Glossary
Formal and informal address setting – what does it mean?
Definition
Formal and informal address setting: the formal and informal address setting determines whether the assistant addresses the customer informally or formally.
It is set during onboarding based on the tone of the website, and is independent of the knowledge base.
How it works
The way the assistant addresses customers is decided during onboarding, based on the tone of the website. The content of the knowledge base is independent of this: the same text can appear in an informal or a formal form of address. This way, the form of address matches the existing voice of the website.
Check how the assistant addresses the customer in the test questions before it goes live. If the company later changes its tone, review the setting too.
An example from a company
A youthful cosmetics online store addresses its customers informally, a winery formally; both run on the same platform. In the cosmetics store, the customer receives the instructions for using a cream in a direct, familiar tone; at the winery, the same is phrased in a polite, formal way. The only difference is the form of address.
What this means for business owners
The form of address is the customer’s first impression, so do not leave it to chance. Decide on it deliberately, and check in the test questions whether the answers fit your brand.
If the tone feels foreign to the company’s customers, the content of the answer may be accurate and still seem distant or intrusive. Ask the provider how the setting can be changed before the assistant goes live.
How we do it
Our team carries out the onboarding, and before go-live we check the answers with ten test questions. We set the tone during onboarding based on the tone of the website, so the form of address matches that of the website.
What to do now?
Do you have a question about your own website or online store? Request a demo or see pricing.