Channel Selection

4 patterns for this issue

Goal: Each interaction happens in the channel that fits the job, and switching never costs the user their context.

Why this family exists

Chat, voice, a visual interface, and a person each suit different jobs. Many agents default to chat for everything, including selling things people need to see and handling discussions that need a call.

How we measure it

Shared metrics the patterns below report against. Targets are starting points to tune on your own data, unless a source is given.

MetricTargetDefined in
Visual-format rate for high-dependence productsOver 95%visual product sold by text or voice (GitHub)
Detection recall of conversations that outgrew chatOver 85%complex or emotional discussion forced into chat (GitHub)
Re-ask rate after handoffUnder 5%no channel switch or context lost (GitHub)
Sensitive values in stored logs0sensitive data collected in chat (GitHub)

Patterns

PatternOne line
Visual product sold by text or voice (GitHub)Selling fashion or furniture with words only
Complex or emotional discussion forced into chat (GitHub)A hard conversation stuck in a chat window
No channel switch, or context lost on switch (GitHub)Customers repeat themselves after a handoff
Sensitive data collected in chat (GitHub)Card numbers and SSNs typed into a chat or spoken to a bot

Planned (not yet written)

  • Channel chosen for organisational convenience
  • User-context mismatch (driving, Deaf or hard of hearing)
  • Dense information read aloud (voice phase)