Using AI to answer customer chats 24/7: techniques any SME shop can start today
SME shops can answer customer chats all day without hiring staff, using a simple AI chatbot you can set up in 3 steps to save time and grow sales.
Why SME shops need to answer customer chats around the clock
A customer messages at midnight asking about the menu, the prices, the opening hours. You are asleep. By the time you wake up, there are 15 messages sitting unanswered, and the customer has already ordered from another shop.
This is a real problem for restaurants, retail shops, and service businesses that do not have someone answering chats at all hours. You lose a sale every time you fail to reply in time.
What an AI chatbot is and how it works
An AI chatbot is an automated program that answers customer questions for you through Facebook Messenger, LINE Official Account, or your website. It reads the message, understands the question, and sends back a preset answer instantly.
Examples of questions the AI can answer:
- "What time do you open?"
- "What is on the menu?"
- "How much does it cost?"
- "Can I book a table?"
- "Do you deliver?"
If a customer asks something the AI cannot answer, it hands the case over for you to answer yourself.
3 steps to start using an AI chatbot today
- Choose a platform: use Chatfuel or ManyChat (for Facebook/Instagram), LINE Official Account (which has a built-in chatbot), or Botpress (free and open-source).
- Write your questions and answers: gather the 10 to 15 questions customers ask most often, write short, clear answers, and add them to the system.
- Test and refine: send test messages yourself, check whether the AI answers correctly, make the replies sound natural, and add new questions every week.
Things to watch out for when using AI to answer chats
Do not let the AI answer everything. Some customers want to talk to a real person. Set the AI up to hand off complex cases, such as:
- Complaints
- Special orders
- Price negotiations
- Detailed product questions
And do not forget to check your chats every day. The AI gets some answers wrong, some customers are unhappy, and you need to step in and fix it.
Summary: easy to start, real results
You do not need to be a programmer, and you do not need to invest tens of thousands. Start with the 10 questions customers ask most, add them to a free chatbot, and test for one week. You will see that customers get answers faster, you have more time for other work, and, most importantly, you never miss a sale again.
