to the set standards to meet customer expectations. An AI-powered agent assistant can become an excellent tool to increase customer satisfaction.

Want to find an advanced agent assist AI technology? Just have a look at what Chatfuel can offer. Let us help you increase your agent productivity and boost your sales by up to 80% with the power of AI. [Sign up for free today!](https://dashboard.chatfuel.com/sign-up?utm_medium=chatfuel&utm_source=blog&utm_campaign=ai-agent-assist)

Learn how you can drive your sales, improve customer experience, and boost agent productivity with the capabilities of artificial intelligence.

Real time AI agent assist for customer service

Persistent Menu is a powerful tool to engage users and help them navigate through your chatbot. Users always see this button in a chatbot so that you can benefit from this feature. This article will explain what Persistent Menu is, how it can help your business, and how to set it up in a couple of minutes.

## What is Persistent Menu

Persistent Menu is a button in the bottom right-hand corner of the Messenger menu that users see as a burger or three horizontal lines. Persistent Menu helps users find what they are looking for with ease. It works as a restaurant menu — you give users a set of meals, and they choose what they want.

Adding a Persistent Menu can be challenging. You are to know codes and how to program, as you’ll have to put a special code in the right place and launch the program. For lots of businesses, it’s not an option.

It’s much easier with Chatfuel, a no-code visual chatbot builder. Just use the templates and customize them for your case. No programming and special knowledge are needed.

<figure><img alt="How to set a navigational menu " src="https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/original_persistent_menu_0_8a23ef77c3/original_persistent_menu_0_8a23ef77c3.webp" height="887" width="1487" blurdataurl="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAQAAAACCAIAAADwyuo0AAAACXBIWXMAAAsTAAALEwEAmpwYAAAAIklEQVR4nGNg5BD7////gwcP3r55y8DIKQHk3Ll95+2bNwDGORD6ljqocwAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==" placeholder="blur" srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/xs_persistent_menu_0_8a23ef77c3/xs_persistent_menu_0_8a23ef77c3.webp 300w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/sm_persistent_menu_0_8a23ef77c3/sm_persistent_menu_0_8a23ef77c3.webp 768w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/md_persistent_menu_0_8a23ef77c3/md_persistent_menu_0_8a23ef77c3.webp 1280w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/lg_persistent_menu_0_8a23ef77c3/lg_persistent_menu_0_8a23ef77c3.webp 1920w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/xl_persistent_menu_0_8a23ef77c3/xl_persistent_menu_0_8a23ef77c3.webp 1487w"><figcaption>Where to find a Persistent Menu in a chatbot Flow</figcaption></figure>

The main use of Persistent Menu — is a core navigational menu. So, let’s set it up.

## 3 must-have buttons in your Messenger Main Menu

You can add up to 3 buttons in a Persistent Menu, so narrow down what’re the most important actions for your user. You can set up what works for you, but, based on our clients’ use cases, the most useful buttons are:

-   Restart the bot — so users can repeat their actions or choose other options they need. For example, they booked a table at a restaurant in a bot a month before, and now they want to order delivery from the same restaurant. So they can restart a bot and choose other buttons this time.
-   Unsubscribe — give users the ability to finish the conversation. [Hubspot proved](https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/why-consumers-subscribe-to-email) that 9% of email subscribers cancel their subscriptions because the content is no longer valuable. And as to chatbots — users start communication when they have a specific request. Of course, when the request is fulfilled, many users want to stop communication.
-   Any button useful for you and your clients. For example, a ‘Take Quiz’ button, if you want to offer clients to take a product recommendation quiz. A quiz helps to increase sales with the help of gamification. Users answer questions like ‘What’s your favorite animal? ’, ‘Which film you’d rather watch with your friend? ’. And the bot gives a recommendation, which T-shirt to order, depending on user preference. Users feel special, and you engage the customers to your shop more.

<figure><img alt="3 must-have buttons in your Messenger Main Menu" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/original_persistent_menu_1_1596474039/original_persistent_menu_1_1596474039.webp" height="577" width="830" blurdataurl="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAQAAAADCAIAAAA7ljmRAAAACXBIWXMAAAsTAAALEwEAmpwYAAAAKklEQVR4nGOQl5cXERG9fuPm////GdavWwdE79+9AyKG379/3793D8IBALjDGu5KIgI9AAAAAElFTkSuQmCC" placeholder="blur" srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/xs_persistent_menu_1_1596474039/xs_persistent_menu_1_1596474039.webp 300w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/sm_persistent_menu_1_1596474039/sm_persistent_menu_1_1596474039.webp 768w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/md_persistent_menu_1_1596474039/md_persistent_menu_1_1596474039.webp 1280w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/lg_persistent_menu_1_1596474039/lg_persistent_menu_1_1596474039.webp 1920w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/xl_persistent_menu_1_1596474039/xl_persistent_menu_1_1596474039.webp 830w"><figcaption>A ready-made Persistent Menu in a Chatfuel builder</figcaption></figure>

The menu title is limited to 30 characters. You can add emojis or leave the buttons with text only. Instead of text, you can add a link to any block or URL. Learn more about formats in our [Help Center](https://docs.chatfuel.com/en/articles/925465-media-assets).

## How to set a navigational menu

Now you know, which buttons to add. Open [Chatfuel dashboard](https://dashboard.chatfuel.com) to set up your navigational menu.

1.  Open the Flow tab and create a new Flow. Double click the canvas space, then Entry Points → Persistent Menu. Now it’s on your canvas.
2.  Add 3 buttons. For example, restart the bot, unsubscribe, and any other button you want. Drag your button to the top — it’s the most important action for your business.
3.  To enable your Persistent Menu, tap a toggle on the right top angle.

<figure><iframe allowfullscreen="" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DWovaAjFOOk" title="How to Use the Persistent Menu Entry Point in Chatfuel"></iframe></figure>

Note that you can only have one Persistent Menu enabled in a chatbot.

## Localize the menu

If your audience is multilingual, localize the navigational menu by clicking on the Localization button in Persistent Menu. After that choose a language, and set the names of the buttons in a chosen language.

Note that it won’t localize the whole chatbot, only three buttons in the Persistent Menu.

Read more about setting multiple languages in our [Help Center](https://docs.chatfuel.com/en/articles/2931038-multiple-languages).

## Disable user input

If you want to collect user emails, but the user input is disabled, the users won’t be able to send you their emails. So make sure you don’t have such a goal. But the advantage of disabling the input is that users will be more likely to move through your flow from beginning to end. This is useful if you offer users to take a quiz — they’ll just press on buttons and stick to the flow.

To disable user input flip the switch on the top left corner.

Note that if you disable user input, it’ll be disabled for the whole chatbot, not only for the flow.

## Improve your automation today

Persistent Menu allows businesses to navigate the users through the flows and concentrate them on the main business goal in a messenger. It’s time to make your own menu! Start creating a useful Persistent Menu in Chatfuel. Our user-friendly platform helps to do it in a couple of minutes. Just [sign up](https://dashboard.chatfuel.com) and test your new menu on the first 50 conversations — it’s free.

This article will explain what Persistent Menu is, how it can help your business, and how to set it up in a couple of minutes

Facebook Messenger Persistent Menu Guide

Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is customer loyalty. To get customers to stick around, you can invest your time and effort in improving your product and your customer experience.

