19.2 Conversation AI: Handling Initial Inquiries & Qualifying Leads via Chat/SMS

Purpose:

Conversation AI refers to using an integrated AI-powered chatbot to automatically handle incoming messages on selected channels (SMS, Facebook Messenger, Instagram DM, GMB Chat, Website Live Chat). Its goal is typically to provide instant responses, answer frequently asked questions, qualify leads by asking predefined questions, and potentially even book appointments directly onto your Calendars, freeing up human agents to handle more complex interactions.

Configuration (Settings → Conversation AI - Requires Admin Setup & Potentially Add-on):

Setting up Conversation AI is an advanced process usually configured by an administrator or The Close Agency. Key settings include:

  • Bot Mode:
    • Suggestive Mode: The AI analyzes incoming messages and *suggests* replies, but a human agent must review and click send. Good for assisting agents without fully automating conversations.
    • Autopilot Mode: The AI automatically handles the entire conversation based on its training and goals, until a handoff condition is met. Requires careful setup and monitoring.
  • Channels: Select the specific communication channels where the bot should be active (e.g., only on Website Chat, or across SMS and Facebook Messenger).
  • Bot Training (CRUCIAL): Provide the AI with knowledge to answer questions accurately:
    • Website URLs: Enter URLs of your agency website pages (Homepage, About Us, FAQ, Service Pages). The AI will crawl these pages to learn about your business.
    • Knowledge Base Upload: Upload relevant documents (PDFs, potentially Word docs) containing information you want the bot to know (e.g., detailed service descriptions, standard operating procedures, community info).
    • Q&A Pairs: Manually add specific questions and their exact answers for common inquiries.
    • More comprehensive training leads to better bot performance.
  • Bot Prompt / Personality / Instructions: Define the AI's persona, tone (e.g., Friendly and helpful assistant), key objectives, and specific instructions (e.g., "Your goal is to qualify real estate leads by asking about their timeframe, budget, and desired property type. Always try to book an appointment onto the Buyer Consultation calendar if they seem qualified. Do not provide legal advice.").
  • Bot Goals: Define specific actions the AI should attempt to achieve during the conversation:
    • Trigger Workflow: Start a specific Close Master workflow based on the conversation.
    • Collect Contact Info: Instruct the bot to ask for and recognize Name, Email, Phone if missing.
    • Book Appointment: Allow the bot to access selected Calendars and schedule appointments based on user requests and calendar availability. Configure preferences like which calendars to use, appointment duration defaults, etc.
  • Appointment Booking Configuration: If enabling appointment booking, select the specific Calendars the bot should use, define how it handles scheduling conflicts, and customize related prompts.
  • Human Handoff Rules: Define conditions under which the AI should stop interacting and assign the conversation to a human agent. Examples: If the user asks for a human, if the user expresses strong negative sentiment, if the bot cannot answer a question after X attempts, or based on specific keywords.

Usage & Best Practices:

  • Start with Suggestive Mode: Begin with Suggestive Mode to assist agents and understand the AI's capabilities before enabling full Autopilot.
  • Monitor Conversations: Especially in Autopilot mode, regularly review conversation transcripts handled by the AI to ensure accuracy, appropriate tone, and successful goal completion. Identify areas where training needs improvement.
  • Refine Training & Prompts: Continuously update the Knowledge Base, add more Q&A pairs based on real user interactions, and refine the main Bot Prompt instructions to improve performance over time.
  • Use Workflows for Integration: Leverage the Conversation AI Action within Workflows. This allows you to specifically instruct the bot to ask a predefined question at a certain point in an automated sequence and then use If/Else branches based on the bot's interpretation of the contact's reply.

Usage Costs:

Conversation AI usage (especially in Autopilot mode) typically consumes specific AI credits or messages, billed against your Wallet or included plan limits.