During the holidays, a lot of shopping and planning happens in the evening. People sit down after dinner, make a list of what they need to book or buy, and start sending messages. Are you open on the 24th? Can I still get an appointment before Christmas? Do you do gift cards? For many local businesses, those messages arrive hours after the last person has gone home.
By the time someone replies the next morning, the customer may already have booked with whichever business answered first. The question was simple. It just came at the wrong time.
Most holiday questions are the same handful
Look back through last December's messages and you will probably see the same few questions again and again:
- What are your hours on specific holiday dates?
- What is the last day to book, order or get something done before Christmas?
- Do you sell gift cards, and how do I buy one?
- Is the holiday offer still running, and what are the terms?
- Do you serve my area, or can you fit me in this week?
These have clear, factual answers that rarely change once the season is planned. That makes them exactly the kind of question an AI assistant on your website chat can handle well, at any hour.
What an AI assistant can do overnight
An AI assistant on your web chat answers questions in plain conversation, using the information you give it about your business. When a question needs a person, such as a quote, a complaint or an unusual request, it can collect the customer's name, contact details and what they need, so your team can follow up first thing.
The result is that the evening shopper gets an answer straight away, and your team starts the next day with a list of real inquiries instead of a pile of unanswered messages. It also means fewer people who would rather chat than call slip away because nobody was there.
The customer who messages at 9pm is not being difficult. They are shopping when they have time to.
Give it the right information
An assistant is only as good as what it knows. Before the season starts, write down your holiday hours by date, booking and ordering cut-offs, gift card details, any offers and their terms, and the areas you serve. Put the same details on your website, which also helps AI search tools answer the same questions correctly, as covered in answering holiday questions on your website for AI search.
Then check its answers. Ask it the questions your customers ask, in the way they ask them, and correct anything that is wrong or unclear. Update it whenever plans change, such as when an offer ends or a date fills up.
Keep a person in the loop
An assistant is there to answer the simple questions and capture the rest, not to replace your team. Make sure someone reviews the overnight conversations each morning and follows up quickly on anything that needs a human answer.
Vizible's AI Assistant brings web chat, text and Messenger inquiries into one shared inbox and gives every inquiry an immediate answer, whether or not anyone is at a desk. If you would like to see how it would fit your business, start with a free growth proposal.
Frequently asked questions
- Can an AI assistant answer customer questions after hours?
- Yes. An AI assistant on your website chat can answer common questions such as hours, booking cut-offs and gift cards at any time, using information you provide about your business.
- What happens when the AI assistant cannot answer a question?
- It can collect the customer's name, contact details and request so a member of your team can follow up, usually the next working morning.
- What information should I give an AI assistant for the holidays?
- Your holiday hours by date, the last dates to book or order, gift card details, any offers and their terms, and the areas you serve.
- Does an AI assistant replace my staff?
- No. It handles simple questions and captures inquiries outside working hours, so your team can spend their time on the conversations that need a person.