Service
AI Chatbots for Business: Customer Service Automation for UK Firms
An AI chatbot answers customer questions on your website from content you approve. It captures the details of people who need help and hands over to a person when it cannot help. HAeX builds and runs AI chatbots for UK businesses. We scope each one on a free 30 minute call.
It suits businesses that get the same customer questions all day and lose leads when nobody replies.
Is an AI chatbot right for my business?
Think of opening hours, delivery times, what a service includes, and whether you cover a postcode. We see this most at estate agents and property managers, dental practices and clinics and law firms. A good chatbot answers the simple questions and sends the rest to your team.
You can see what those questions cost you. The Staff Time and Cost Calculator turns hours spent on repeat answers into pounds.
It is not a fit if most questions need judgement or care from the first message. A person should take those, from the start.
Will an AI chatbot get things wrong?
It only answers from content you approve, and when it does not know, it says so and takes a message.
Most people have met a bad chatbot. It invents an answer, and the customer loses trust. We avoid that by limiting the chatbot to your approved content. We also test the awkward questions before it goes live.
Take a returns policy. If your policy says 30 days, a loose chatbot may say 14, because that is what it read elsewhere. A chatbot limited to your policy says 30, or says it will check. We build the second kind.
No chatbot is perfect. You can read every conversation, tell us what to fix, and we change it.
What happens when it cannot help?
It takes the visitor's details, tells them a person will follow up, and sends you the conversation.
We call this human takeover. You choose who is told and how. The visitor can also ask for a person at any time. The visitor never hits a dead end.
Can it capture leads and book calls?
Yes. It can ask for a name and email, then offer a time in your calendar.
We build two levels. The first is capture and book. It does not answer questions, and it collects details and books a call. The second answers questions from your approved content as well. Many firms start with the first and add the second once they have read real conversations.
Details can pass into your CRM or a workflow, which links to our AI Automation Services and AI integration services.
Website chat comes first. We scope WhatsApp and Microsoft Teams on the call if you need them.
Which channels does it work on?
Most customer questions start on your website, so that is where we begin. If your customers already message you on WhatsApp, a WhatsApp chatbot may be worth adding. We tell you plainly if a channel is a poor fit for your business.
Is this a chatbot, an AI agent or an AI receptionist?
A chatbot answers messages. An AI agent works through a task. An AI receptionist answers phone calls.
| Item | Chatbot | AI agent | AI receptionist |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where it works | Your website or messaging | Inside your systems | Your phone line |
| What it does | Answers questions, captures details | Works through several steps of a task | Answers calls, books appointments |
| Best when | Customers ask the same questions | A job has many steps and tools | Calls go unanswered |
| Our page | This page | AI agents development | AI Receptionist |
Many firms use a chatbot and a receptionist together. Our chatbot or AI agent guide goes deeper.
If callers matter more than website visitors, see our AI voice agents and AI phone answering service.
Is customer data safe under UK GDPR?
Yes, with the right setup. Every build comes with a UK GDPR and data flow note, and a data protection impact assessment where the work needs one.
The note shows which tools see the conversation, what they store and where. You see it before you sign. We also help you word a short notice on your site, so visitors know they are talking to an AI. Read more about AI governance and compliance.
We scope it on a free call and give you a fixed quote. The price depends on what the chatbot answers, what it connects to and the channels you want.
What does AI customer service automation cost?
We do not publish one figure, because a capture and book chatbot and a full answering chatbot are different jobs. These things move the price.
| What changes the price | Why |
|---|---|
| Level of build | Capture and book costs less than answering from content |
| Amount of content | More pages and policies mean more to load and test |
| Connections | A CRM or calendar link adds build and testing |
| Channels | Each extra channel needs its own setup |
AI chatbots
How long does it take to build?
Most builds take two to six weeks from the audit, depending on what the chatbot connects to.
- 1
Discovery call
30 minutes. You tell us the questions customers ask most.
- 2
Audit and fixed quote
We read your content, pick the questions to cover and send a fixed quote.
- 3
Build
Two to six weeks. We set it up and test it with your hardest questions.
- 4
Run and improve
We read the conversations with you and fix gaps.
How will I know it works?
You can read the conversations, see how many were handed over to a person, and count the leads and bookings it created.
That is a simple, honest picture. We do not quote a success rate in advance, because it depends on your content and your customers. After launch we review conversations with you and fix the gaps we find. The chatbot gets better because people read what it says.
Your questions, answered
Do you offer a WhatsApp chatbot?
We scope WhatsApp on the call if your customers use it. Website chat comes first.
Will a chatbot take work away from my customer service team?
It takes the repeat questions, so your team can spend time on the ones that need a person. It is a tool for your team.
Do I need to supply content?
You share what you already have, such as your website, price list and policies. We tidy it and ask you to approve it.
Can it connect to my CRM?
Usually yes, and we confirm which CRM on the first call. See our AI integration services.
What is the difference between a chatbot and an AI agent?
A chatbot answers messages. An agent works through a task across your systems. See our chatbot or AI agent guide.
Can visitors tell it is an AI?
We tell them. A short line at the start says they are chatting with an AI assistant, and that they can ask for a person.
Where can I learn more about AI automation?
Our AI automation guide explains the basics in plain English.
What happens on the call
- 1
You tell us the questions your customers ask most
- 2
We show you how a chatbot would handle them
- 3
You leave with ideas you can act on and a clear next step
It is 30 minutes with one of our consultants, with no slides.
Prefer to talk first? Call 07435 708864.
What you now know
- It suits businesses that get the same questions all day.
- It answers only from content you approve.
- It hands over to a person when it cannot help.
- It can capture leads and book calls.
- Website chat comes first, and other channels are scoped on the call.
- A chatbot, an agent and a receptionist do different jobs.
- Every build has a UK GDPR note.
- You get a fixed quote after a free call.
- Builds usually take two to six weeks.
- You can read every conversation after launch.
Talk through a chatbot for your business
The first call is free. We say what a chatbot could answer for you and where a person should step in.