Great customer service is an extremely valuable tool for building exceptional experience and more loyal customers. That’s why we’ll explain how customer service makes a huge impact on your business and give you concrete ideas for [making improvements](https://chatfuel.com/blog/chatbot-for-customer-service) to your current offerings.

## Customer acquisition vs. customer retention

One of the age-old questions in customer marketing is: should you focus your efforts on customer acquisition or customer retention? There is no “right” answer, but both are important for building a sustainable business.

Acquiring a new customer, although necessary, is five times more expensive than retaining an existing customer. Loyal customers are also more likely to make a purchase from you since they are already familiar with your brand, products, and experience.

So, how do you get customers to keep coming back? Offering great customer service is one of the most powerful ways to retain the customers you’ve worked so hard to acquire.

## What influences customer loyalty?

Customer loyalty is influenced by the perceived value you bring to your customers, brand trust, and customer satisfaction—all of which can be increased through having great customer service.

A reported 96% of customers worldwide say customer service is an important factor in their choice of loyalty to a brand, and the vast majority are willing to spend more if it means receiving great customer service in return.

<figure><img srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/xs_why_great_customer_service_builds_more_loyal_customers_0_3fa9871d10/xs_why_great_customer_service_builds_more_loyal_customers_0_3fa9871d10.webp 300w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/sm_why_great_customer_service_builds_more_loyal_customers_0_3fa9871d10/sm_why_great_customer_service_builds_more_loyal_customers_0_3fa9871d10.webp 768w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/md_why_great_customer_service_builds_more_loyal_customers_0_3fa9871d10/md_why_great_customer_service_builds_more_loyal_customers_0_3fa9871d10.webp 1280w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/lg_why_great_customer_service_builds_more_loyal_customers_0_3fa9871d10/lg_why_great_customer_service_builds_more_loyal_customers_0_3fa9871d10.webp 1920w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/xl_why_great_customer_service_builds_more_loyal_customers_0_3fa9871d10/xl_why_great_customer_service_builds_more_loyal_customers_0_3fa9871d10.webp 2840w" width="4160" height="2336" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/original_why_great_customer_service_builds_more_loyal_customers_0_3fa9871d10/original_why_great_customer_service_builds_more_loyal_customers_0_3fa9871d10.webp" alt=""><figcaption>When asking consumers what impacts their level of trust with a company, offering excellent customer service ranked <strong>number one</strong>.</figcaption></figure>

## How loyalty is built with customer service

A great customer service strategy, at its core, means having a consistent game plan for addressing all types of customer questions and feedback.

If you can deliver answers quickly, efficiently, and politely, your customers will be much more likely to return.  To improve your strategy, here are a few key areas you should evaluate:

### Through your onboarding process

Whether your onboarding process is human-led or automated, it’s a critical part of [building customer loyalty](https://chatfuel.com/blog/customer-loyalty-chatbot). Onboarding is one of the first interactions your customers have with your company, so it’s extra important to make sure they have a positive experience. If you have a self-guided onboarding process, give your customers opportunities to seek more information whenever possible.

### Through self-servicing options

If your product or service is complex enough to require more detailed tutorials, it’s a smart idea to build out a knowledge base or support center. Your knowledge base can contain in-depth articles on product features or short, [easy-to-read FAQs.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A499Eeq9Lq8) The easier it is for your customers to find the answers they need, the better.

### Through agent-assisted support

Your agents may be responsible for chatting with customers through several different channels, including phone, online chat, email, and social media. High levels of customer retention stem from consistent and compassionate service.

Train your agents and check-in with them regularly to ensure they are handling customer interactions with the same level of excellence across the board. Go for meaningful conversations, rather than just closing as many tickets as possible.

### Through feedback implementation

Evaluating your strategy and performance to make your service even better is always a good idea. You should be examining feedback from your customer service team as well as your customers. Ask customers how they feel about your service via feedback surveys on social media or email.

Similarly, survey your team members to identify strengths and pain points in your current strategy. These are just a few of the many proponents of implementing a successful customer feedback loop.

## 4 parts of customer service you can automate

Good customer service doesn’t necessarily have to be entirely human-powered. Your customer service strategy may actually benefit from being partially automated.

If you want to provide round-the-clock, consistent service and let your agents handle more complex cases, here are a few areas of customer service that may be worth automating.

<figure><img srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/xs_why_great_customer_service_builds_more_loyal_customers_1_c07332d5f9/xs_why_great_customer_service_builds_more_loyal_customers_1_c07332d5f9.webp 300w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/sm_why_great_customer_service_builds_more_loyal_customers_1_c07332d5f9/sm_why_great_customer_service_builds_more_loyal_customers_1_c07332d5f9.webp 768w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/md_why_great_customer_service_builds_more_loyal_customers_1_c07332d5f9/md_why_great_customer_service_builds_more_loyal_customers_1_c07332d5f9.webp 1280w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/lg_why_great_customer_service_builds_more_loyal_customers_1_c07332d5f9/lg_why_great_customer_service_builds_more_loyal_customers_1_c07332d5f9.webp 1920w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/xl_why_great_customer_service_builds_more_loyal_customers_1_c07332d5f9/xl_why_great_customer_service_builds_more_loyal_customers_1_c07332d5f9.webp 2840w" width="4160" height="2336" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/original_why_great_customer_service_builds_more_loyal_customers_1_c07332d5f9/original_why_great_customer_service_builds_more_loyal_customers_1_c07332d5f9.webp" alt=""><figcaption>Automating services is made easy with chatbots</figcaption></figure>

### 1\. Your onboarding

An [automated onboarding flow](https://chatfuel.com/blog/onboarding-chatbot) lets your customers get situated with your product or service at their own pace.

For example, you can use a chatbot to create automated flows that are as simple or complex as you’d like. A chatbot can walk your customers through a proper onboarding checklist, recommend related tutorials or videos from your support center, or guide them through certain features in more detail based on how they interact.

### 2\. Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

If you have a running list of the questions your agents get asked the most often, you can save a lot of time and effort by integrating them into a chatbot. Once it’s been programmed, a bot can anticipate what your customers are looking or asking for, and deliver those answers quickly.

<div class="iframe-wrapper" width="100%" height="250px"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/A499Eeq9Lq8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="false" width="640" height="480"></iframe></div>

### 3\. Advanced routing to the right teams

When phone calls can’t be routed to the intended recipient, it creates a frustrating experience for both you and your customers. Call routing is a great tactic to ensure that customers who reach your business by phone will be able to speak with the person or department that can provide the help they need.

With routing, customers will hear a list of departments they can speak with and the action required to connect, i.e. press “1” to speak with the billing department, press “2” to speak with customer support, and so on.

In addition to connecting customers with the right people, automated redirections of calls also reduce wait times and can give you the option to forward calls to a partner or outside firm when you’re unavailable. Given these benefits, it’s no surprise that call routing is a proven way to boost your customer satisfaction ratings.

### 4\. Keeping databases

Detailed database-keeping is essential for providing exceptional service. A Customer Relationship Management system (CRM) that integrates with your communication channels (phone calls, texts, emails, chatbots, etc.) will help your customer service team capture notes and information about customer interactions. You can then refer back to this data to make more informed decisions to increase customer loyalty.

