4 Tips for Writing User-Friendly Chatbot Error Messages

By Published On: July 2nd, 2021Categories: chatbots

While some years ago, chatbots were considered an out-of-the-ordinary instrument that didn’t seem to produce a clear ROI, today the businesses’ perception of them is a lot different. AI-based chatbots have become an essential tool for corporations that help them improve customer experience, brand reputation and authority. While the benefits of adding this instrument to your business are important, companies know that chatbots require serious investments. 

In this article, you will discover why you should think of developing user-friendly chatbot error messages for your business. Also, we will offer you an overview of the most important tips that you can use in your chatbot strategy. 

 

Why You Should Create User-Friendly Chatbot Error Messages?

Before we share some tips tested for writing easy-to-understand chatbot error messages, we consider it’s important to first understand why you should work on the content to be as user-friendly as possible. So, by developing friendly chatbot error messages for your users, you will bring the following advantages for your company:

  • A user-friendly and clear chatbot error message will help your users find the answer to some of the most common issues and questions. Therefore, your customer support team can focus on tackling complicated situations and find creative solutions to them. With this strategy, your users will have a positive experience on the platform and benefit from improved accessibility.
  • A satisfied user will start talking about your brand. Therefore, by taking the creation of chatbot error messages seriously, you demonstrate improved attention to detail and preoccupation with your customer’s needs. Such a strategy will bring a positive impact on your reputation and industry authority.
  • Any user who quickly found the solution to his/her problem by using the chatbot won’t hesitate to come back to your site in the future. Therefore, using AI-based chatbots and creating user-friendly error messages will help you increase your retention rate.
  • The data stored in your chatbot logs offer you important information on the user’s interaction behavior. Based on the data collected, you can personalize your chatbot error messages and improve the level of interaction.

 

How can you write user-friendly chatbot error messages? 

1. Include Calls to Action for Redirecting the Users

When a user reaches your chatbot, he/she needs to clearly understand what his/her options are. Therefore, including CTAs in your chatbot error messages is one of the most successful strategies you could have. They will help you guide your users by suggesting which buttons to use or enter specific information to receive a solution to his/her problem. A clear Call to Action can offer the user the alternative to discuss with a customer support representative or restart the conversation and choose different options for his/her problem. Below, you can find some examples of successful chatbot error messages that will help you improve the user experience:

chatbot error message - chatbot-fehlermeldungen

Source

In the example from the left, you can find a successful example of a chatbot that offers the users different options in a clear CTA. Therefore, the user can ask for the help of a customer support team member or choose one of the buttons shown below that will offer him/her more information on the respective topic. In the example from the right, you can find that the chatbot offers straightforward details on what it can do and offers options to the user to help him/her get out of this dead end.

Also interesting: Essential Tips To Improve Your Chatbot

2. Create a Chatbot Persona Before Writing the Error Message

Before you start writing the content, you should think first of creating a chatbot persona. As it is the first to interact with your clients when an error occurs, you should think about how it will respond to them when they need help. For example, you can ask yourself whether you want it to be friendly or witty? The answer to this question should be aligned with your customer support strategy and the way the team members are trained to respond to client’s inquiries. Therefore, your chatbot should follow the same tone when offering responses and create a consistent communication tone. 

Besides, you should decide whether your chatbot will have a proactive or reactive attitude. So, you should decide whether you include a different answer option for the user and try to help him/her as much as possible through the chatbot. Or, you can also choose to give limited alternatives. Thus, your chatbot will state that it doesn’t understand the request and redirect the case to customer support.

3. Write the Same Error Message in Multiple Variations

Oftentimes users bounce into the same error repeatedly. Receiving the same error message from chatbots might become annoying for users after a while. So, if you want to improve the users’ experience and show them that you care about their issues, you can write the same error message in multiple variations. A chatbot that becomes robotic and disengaging will become annoying and triggers the users’ lack of confidence in its ability to find a solution to the problem. Therefore, you can randomize several messages for general errors and help the user find the right path to solving his/her situation.

4. Encourage the Users to Offer Feedback

A successful method that will help you improve the chatbot error message is through feedback. Like this, you give your users a voice and allow them to tell you what went well and what improvements you should make. On the other hand, you must detect the less relevant advice and focus on feedback that can help you improve the customer experience. So, after the user has interacted with your chatbot, you can customize it to incorporate a feedback form that comes at the end of the conversation. Onlim, for example, is specialized in creating chatbots that can incorporate different functions, the feedback form included. Therefore, your clients won’t spend additional time filling in a separate form that they receive via email. They can offer the feedback immediately via the chatbot. Thus, you will make the entire process a lot easier for the user. Apart from using the users’ feedback for improvement, you also make them loyal to your brand by showing them that their opinion is important for you.

 

Conclusion 

Creating a website or online store that doesn’t have any errors is almost impossible. The same goes for chatbots. Therefore, the best strategy is to be prepared for tackling errors and create comprehensive and friendly chatbot error messages that will help the users find a solution to their issue. By adopting such a strategy, you show your users that you are proactive and have a professional attitude towards their needs. 

Author’s bio: Jessica Fender has a background in marketing and sales and works as a copywriter and blogger for OKDissertations. She enjoys sharing her knowledge with like-minded experts who strive to deliver high-quality services to their customers.

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