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Funneling input

Overview​

Sometimes users need to be guided to give more information to get the most accurate and appropriate response. This involves funneling user input by giving them options and asking questions. However, asking too many questions to get to the user’s real intent can be time-consuming and frustrating. After a few attempts, chatbots should be trained to either admit defeat gracefully or hand them off to someone that can help.

Examples​

Funneling example for context 1

Funneling example for context 2

Here the chatbot asks simple questions related to the user's query to gain some context to better help them.

Funneling example for clarification 1

Funneling example for clarification 2

The chatbot needed to verify the user queries in both these examples and sought clarification before trying to give them an appropriate response.

Funneling example with choices 1

Funneling example with choices 2

Presenting options or choices for the user to select from also helps to funnel queries and show users what the chatbot can do for them. We recommend limiting the options to two or three to not overload the user.

Dos and Don’ts​

  • Do train your chatbot to guide users to their point
  • Do test your chatbot with vague queries
  • Don’t assume users know what to ask for