## Investing in loyalty pays off in the long run

Building up your customer service strategy to increase customer loyalty can help you cut costs and generate more revenue. A loyal customer is easier to sell to, cheaper to maintain, and tends to spend more on new purchases. They’re also more likely to recommend you to others, making them one of the most valuable acquisition tools. Customer service has immense benefits for your bottom line and is a powerful way to set yourself apart from others.

To get customers to stick around, you can invest your time and effort in improving your product and your customer experience.

Why great customer service builds more loyal customers

For apps and software companies, properly onboarding new users is crucial. Your goal is to help them find success on your platform as soon as possible so that they’ll become a long-term, satisfied customer. Having a human agent run personal onboarding sessions with each new users and checking in with them frequently would be ideal. But of course, that would take major resources that most companies can’t reasonably provide.

Instead, some software companies are turning toward chatbots to manage and improve their user onboarding process. Whether the user has just signed up or is logging in for the first time in a while, a chatbot can help guide them toward success with your app.

## Why chatbots make excellent tools for user onboarding

Chatbots—especially those integrated with Facebook Messenger—are useful for lots of different sales and marketing tasks. They can generate leads, recommend products, answer FAQs, and more. The characteristics that make chatbots so helpful in these use cases are the same ones that make them helpful in the customer onboarding process.

The main one is that chatbots are available any time, 24/7. They don’t need time off like human agents do, which means they’re ready to help your customers at any time of day or night, in any time zone. That means they can onboard new users or engage returning users whenever, helping retain customers for your business while you sleep.

In addition to their constant availability, here are a few other reasons chatbots are fantastic tools for customer onboarding:

### Chatbots can offer personalized experiences

Messenger chatbots can pull data from the user’s Facebook profile, or from past conversations with them (if applicable). They can also gather information about the user by asking them questions within the bot, or importing information from your CRM or multi-step forms. From there, your bot can use these details (stored in the form of user attributes) in conversation with the user, so the whole experience is personalized to them and their needs.

For example, the chatbot could have the customer’s name, their signup date, last login date, etc. all at hand. When it incorporates this information into the conversation, the customer knows that the advice they’re receiving is specific to them. They’ll feel listened to and will enjoy a better user experience, since they’ll be more likely to get assistance that’s relevant to their situation.

<figure><img srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/xs_onboarding_chatbot_0_d11d1f5c08/xs_onboarding_chatbot_0_d11d1f5c08.webp 300w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/sm_onboarding_chatbot_0_d11d1f5c08/sm_onboarding_chatbot_0_d11d1f5c08.webp 768w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/md_onboarding_chatbot_0_d11d1f5c08/md_onboarding_chatbot_0_d11d1f5c08.webp 1280w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/lg_onboarding_chatbot_0_d11d1f5c08/lg_onboarding_chatbot_0_d11d1f5c08.webp 1920w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/xl_onboarding_chatbot_0_d11d1f5c08/xl_onboarding_chatbot_0_d11d1f5c08.webp 940w" width="940" height="788" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/original_onboarding_chatbot_0_d11d1f5c08/original_onboarding_chatbot_0_d11d1f5c08.webp" alt=""><figcaption>Here's a simple example of how a chatbot can incorporate personal details into the conversation, like the user's name.</figcaption></figure>

### Chatbots are easy to customize for your brand

Your chatbot, like any other marketing channel or tool, should be an extension of your brand. That means you should write copy for it that matches [your brand voice](https://chatfuel.com/blog/craft-a-brand-voice-that-converts/). You can [give it a name](https://chatfuel.com/blog/chatbot-names/) and a personality that will resonate with your users. And of course, you can equip it with all the information they need for a smooth onboarding process, including answers to all the common questions new users have when interacting with your product.

Here’s how to set up your chatbot to answer common FAQs about your app or platform.

<figure><img><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

### Chatbots can save you time

Each member of your customer success team is only one human. There will be times when they’re simply too busy to respond to new-user questions immediately, or even within the same day. This is where chatbots can step in and assist.

A Messenger chatbot can manage an unlimited number of user conversations at once. They can provide all the basic onboarding information and answer up to [80% of routine questions](https://www.invespcro.com/blog/chatbots-customer-service/), taking all that work off the plate of your human customer service team. That way, you can have dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of new users being onboarded by your chatbot at once. The bot can send only the ones with complex inquiries through to a live chat session with your human support team, so they’re not overwhelmed or wasting time answering repetitive inquiries.

<figure><img srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/xs_onboarding_chatbot_1_2ba217c579/xs_onboarding_chatbot_1_2ba217c579.webp 300w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/sm_onboarding_chatbot_1_2ba217c579/sm_onboarding_chatbot_1_2ba217c579.webp 768w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/md_onboarding_chatbot_1_2ba217c579/md_onboarding_chatbot_1_2ba217c579.webp 1280w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/lg_onboarding_chatbot_1_2ba217c579/lg_onboarding_chatbot_1_2ba217c579.webp 1920w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/xl_onboarding_chatbot_1_2ba217c579/xl_onboarding_chatbot_1_2ba217c579.webp 980w" width="980" height="509" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/original_onboarding_chatbot_1_2ba217c579/original_onboarding_chatbot_1_2ba217c579.webp" alt=""><figcaption>Setting up live chat for your chatbot takes just two clicks in Chatfuel! <a href="https://docs.chatfuel.com/en/articles/849315-live-chat">Here are the full instructions.</a></figcaption></figure>

### Chatbots are easy and pleasant to interact with

Create an onboarding experience your users will actually enjoy! Because chatbots are still a bit of a novelty for many consumers, interacting with them can be a unique and fun experience. Plus, they’re easy to use. As long as you have your chatbot give clear instructions, even inexperienced and non-tech users will go through its onboarding process easily. And the easier your chatbot is to use, the more successful the onboarding process will be, which leads to higher customer satisfaction and lower customer churn.

## How to onboard new users with a chatbot

If we’ve talked you into considering chatbots to onboard new users into your app or software, let’s get into the next step: the how-to. Your onboarding chatbot will need to be customized closely for your specific platform or tool. But the basics are the same for any business. Just follow these three steps.

### 1\. Map out your onboarding process

First, you need to list out the key steps of your onboarding process. What needs to happen first, next, and last? What are the crucial pieces of information new users need to know? Which common questions need to be addressed right away? If you’ve already got an onboarding process on another channel (like email), you can use that framework to guide you here.

### 2\. Create your list of initial questions

Asking a few questions is arguably the best way to start a customer onboarding experience for your software or app.

First, the bot can store the user’s answers to these questions as user attributes. You can then use them for research and customer analysis. These questions might allow free-form user input (using the Save User Input plugin) or offer multiple-choice options (using quick replies). Some examples include:

1.  What are your goals for using \[name of tool or app\]?

2.  What industry do you work in?

3.  How big is your company?

4.  How did you hear about us?


Second, the chatbot can use the customer’s answers to the questions to customize and guide the onboarding experience it provides them. For example, your Messenger chatbot could ask new users:

1.  Is this your first time using a tool like ours? (Yes/No)

2.  Would you prefer to start with X or Y?

3.  Do you want to learn how to do X, Y or Z?


After all, brand-new users won’t always know exactly what to expect from your service or what they can do, so it’s a good idea to put together questions that can guide them. Figuring out these questions should be relatively easy for you. You’re the one running your business, so you know exactly what you want customers to get out of your app or software.

