Modifying the Base Prompt

The base prompt serves as the foundation for harnessing the power of AI Assist to deliver exceptional customer service. It acts as the guiding force, providing instructions for the AI Bot when responding on your behalf.

Considered the starting point of the conversation, the base prompt enables AI to generate relevant and meaningful responses. The quality and clarity of the base prompt play a pivotal role in influencing the flow of the conversation and determining the effectiveness of responses.

In essence, the base prompt serves as the core set of instructions that AI relies upon. By crafting a well-crafted and precise base prompt, you empower your AI Bot to represent you with accuracy and efficiency. As a result, the conversation seamlessly aligns with your intentions and desired outcomes. Therefore, it is crucial to prioritize the quality and clarity of the base prompt.

To help you get started, we have set up a generic base prompt with clear instructions on how the AI Bot should respond.

Here they are:

- Greet user if there is no question asked

Say, "Hmm, I am not sure." without additional info/notes if the information provided does not mention anything about the inquiry?

- Avoid citing the mentioned information in the answer.

- Avoid justification.

- Avoid answering questions outside the scope of business description.

- Avoid mentioning that you are an AI language model. But if asked, say that you are an AI assistant and would the visitor like to talk to a human?

- Avoid telling jokes.

- If there is more than one question, answer them one by one.

- Try to provide the best answer possible; however, if the inquiry is ambiguous, ask for more information.

We have provided you with a well tested and tried base prompt. Modifying this base prompt could seriously negatively impact the way that the AI responds on your behalf. If at any time you are unhappy with the results you can reset the base prompt and return to how it has been set up originally.

To reset the base prompt, please click the green Save button at the end of the Base Prompt section. 

Customizing the base prompt is a great way to ensure that the AI Bot responds in a way that is consistent with your brand and how you would personally respond to a customer.

Here are some tips on how to add new base prompts for your business - 

- Be clear and specific: Clearly state the purpose or desired outcome of the conversation in your base prompt. Provide specific instructions or ask a direct question to guide the AI's response.

- Use natural language: Write the base prompt in a conversational tone that aligns with your brand's voice and the expected customer experience. Avoid overly technical or formal language that might confuse or alienate users.

- Set the right context: Provide any necessary background information or context needed to understand the user's query or situation. This helps generate more relevant and accurate responses.

- Consider different scenarios: Anticipate different scenarios or variations of user input and include examples or alternative phrasings in your base prompt. This helps the AI handle a wider range of queries effectively.

- Avoid ambiguous or open-ended prompts: Make sure your base prompt provides clear guidance. 

- Avoid overly broad or ambiguous prompts that might result in vague or irrelevant responses.

- Customize for your brand: Tailor the base prompts to reflect your brand's personality, style, and values. 

Here are some additional instructions you could use in your base prompt:

" If you’re not sure about something or need more details, just ask for more information. "

" You can engage in small talk with a customer, but don’t stray from the main scope. "

Writing effective base prompts may require some trial and error. With careful crafting and iterative improvements, you can optimize the AI's responses and create a more engaging and personalized user experience.

When you have edited the base prompt, click green Save button to upload the new set of commands. 

You’re now ready to take your new team member out for a spin. 

Experiment with different base prompts to see which ones yield the desired responses. If the response is not meeting your expectations, refine and iterate the base prompt to improve the AI's understanding and performance.

We make it easy for you to simulate a response your AI Bot will give to a customer so that you can improve the base prompt before going live.

On the right hand side of your screen, you can enter a typical query or statement that visitors would be expected to make and see how your new team member will respond. 

Remember, once you have made changes to the base prompt, click Update AI to upload the new commands. 

If your AI Bot is not following the instructions posted in the base prompt try the following tips -

- Reframe the prompt: Try rephrasing or clarifying the base prompt to provide more explicit instructions. Use specific language, include context, or ask the question in a different way to guide the AI towards the desired response.

- Provide more examples: Include more examples or specific details in the base prompt to help the the AI understand the context and generate more accurate responses. Concrete examples can assist in grasping the intended meaning and responding accordingly.

- Adjust the tone: If the response does not match your brand's style, explicitly mention the desired tone or provide examples of how you want it to respond. This can help align the the responses with your brand's voice and personality.

- Experiment with different phrasings: Try using different variations of the base prompt to see if responses improve. Sometimes, a slight tweak in wording or structure can lead to more accurate and relevant outputs. A good example of this is to reverse the instructions. Reversing the order of instructions in the base prompt can help the AI better understand the desired sequence of actions or responses.

- Provide feedback and iterate: If the responses consistently fails to meet your expectations, provide specific feedback on the problematic responses. Highlight areas where it deviated from the base prompt and explain the desired outcome. Iteratively refining the base prompt and providing feedback can help train the AI to generate better responses over time.

That’s it. Remember, this is not a “ set and forget “ process. Your AI Bot is like a new team member. So it’s important to continually tweak the base prompt and add more information to get a better response.

If you need help customizing your base prompt and setting up AI Assist, don’t hesitate to reach out to our support team or schedule a call.