What a Chatbot Taught Me: Good Answers Start with Good Questions

Building a chatbot seems like a technical task until you actually have to list what people are truly asking. That's when you realize it's a task of careful listening.

Questions First, Tools Second

I started by listing a dozen of the most common questions and only then did I design the scenario. Without this list, the bot answers smoothly but off-topic.

When to Hand Over the Conversation to a Human

The most important rule I learned: a bot needs to know when to stop. If a question falls outside the scenario, it's better to collect contact information and escalate the issue than to make things up.

The same principle applies to ticket handling. A quick, honest response that the issue has been passed to the right person is worth more than pretending you know the answer.