<figure><img srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/xs_onboarding_chatbot_2_a76dfccf6e/xs_onboarding_chatbot_2_a76dfccf6e.webp 300w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/sm_onboarding_chatbot_2_a76dfccf6e/sm_onboarding_chatbot_2_a76dfccf6e.webp 768w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/md_onboarding_chatbot_2_a76dfccf6e/md_onboarding_chatbot_2_a76dfccf6e.webp 1280w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/lg_onboarding_chatbot_2_a76dfccf6e/lg_onboarding_chatbot_2_a76dfccf6e.webp 1920w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/xl_onboarding_chatbot_2_a76dfccf6e/xl_onboarding_chatbot_2_a76dfccf6e.webp 940w" width="940" height="788" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/original_onboarding_chatbot_2_a76dfccf6e/original_onboarding_chatbot_2_a76dfccf6e.webp" alt=""><figcaption>A chatbot can start the onboarding conversation by asking a series of questions.</figcaption></figure>

Once you’ve created the list of questions you want your Messenger chatbot to ask, you can set them up in Chatfuel’s Flow Builder easily. Just type the question into a text box and drag and drop the arrow to connect it to the next one.

### 3\. Test and monitor your chatbot

Before you launch your chatbot for all new users, you should test it. Have a few colleagues go through the flow to make sure it includes everything it should. Then, have a few beta testers try it out too. Choose people who have never used your software or app before, so you can get a real sense of whether the chatbot provides clear, useful instructions for new users. Take all their feedback into account and make the necessary adjustments.

And once you launch your chatbot, keep an eye on its stats and make changes as needed over time. You can use Chatfuel’s built-in stats to help you track how many users are going through the bot, and where they get stuck or drop off, if applicable. You can also have your chatbot ask users to rate their onboarding experience at the end of it (and even leave comments). Then, you should regularly make changes and updates to your bot based on all of this data.

<figure><img srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/xs_onboarding_chatbot_3_b83d00bc8d/xs_onboarding_chatbot_3_b83d00bc8d.webp 300w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/sm_onboarding_chatbot_3_b83d00bc8d/sm_onboarding_chatbot_3_b83d00bc8d.webp 768w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/md_onboarding_chatbot_3_b83d00bc8d/md_onboarding_chatbot_3_b83d00bc8d.webp 1280w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/lg_onboarding_chatbot_3_b83d00bc8d/lg_onboarding_chatbot_3_b83d00bc8d.webp 1920w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/xl_onboarding_chatbot_3_b83d00bc8d/xl_onboarding_chatbot_3_b83d00bc8d.webp 584w" width="584" height="248" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/original_onboarding_chatbot_3_b83d00bc8d/original_onboarding_chatbot_3_b83d00bc8d.webp" alt=""><figcaption>Chatfuel shows basic stats for each card in your chatbot's flow, so you can easily monitor performance and make adjustments based on user behavior.</figcaption></figure>

## Tips for building an excellent onboarding chatbot

Keep these tips in mind to create an outstanding onboarding process via bot, so you can engage and retain even more new users.

### Use images, GIFs, and video in your chatbot

When it comes to using a new app or piece of software, you’ll find that most users are visual learners. That means you should make use of images, GIFs, and video in your chatbot, so users can see its instructions and advice in action. Plus, media like this helps keep users engaged till the end of your onboarding sequence.

### Write copy for an eighth-grade reading level

Readability is important for any type of sales, marketing, or support collateral—but it’s especially important in onboarding. The way you write copy for your onboarding chatbot can be the difference between users staying engaged and going on to be life-long customers of yours, and users dropping off and abandoning your tool altogether.

Around [80% of adults](https://readable.com/blog/the-flesch-reading-ease-and-flesch-kincaid-grade-level) can read at an eighth-grade level, minimum. So it’s wise to keep your chatbot’s copy around this level for maximum readability. Use short, simple sentences. Avoid jargon and industry-specific acronyms (or define them clearly, if you do use them). You can even put your chatbot copy through a tool like the Hemingway App to test its readability and get suggestions improvement.

<figure><img srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/xs_onboarding_chatbot_4_d253f273eb/xs_onboarding_chatbot_4_d253f273eb.webp 300w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/sm_onboarding_chatbot_4_d253f273eb/sm_onboarding_chatbot_4_d253f273eb.webp 768w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/md_onboarding_chatbot_4_d253f273eb/md_onboarding_chatbot_4_d253f273eb.webp 1280w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/lg_onboarding_chatbot_4_d253f273eb/lg_onboarding_chatbot_4_d253f273eb.webp 1920w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/xl_onboarding_chatbot_4_d253f273eb/xl_onboarding_chatbot_4_d253f273eb.webp 1928w" width="1928" height="1098" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/original_onboarding_chatbot_4_d253f273eb/original_onboarding_chatbot_4_d253f273eb.webp" alt=""><figcaption>Tools like the Hemingway App can help you make sure your chatbot's copy is readable and accessible to your entire audience.</figcaption></figure>

### Make it easy for users to chat with a human instead

Not being able to find the answer to a specific question about your app or software is frustrating for users. If they have an issue or inquiry about your platform that the chatbot doesn’t address, let them use live chat to connect to one of your human agents right away. The longer you keep them waiting or make them search for the solution themselves, the less likely you are to retain them as a customer. Set up your chatbot to handle as many questions as possible, but keep some human agents on deck to jump in and help as needed.

## Try a chatbot as your new onboarding method

Any app or software company knows that onboarding is one of the most crucial steps in the customer lifecycle. When you use a Facebook Messenger chatbot for onboarding, you can offer a unique, interactive, and trackable way to onboard users. Your chatbot can offer all the information new users need and can answer most of their questions. As a result, you’ll save time and resources and will retain more customers in the long-term.

To build an onboarding chatbot for your software or app, [sign up for a free Chatfuel account](https://dashboard.chatfuel.com) today. There’s no coding or previous knowledge required to use our platform; just use our visual builder to drag and drop text and other elements into your bot’s flow.

The onboarding process is crucial for any app or software. Here's how to use a Messenger chatbot to onboard new users. For apps and software companies,.

Chatbot Onboarding: Engage New Users Effectively

Automating lead generation means allowing the company to focus on more pressing matters maintaining contact with customers. Chatbots can take some weight off your shoulders in this endeavor. According to APSIS, a four score of automation software marketers drive increased leads, and 77% convert more leads than those who don’t. This article will show how you can embed automation and how it can benefit your business.

## Challenges that business faces

Sourcing high-quality leads is tricky, whether you create helpful content that leads prospects down the funnel or attracts cold prospects. There are three main challenges that businesses usually face:

-   **Not enough high-quality leads**. Improving the quality of leads is one of the most important goals for two-thirds of marketers, according to Ascend2. Some marketers turn to lead generation agencies, and not all get the desired result.

-   **Too many leads**. Wrong targeted ads and giveaways can bring many leads. But, if resources are limited, companies can spend too much time on leads that [turn out to be unqualified](https://chatfuel.com/blog/cut-operational-costs-with-messenger-bot) or miss their chance with high-intent prospects.

