Live Support vs Chatbot: When to Use Which?

"Human operator or chatbot?" is the wrong question. The right approach is to use both at the right time.

When Should a Chatbot Be Used?

A chatbot is the most effective solution in the following scenarios:

• Frequently asked questions: Business hours, return policy, shipping information
• Order tracking: Order status, shipment tracking number
• Information queries: Product features, price information, stock availability
• After business hours: 24/7 basic support
• High-volume periods: Black Friday, campaign periods

When Is Live Support Necessary?

A human operator is indispensable in these situations:

• Complex issues: Technical failures, multi-product problems
• Sensitive topics: Complaints, financial disputes
• Sales opportunities: Personal attention for high-value sales
• Emotional situations: Angry or upset customers
• Special requests: Non-standard requests

Hybrid Model: Best Practice

Yanıtly's hybrid model works as follows:

1. Customer opens the widget, AI chatbot greets them
2. AI tries to answer the question from the knowledge base
3. If it can't answer or if the customer requests, it transfers to an operator
4. Operator works quickly by approving AI-suggested responses
5. After the conversation closes, AI sends a satisfaction survey

Handoff Rules

Set the following rules for an effective handoff system:

• Automatic handoff when AI confidence score drops below 60%
• Instant handoff on phrases like "I want to talk to an operator"
• Automatic handoff on sensitive keywords (complaint, lawyer, legal)
• Handoff after 3 unsuccessful response attempts

Conclusion

The most successful customer service strategy is the hybrid model that intelligently combines AI and human support. Yanıtly offers advanced handoff rules and analytics tools to help you strike this balance.