Creating a dialogue

A dialogue handles one subject from start to finish. Building one is mostly deciding what it does when things go sideways.

A dialogue handles one subject from start to finish. Building one is mostly deciding what it does when things go sideways.

Create one

1. Open the AI agent and add a dialogue.
2. Name it for the subject it covers.
3. Describe when it should be used.
4. Set what the agent asks and what it replies.
5. Decide what happens when the customer gives an unexpected answer.
6. Test it, then publish.

One subject per dialogue

"Where is my order" is a dialogue. "Orders" is three or four. A dialogue covering several subjects has to work out which one applies before it can help, which is exactly the delay you are trying to remove.

Describe the trigger in customers' words

The description is how the agent decides to use it, so it should contain the phrasings people actually use, including the vague ones. "My package has not arrived", "where is my stuff", "shipping late".

Plan for the unexpected answer

Ask for an order number and you will get an email address, a question, or nothing. Decide in advance: ask once more, or hand over.

Dialogues that only handle the expected answer are where customers get stuck, and stuck is the state that generates complaints.

Give it an ending

Confirm the answer helped, and offer a person if not. A dialogue that delivers information and stops leaves the customer wondering whether anything happened.

Test with a colleague

Somebody who does not know the intended path. They will answer the questions differently from you, which is the point.

See also

• Creating and managing replies
• Conversation design: how to build a good exchange
• Creating use cases