-   **Personalizing experience for new users**. According to an Accenture survey, consumers are more likely to shop with brands that offer relevant recommendations. In addition, tailored experiences that keep users engaged demand constant human interaction.


Automation can solve these challenges. It is more accessible than ever to businesses of all sizes. You can use an online platform as a [no-code tool](https://chatfuel.com/?utm_landing=blog-posts%2Flead-generation-on-autopilot) to create different types of automated systems. [80% of marketers](https://startupbonsai.com/lead-generation-statistics/) say they’ve found that automation like chatbots generates more leads and conversions than other methods.

## How chatbots expand your lead generation sales funnel

Messages from [chatbots have 80% open rates](https://chatfuel.com/blog/future-of-chatbots-based-on-data), while emails only have 20% on average. Automation also has 35% click-through rates on messages with links than email’s 2%. It lets you set up triggered email communications easily, without having anything to do with the backend or coding. You can also integrate your CRM or other business tools with your Chatfuel bot.

A lead generation chatbot can work for you 24/7. Users get information without you having to answer repetitive questions with the FAQ template. As a result, you have more time to focus on providing excellent service to your customers and finding new ways to grow.

<figure><img srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/xs_lead_generation_on_autopilot_0_95204ca0c9/xs_lead_generation_on_autopilot_0_95204ca0c9.webp 300w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/sm_lead_generation_on_autopilot_0_95204ca0c9/sm_lead_generation_on_autopilot_0_95204ca0c9.webp 768w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/md_lead_generation_on_autopilot_0_95204ca0c9/md_lead_generation_on_autopilot_0_95204ca0c9.webp 1280w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/lg_lead_generation_on_autopilot_0_95204ca0c9/lg_lead_generation_on_autopilot_0_95204ca0c9.webp 1920w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/xl_lead_generation_on_autopilot_0_95204ca0c9/xl_lead_generation_on_autopilot_0_95204ca0c9.webp 2080w" width="2080" height="1168" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/original_lead_generation_on_autopilot_0_95204ca0c9/original_lead_generation_on_autopilot_0_95204ca0c9.webp" alt="How chatbots expand your lead generation sales funnel"><figcaption>Users see interactive buttons in your Messenger bot.</figcaption></figure>

## How does a chatbot work

A chatbot is a computer program that has a back-and-forth conversation with users. Simple chatbots follow a script: If the user says X, they say Y. More advanced chatbots use artificial intelligence to provide humanlike answers to user inquiries. Building both types requires no experience.

One of the most common types of chatbots “lives” on Facebook Messenger. It means your business can generate leads from 2.8 billion global users. However, anyone can enter your chatbot without a Facebook account, using a guest mode if it’s embedded on your website. So that’s even more users for your chatbot. Depending on your needs, your bot can attract leads, start a conversation with users, provide information about your services, and ask questions to qualify them.

### Example:

1.  Users open a chat with your Messenger chatbot by clicking your Facebook ad or browsing [your website](https://chatfuel.com/blog/add-a-messenger-chatbot-to-your-website).

2.  The bot offers basic information about your business: their names, emails, or phone numbers.

3.  The bot then asks the user a few questions to determine if they’re warm leads. For instance, it can provide a discount if the user follows your organization on Facebook or signs up for newsletters.


Depending on your needs, you can set your bot to take the next step: help users to [schedule an appointment](https://youtu.be/9jGuWa1sgAw), gather their contact details and send them to your CRM, [pass the conversation over](https://docs.chatfuel.com/en/articles/849315-live-chat?utm_landing=blog-posts%2Flead-generation-on-autopilot) to a human agent, or more. Once you’ve set up your automation, it can start generating and qualifying new leads. That means you can wake up in the morning to an inbox or spreadsheet or calendar full of promising new leads.

## Chatbot lead generation examples

Currently, lead generation chatbots can benefit different industries, such as vehicle operations, insurance, real estate, food, and drinks. Let’s look at some of these Chatfuel customers who use a chatbot as their primary lead generation marketing method.

### 1\. Nissan dealership, Israel

A car is a big-ticket item that most people aren’t going to buy on the spot. Instead, they’ll make an appointment to visit the dealership, test drives the vehicle, and ask the salesperson their questions. A lead generation chatbot can be the first link between the dealership and these consumers looking to purchase a car — which is precisely why this Nissan dealership in Israel built one.

Their chatbot asks a few questions to confirm that the dealership has the type of car they’re looking for. Then it lets the user schedule an appointment for a test drive to move them down the lead generation funnel.

#### Results

The chatbot turned out to be a far more accessible and more efficient way for the dealership to get qualified potential customers in the door. The first month after launching the Facebook bot, the dealership sold ten cars ($380,000 in revenue) to customers who came through it. Check out the complete [Nissan case study](https://chatfuel.com/blog/nissan-sells-cars-using-messenger-bot).

### 2\. Real estate and insurance lead generation: Tacobot

Tacobot is a marketing agency building chatbots that generate leads for insurance brokers and real estate agents. Their clients no longer have to pay more for low-intent leads, thanks to their bots. Instead, Tacobot builds them a Facebook chatbot that qualifies leads through a simple questionnaire. It gathers information about each prospect and functions as a quoting tool so users can get an immediate, tangible benefit to incentivize them to complete the process.

### Results

Tacobot’s clients can expect high-quality insurance leads for $2-5 each and high-intent real estate leads for less than $10. Check out the complete [Tacobot case study](https://chatfuel.com/blog/marketing-agency-uses-messenger-bots-to-deliver-high-quality-leads-for-clients).

## Put your business lead generation on autopilot

Whether it’s lead generation for lawyers, lead generation for restaurants, or a B2B lead generation, a chatbot can help. Businesses across industries that depend on leads are turning to Facebook Messenger and Instagram automation for a lead generation more and more.

With Chatfuel, building your lead gen chatbot is easy. Use our templates to load, customize, and launch automation for your own business regardless of your coding experience. With interactive automation, you can save time. Focus on improving things that matter most while providing constant communication with your customers. [Sign up](https://dashboard.chatfuel.com/sign-in?utm_landing=blog-posts%2Fhellofresh-reduces-support-wait-times-with-chatfuel-messenger-bot&lng=en) today to get started.

This article will show how expand your lead generation sales funnel and how it can benefit your business. Automating lead generation means allowing the company.

How to automate your business lead generation funnel

## The brand

Yash Bhansali and Vikram Kanodia met in high school. Now, they’ve founded a chatbot agency together called Talkative.AI. Their chat agency’s mission is “to use conversational AI to power ecommerce, create unique customer experiences, and empower brands.” And when the coronavirus pandemic hit in early 2020, they saw opportunities to help their customers weather the storm using AI chat bots. This is the story of one such consumer marketing client, a Mumbai bakery called Essange that specializes in stunning cakes and cupcakes.

