The Do’s and Don’ts of AI Chatbot Script Writing

oday, there are hardly any businesses without Conversational AI. With the skyrocketing digitalisation, it has become a must-have for businesses to provide a better customer experience.

In 2020, almost 67% of global consumers interacted with a chatbot for customer support. Also, 34% of retail customers find it more comfortable to converse with an AI chatbot than live agents.

So, there’s no reason why a business shouldn’t have a chatbot.

There are many benefits that a business can derive from chatbots. But that’s another story.

In this blog, we’re going to talk about the do’s and don’ts of writing chatbot scripts. But first, let’s know what chatbot script writing is.

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What is Chatbot Script Writing?

Chatbot script writing is feeding your bots with the right words to speak. It is from these scripts that a bot responds to customer queries.

AI Chatbots require a ‘conversational’ script. If not, they become too mechanical. On the other hand, if the conversational aspect is too much then it may lead to unnecessary pleasantries and unhelpful responses.

So, striking the right balance is the key.

There’s a way to produce chatbot scripts that are well-constructed, helpful, and short and that will minimize the efforts of customers. And adding human touch makes the chatbot warmer and more comfortable to interact with.

So, scroll down and check out our list of Do's and Don'ts that you must follow while preparing a script for your AI Chatbot.

The Do’s of Script Writing for AI Chatbots

1. Get the Purpose & Personality Right

Ask yourself what your bot will be doing. Whether it will provide customer support or help them place orders or all of the above. Once you are clear about the bot’s purpose, it becomes easier to develop the script.

You might want to involve your sales team, customer support, and service agents to know what queries are frequently asked. This will help you build the script and personality of the chatbot.

Experiment with different scenarios. For example, if several customers ask about a specific product feature, then try experimenting with a scenario where customers are asking your chatbot about it. This will help to build an outline for the script.

Coming to shaping the bot personality, ask the following questions:

• What will be the bot’s tone?
• What will be its attitude?
• Will it use humour? If so, how?
•  Will it be sympathetic?

Further, you can also decide on giving it a name or assign demographics to make it an entirely different entity.

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2. Consider User Sentiment & Request

Jot down how a buyer must feel in a specific situation. For example, if a buyer is trying to retrieve their password, they may be frustrated.

Or if a buyer wants to order a new product, they might be excited. Noting down expected sentiments can help in making the chatbot responses better.

Further, anticipate what the buyer might say in a specific situation. If you can anticipate the dialogues from both ends (bot and buyer) then you will be able to build the chat sequence in a better way.

For example, in a situation where buyers have forgotten their password, the possible remark can be I want to reset my password. And then you can write the response that your AI chatbot will be providing.

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3. Create Specific AI Chatbot Scripts

When creating your chatbots for a website, build specific scripts. Start with the chatbot greetings. Since first impressions count, make sure you start with striking the right chord. Use friendliness, warmth to draw the customer.

The same goes for goodbyes. End the conversation on a positive note and invite buyers to revisit.

However, be careful with designing the greetings. Your bot’s greetings should not make customers think that they’re human agents.

For instance, maintain extra care with greetings like ‘Hi! I am Andrea. How can I help you?’

Next, craft crisp responses to identified questions. Since few alternative questions will have the same answer, ensure covering multiple phrasings in the response. If it seems difficult, then develop individual responses for each alternative question.

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Here are few extra tips to consider:

• Speak directly to the buyer (addressing by name if possible) like ‘How can I help you, Matt?’
• Make it sound familiar. Occasional use of ‘hmm’ ‘umm’ can do the work
• Be humble. Make your bot say “Your query is confusing” or “I am sorry. I am unable to understand this” when the bot doesn’t have an answer.
• Try emojis and GIFs. Use when appropriate. Cramming responses with emojis is not cool.
• Make it short & sweet. Break sentences and avoid long ones.
•  Use passive voice only when necessary (better to avoid). “Please answer the two questions to continue further” is better than “To continue, few questions need to be answered”

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The Don’ts of Script Writing for AI Chatbots

1. Confuse Your AI Chatbots with Over Complications

If chatbots ask too many questions, it may end up in an unpleasant experience.

Did you know that 80% of the customer queries have been solved by chatbots without humans having to intervene?

This is huge. But if the chatbot script is overcomplicated, customers will not want to have an interaction.

What we mean by an overcomplicated script includes two main aspects:

• Asking for too much information – Writing a script that makes the chatbot ask for too much information (including sensitive details) is a disaster. No customer will be comfortable in providing these details to a bot. They would rather want a human agent for providing such details. So, asking for plenty of information is not justifiable.
•  A chatty chatbot – Being friendly with customers is good, being over-talkative is not! Customers usually come with a query and they do not want to spend time having lengthy conversations. Instead, most customers look for a straightforward answer to their question without having to run through the FAQs section.

When preparing the chatbot script, remember to be concise.

For instance, if the query is about the price of a product, the customer will not be interested to get a lecture on the product costing, its manufacturing expenses, and overheads.

So, avoid overstuffing your chatbot with long and irrelevant details.

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2. Avoid Proofreading the Script

Customers interacting for the first time with your chatbot and the chat is loaded with mistakes, complex words, and vague sentences. A nightmare, right?

This is to avoid this nightmare that you need proofreading for your chatbot scripts.

A script can sometimes be too wordy or long and unclear. This will certainly deter customers. Even if they forgive small grammatical errors (that doesn't mean you won't correct the grammatical mistakes), the distorted text is not at all helpful.

You can easily use online writing platforms and proofreading tools to ensure that your script is just the way your customers want – clear, concise, and helpful. 

Skipping on proofreading may affect the customer’s understanding of your chatbot queries.

3. Refrain from Using your Brand’s Uniqueness

A chatbot is not just for supporting your customer service team in resolving queries, but also for promoting your brand. It is a tool that helps in increasing your brand awareness and recognition.

Not too many businesses are aware of the marketing potential that an AI chatbot possesses. Yet, several customers form an opinion after they have interacted with a brand's customer support team, including the chatbot.

This is the reason why you shouldn’t let go of this opportunity to impress your customers on their very first visit.

Add some unique features of your brand to your chatbot script that makes it distinguishable. Rest assured customers will remember your bot.

There are several examples of conversational AI that have been innovatively developed to ensure the marketing of the brand.

For instance, Moosend’s chatbot uses a cow’s picture to greet the customer with a ‘Moo!’

Further, NatGeo’s TV show Genius uses a Facebook Messenger bot that interacts using a featured Genius’s voice like Einstein or Picasso.

So, even you can use such creative ideas unique to your brand for your chatbot scripts.

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Ready to Build a Chatbot?

Now, if you have made up your mind about writing chatbot scripts, then our list of do's and don'ts is going to come in handy.

Keep in mind that the conversation with the chatbot should be natural. Also, make the bots 'understanding' through the insertion of keywords.

With the Konverse AI platform, building an amazing chatbot is no big deal. You can easily build your bot and get every possible assistance from us.

So, schedule and demo and kickstart your chatbot script writing!

Additional Readings

Know the AI Chatbot Ideas for Your Business in 2021

Retain Customers using these AI Chatbot Strategies

Ask these questions before getting an AI Chatbot