<figure><img srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/xs_ai_chatbot_helps_bakery_during_covid_0_b023920213/xs_ai_chatbot_helps_bakery_during_covid_0_b023920213.webp 300w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/sm_ai_chatbot_helps_bakery_during_covid_0_b023920213/sm_ai_chatbot_helps_bakery_during_covid_0_b023920213.webp 768w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/md_ai_chatbot_helps_bakery_during_covid_0_b023920213/md_ai_chatbot_helps_bakery_during_covid_0_b023920213.webp 1280w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/lg_ai_chatbot_helps_bakery_during_covid_0_b023920213/lg_ai_chatbot_helps_bakery_during_covid_0_b023920213.webp 1920w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/xl_ai_chatbot_helps_bakery_during_covid_0_b023920213/xl_ai_chatbot_helps_bakery_during_covid_0_b023920213.webp 1618w" width="1618" height="1194" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/original_ai_chatbot_helps_bakery_during_covid_0_b023920213/original_ai_chatbot_helps_bakery_during_covid_0_b023920213.webp" alt=""><figcaption>Essange is known for their beautiful desserts.</figcaption></figure>

## The problem

When the COVID-19 pandemic escalated, lockdowns went into effect all around the world. Since gatherings and parties were prohibited, Essange experienced a sudden, major drop in business. “Regular orders slowed down,” explains Yash, “and many people started baking at home for themselves instead by following online video tutorials on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook.” To stay in business, the bakery’s owner knew she needed to pivot—and fast.

## The solution

Yash and Vikram knew that a robust AI chatbot would be the perfect solution to help this client keep her business afloat. Their Facebook chatbot agency had already built her a bot for [FAQ automation](https://chatfuel.com/blog/chatbot-for-customer-service), but they knew that now was the time to turn that into something even more powerful and engaging. “We decided to use this opportunity to create a unique, memorable experience for all her customers while generating a new source of income at the same time,” Vikram and Yash tell us.

Here’s how the Bake at Home bot works:

1.  Customers buy a DIY “bake at home” kit from the bakery, which includes everything they need to make their dessert of choice except for milk and eggs.

2.  The customer uses their phone to scan the QR code on the kit, and they’re directed to the Facebook chatbot that Yash and Vikram built.

3.  The AI bot acts as a virtual baking assistant, guiding the customer through each step of the baking process with instructions and GIFs.


<figure><img srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/xs_ai_chatbot_helps_bakery_during_covid_1_e0d2c2c906/xs_ai_chatbot_helps_bakery_during_covid_1_e0d2c2c906.webp 300w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/sm_ai_chatbot_helps_bakery_during_covid_1_e0d2c2c906/sm_ai_chatbot_helps_bakery_during_covid_1_e0d2c2c906.webp 768w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/md_ai_chatbot_helps_bakery_during_covid_1_e0d2c2c906/md_ai_chatbot_helps_bakery_during_covid_1_e0d2c2c906.webp 1280w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/lg_ai_chatbot_helps_bakery_during_covid_1_e0d2c2c906/lg_ai_chatbot_helps_bakery_during_covid_1_e0d2c2c906.webp 1920w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/xl_ai_chatbot_helps_bakery_during_covid_1_e0d2c2c906/xl_ai_chatbot_helps_bakery_during_covid_1_e0d2c2c906.webp 940w" width="940" height="788" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/original_ai_chatbot_helps_bakery_during_covid_1_e0d2c2c906/original_ai_chatbot_helps_bakery_during_covid_1_e0d2c2c906.webp" alt=""><figcaption>The AI&nbsp;chatbot for the bakery guides customers through instructions for baking their dessert.</figcaption></figure>

“Not only does the chatbot make the baking experience super easy and fun,” Vikram explains, “but it also retargets the customer a few hours later to upsell other DIY baking kits.” The Messenger bot also invites users to tag the bakery in a photo of their completed creation on social media, which helps the business generate social proof.

<figure><img srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/xs_ai_chatbot_helps_bakery_during_covid_2_0f580235d5/xs_ai_chatbot_helps_bakery_during_covid_2_0f580235d5.webp 300w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/sm_ai_chatbot_helps_bakery_during_covid_2_0f580235d5/sm_ai_chatbot_helps_bakery_during_covid_2_0f580235d5.webp 768w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/md_ai_chatbot_helps_bakery_during_covid_2_0f580235d5/md_ai_chatbot_helps_bakery_during_covid_2_0f580235d5.webp 1280w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/lg_ai_chatbot_helps_bakery_during_covid_2_0f580235d5/lg_ai_chatbot_helps_bakery_during_covid_2_0f580235d5.webp 1920w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/xl_ai_chatbot_helps_bakery_during_covid_2_0f580235d5/xl_ai_chatbot_helps_bakery_during_covid_2_0f580235d5.webp 940w" width="940" height="788" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/original_ai_chatbot_helps_bakery_during_covid_2_0f580235d5/original_ai_chatbot_helps_bakery_during_covid_2_0f580235d5.webp" alt=""><figcaption>The bakery chatbot invites customers to share a photo of their creation on social media once they've finished it.</figcaption></figure>

Yash and Vikram explain that they wanted to use a chatbot for something more than a marketing channel or a [customer service experience](https://chatfuel.com/blog/chatbot-for-customer-service). “The client said, *Can we make the bot part of the business?* And that’s when we figured out that there’s a tandem opportunity to actually make the bot part of the product she’s selling,” they share.

## The recipe

“We’ve found that good chatbots don’t need to be complex chatbots,” says Yash. “Some of the most effective bots are those that use only simple or basic features, but are designed to focus on business goals and providing the best customer service experience through smooth interactions.”

That’s why Chatfuel was the right fit for their project. “We feel that the Chatfuel team keeps the end-user in mind while designing the platform,” shares Vikram. “The end-user experience is our relentless focus with every chatbot, so using Chatfuel helps us create more value for our clients.”

Here are a few of the Chatfuel tools and features the Talkative team used to build this baking bot:

-   **Artificial intelligence (AI)**. “We leveraged Google’s NLP to understand user input and respond intelligently. This ensures a seamless, unrestricted, and natural user experience,” says Yash. To apply AI in the simplest way, you can [set up AI rules](https://docs.chatfuel.com/en/articles/828883-keywords), which are pre-set messages your bot will send  in response to certain text inputs from users. An AI chatbot can significantly improve the user experience, as it did for the Bake at Home Bot.

-   **Customer Chat Entry Point.** Yash and Vikram used this plugin so that the chatbot would pop up and offer help to anyone who visits the bakery’s website. [Adding a chatbot to a website](https://chatfuel.com/blog/add-a-messenger-chatbot-to-your-website) is an easy way for any brand to get new users.


<figure><img srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/xs_ai_chatbot_helps_bakery_during_covid_3_0cc4bc2a65/xs_ai_chatbot_helps_bakery_during_covid_3_0cc4bc2a65.webp 300w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/sm_ai_chatbot_helps_bakery_during_covid_3_0cc4bc2a65/sm_ai_chatbot_helps_bakery_during_covid_3_0cc4bc2a65.webp 768w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/md_ai_chatbot_helps_bakery_during_covid_3_0cc4bc2a65/md_ai_chatbot_helps_bakery_during_covid_3_0cc4bc2a65.webp 1280w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/lg_ai_chatbot_helps_bakery_during_covid_3_0cc4bc2a65/lg_ai_chatbot_helps_bakery_during_covid_3_0cc4bc2a65.webp 1920w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/xl_ai_chatbot_helps_bakery_during_covid_3_0cc4bc2a65/xl_ai_chatbot_helps_bakery_during_covid_3_0cc4bc2a65.webp 2588w" width="2588" height="1390" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/original_ai_chatbot_helps_bakery_during_covid_3_0cc4bc2a65/original_ai_chatbot_helps_bakery_during_covid_3_0cc4bc2a65.webp" alt=""><figcaption>The chatbot is ready to engage anyone who visits the bakery's website.</figcaption></figure>

-   **Facebook Ads Entry Points.** This feature lets you easily set up [sponsored messages](https://chatfuel.com/blog/sponsored-messages-guide-to-reengaging-chatbot-subscribers) and [click-to-Messenger ads](https://chatfuel.com/blog/create-click-to-messenger-ads-to-drive-traffic-to-your-bot) for your bot, and Yash and Vikram took advantage. “Sponsored messages and click-to-Messenger ads on Facebook [and Instagram](https://chatfuel.com/blog/use-instagram-ads-to-bring-users-to-your-dms-or-your-messenger-bot) were ‘baked’ into the branding and marketing strategy,” they tell us.


Vikram and Yash shared that they also made use of [gallery cards](https://docs.chatfuel.com/en/articles/925465-media-assets), images, GIFs, and sequences in the recipe tutorials. User attributes and [Zapier CRM integrations](https://chatfuel.com/blog/a-marketing-automation-love-story-chatfuel-zapier) helped them with personalization and retargeting. All these features combined helped improve the customer experience for the bakery bot’s users.

## The results

The Bake at Home Bot performed extremely well, according to Yash and Vikram. “The chatbot achieved its design goals beyond expectation in terms of lead conversion, increased sales, brand building, and customer engagement,” they tell us.

“Our experience-oriented design **acquired 250% more users in a month** than the automated FAQs version was able to acquire in over a year,” shares Vikram. “User activity spiked to **50x Active Users** and 13x Reengaged Users. Plus, online-to-offline sales conversions also increased significantly, which helped our client jump-start her business amidst the COVID slowdown!”

<figure><img srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/xs_ai_chatbot_helps_bakery_during_covid_4_e361b59274/xs_ai_chatbot_helps_bakery_during_covid_4_e361b59274.webp 300w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/sm_ai_chatbot_helps_bakery_during_covid_4_e361b59274/sm_ai_chatbot_helps_bakery_during_covid_4_e361b59274.webp 768w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/md_ai_chatbot_helps_bakery_during_covid_4_e361b59274/md_ai_chatbot_helps_bakery_during_covid_4_e361b59274.webp 1280w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/lg_ai_chatbot_helps_bakery_during_covid_4_e361b59274/lg_ai_chatbot_helps_bakery_during_covid_4_e361b59274.webp 1920w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/xl_ai_chatbot_helps_bakery_during_covid_4_e361b59274/xl_ai_chatbot_helps_bakery_during_covid_4_e361b59274.webp 1600w" width="1600" height="707" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/original_ai_chatbot_helps_bakery_during_covid_4_e361b59274/original_ai_chatbot_helps_bakery_during_covid_4_e361b59274.webp" alt=""><figcaption>The virtual assistant version of the bakery's chatbot acquired 250% more users in a month than the FAQ&nbsp;version did in over a year.</figcaption></figure>

## A chatbot can get your business sweet results

The digital customer experience the Bake at Home Bot offers was a game changer for Essange Bakery, as it helped them expand their customer base, increase sales, and stand out from the competition. If you’re ready to take your business to the next level with a free AI chatbot, [get started with Chatfuel](https://dashboard.chatfuel.com) today.

A marketing agency built an AI chatbot for this bakery to help them stay afloat and even grow during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bakery Creates New Revenue with AI Chatbot in COVID

## The brand

Direct Relief is an international [nonprofit organization](https://chatfuel.com/blog/9-reasons-your-nonprofit-needs-a-chatbot) that was founded by William Zimdin, a US immigrant from Estonia. In 1945, Zimdin was starting a nonprofit by sending thousands of relief parcels with food, clothes, and medicine from the US to relatives and friends in Europe, who were rebuilding their lives in the aftermath of World War II. In 1948 he made his project official, registering it as a California-based non profit organization.

Since then, Direct Relief has worked to help people around the world recover from everything from disease outbreaks to natural disasters. They continue to follow Zimdin’s tradition of “direct and targeted assistance provided in a manner that respects and involves all people served” to this day.

<figure><img srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/xs_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_0_d464b731eb/xs_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_0_d464b731eb.webp 300w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/sm_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_0_d464b731eb/sm_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_0_d464b731eb.webp 768w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/md_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_0_d464b731eb/md_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_0_d464b731eb.webp 1280w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/lg_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_0_d464b731eb/lg_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_0_d464b731eb.webp 1920w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/xl_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_0_d464b731eb/xl_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_0_d464b731eb.webp 1280w" width="1280" height="720" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/original_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_0_d464b731eb/original_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_0_d464b731eb.webp" alt="History of Direct Relief"><figcaption>Direct Relief's operations in their early days</figcaption></figure>

## The problem

When people need assistance from nonprofits like Direct Relief, they usually need it immediately—whether it’s food and water after a hurricane or crucial healthcare after an earthquake. Fast response times are absolutely critical to this nonprofit business’s operations as human lives are often on the line. But when disasters struck in the past, the volume of these messages was often more than Direct Relief’s small social media team could handle in a timely manner.

Over the course of the 2017 hurricane season, for example, they received hundreds of messages on Facebook Messenger from people around the globe. Some were wondering how they could rally support for those in impacted communities. Others needed urgent information on how to receive medical assistance. At first, the only solution the Direct Relief team could come up with to handle all the messages was bringing on more people—either temporary staff or training volunteers. And then they discovered chatbots.

<figure><img srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/xs_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_1_ca0808fe51/xs_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_1_ca0808fe51.webp 300w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/sm_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_1_ca0808fe51/sm_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_1_ca0808fe51.webp 768w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/md_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_1_ca0808fe51/md_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_1_ca0808fe51.webp 1280w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/lg_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_1_ca0808fe51/lg_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_1_ca0808fe51.webp 1920w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/xl_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_1_ca0808fe51/xl_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_1_ca0808fe51.webp 1280w" width="1280" height="720" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/original_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_1_ca0808fe51/original_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_1_ca0808fe51.webp" alt="Nonprofit chatbot of Direct Relief"><figcaption>Direct Relief volunteers aid a community heavily impacted by a hurricane.</figcaption></figure>

## The solution

The Direct Relief team started looking for solutions to the problem of their overflowing Messenger inbox. “As we were weighing options,” explains Tony Morain, Direct Relief’s VP of Communications, “we reached out to our contacts at Facebook for recommendations. They told us about Chatfuel. We signed up and saw how easy it was to create a working chatbot,” he continues, “one that was smart enough to respond to people’s needs and guide them to the resources they requested.” In just a few hours, a team of two people at the Direct Relief non profit organization built a Facebook Messenger chatbot that was ready for launch.

<figure><img srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/xs_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_2_3178715aa0/xs_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_2_3178715aa0.webp 300w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/sm_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_2_3178715aa0/sm_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_2_3178715aa0.webp 768w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/md_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_2_3178715aa0/md_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_2_3178715aa0.webp 1280w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/lg_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_2_3178715aa0/lg_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_2_3178715aa0.webp 1920w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/xl_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_2_3178715aa0/xl_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_2_3178715aa0.webp 940w" width="940" height="788" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/original_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_2_3178715aa0/original_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_2_3178715aa0.webp" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

At first, the chatbot for this non profit organization focused on [answering FAQs](https://chatfuel.com/blog/chatbot-for-customer-service) about their emergency response efforts, and providing information about volunteering, receiving help, and donating. But “the bot has evolved since then,” Tony says. “It now converses in [a number of languages](https://chatfuel.com/blog/create-a-multilingual-chatbot) and routes inquiries to the right internal teams for follow up.”

Though the team has made improvements over time, the Facebook chatbot’s core purpose remains the same: “to help people at scale,” confirms Tony. To make sure the bot is achieving this goal, he explains that its conversations are regularly reviewed by staff members, and that users are also given a [live chat](https://docs.chatfuel.com/en/articles/849315-live-chat) option if they prefer. Tony adds that, when it comes to how to market a nonprofit, Direct Relief doesn’t spend much on advertising. “That makes it all the more important to maintain relationships with the people who do support the organization, and the chatbot is critical in that regard.”

> “It’s important to maintain relationships with the people who do support the organization, and the chatbot is critical in that regard.” — Tony Morain, VP of Communications at Direct Relief

<figure><img srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/xs_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_3_5b6e5edb09/xs_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_3_5b6e5edb09.webp 300w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/sm_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_3_5b6e5edb09/sm_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_3_5b6e5edb09.webp 768w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/md_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_3_5b6e5edb09/md_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_3_5b6e5edb09.webp 1280w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/lg_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_3_5b6e5edb09/lg_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_3_5b6e5edb09.webp 1920w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/xl_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_3_5b6e5edb09/xl_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_3_5b6e5edb09.webp 1283w" width="1283" height="281" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/original_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_3_5b6e5edb09/original_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_3_5b6e5edb09.webp" alt="nonprofit chatbot for nonprofit organizations "><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

## The recipe

The Direct Relief team focused on these Chatfuel tools and features to build their nonprofit chatbot:

### Templates

Before they sat down to actually build their Facebook chatbot, the Direct Relief team explored Chatfuel’s bot templates “to understand the platform and learn about what’s possible,” says Tony. Templates are a great way to get familiar with the structure of a well-built chatbot before you dive into the actual building process yourself. *Find templates for Automation → Blocks-tab bots by clicking the* ***Choose from templates button*** *when you first log in to Chatfuel. Templates for Automation→Flows-tab bots take the form of links. A collection of these is coming soon. (*[*Join our Facebook community*](https://www.facebook.com/groups/chatfuel) *for updates.)*

<figure><img srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/xs_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_4_2b4545fccd/xs_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_4_2b4545fccd.webp 300w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/sm_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_4_2b4545fccd/sm_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_4_2b4545fccd.webp 768w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/md_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_4_2b4545fccd/md_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_4_2b4545fccd.webp 1280w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/lg_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_4_2b4545fccd/lg_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_4_2b4545fccd.webp 1920w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/xl_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_4_2b4545fccd/xl_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_4_2b4545fccd.webp 1202w" width="1202" height="562" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/original_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_4_2b4545fccd/original_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_4_2b4545fccd.webp" alt="Nonprofit template for nonprofit organizations "><figcaption>Templates and shared flows can help you get familiar with the basic structure of a well-built chatbot. The one shown here is for bots built in the <em>Automation → Blocks</em> tab.</figcaption></figure>

### Artificial intelligence (AI)

If a user sends the bot a custom text message (instead of choosing a button or quick reply), artificial intelligence allows it to still respond accurately. To build their AI chatbot, the Direct Relief team used the [JSON API](https://chatfuel.com/blog/json-api-examples) to integrate Dialogflow (a conversational AI). As Tony explains, the artificial intelligence helps “expand the bot’s contextual understanding and responsiveness.”

### Live chat

Users who interact with this charity’s Facebook chatbot have the option to pause the bot’s responses and connect with a live agent instead. This functionality is helpful if the chatbot isn’t able to answer the user’s question, or if the user simply prefers speaking with a human agent.

<figure><img srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/xs_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_5_ca1b9040d1/xs_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_5_ca1b9040d1.webp 300w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/sm_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_5_ca1b9040d1/sm_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_5_ca1b9040d1.webp 768w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/md_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_5_ca1b9040d1/md_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_5_ca1b9040d1.webp 1280w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/lg_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_5_ca1b9040d1/lg_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_5_ca1b9040d1.webp 1920w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/xl_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_5_ca1b9040d1/xl_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_5_ca1b9040d1.webp 1616w" width="1616" height="1068" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/original_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_5_ca1b9040d1/original_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_5_ca1b9040d1.webp" alt="Live chat in chatbot "><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

### Google Site Search plugin and RSS Import plugin

These plugins allow Messenger chatbots to pull information from websites and instantly display it in Messenger for users. The Direct Relief bot gets information from the Direct Relief website and others to share emergency updates with users as needed.

## The results

Thanks to their Facebook Messenger chatbot, Direct Relief is now able to receive and respond to requests for help more quickly than ever before. **Their response time went from several days to under a minute.** As a result, the people they serve are able to get the resources and aid they need as quickly as possible. To date, the Direct Relief nonprofit chatbot has responded to **over 10,000 user messages.**

<figure><img srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/xs_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_6_e404ce2abf/xs_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_6_e404ce2abf.webp 300w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/sm_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_6_e404ce2abf/sm_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_6_e404ce2abf.webp 768w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/md_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_6_e404ce2abf/md_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_6_e404ce2abf.webp 1280w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/lg_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_6_e404ce2abf/lg_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_6_e404ce2abf.webp 1920w, https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/xl_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_6_e404ce2abf/xl_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_6_e404ce2abf.webp 2080w" width="2080" height="1168" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/chatfuel-cms-staging/pic/original_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_6_e404ce2abf/original_emergency_chatbot_helps_nonprofit_6_e404ce2abf.webp" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

The chatbot also assists Direct Relief with their nonprofit marketing. For one, the bot helps facilitate nonprofit fundraising by engaging those who want to donate and directing them to the right place. Plus, the chatbot saves the Direct Relief team “**dozens of hours each week**—time that can be reinvested in our mission to serve those in need,” says Tony.

Tony shares a specific example of how the chatbot for Direct Relief helped an organization quickly get the supplies they needed to provide aid to others.

<figure><img><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

## Changing the world one chatbot at a time

The Direct Relief chatbot can get users the often crucial and even life-saving information they need immediately. As a result, it empowers the organization to accomplish their mission even more effectively.

Could your nonprofit also benefit from quicker response times, more donations and volunteers, and the other perks of a Messenger bot? Check out [this video tutorial](https://youtu.be/D4n6VLQHE5U) to see just how easy it is to build a no-code chatbot with Chatfuel. (After all, the function of Chatfuel is to make bot-building accessible to all!)

Then, [sign up for your free account](https://dashboard.chatfuel.com) — no credit card, contracts, or previous experience required.

The Messenger chatbot for this non profit organization helps get life-saving aid to people in need. Direct Relief is an international nonprofit organization.

Chatbot Helps Nonprofit Handle Emergencies Fast

Find out how a customer support chat bot can help your brand provide a better customer experience. “It takes months to find a customer and only seconds to lose.

Customer support