UX Message Flows

Skill: UX for Message Flows (Chatbots, WhatsApp, Telegram)

Best practices for creating conversational flows in chat agents.

When to Use

• When creating chat agent prompts
• When designing service workflows
• When reviewing conversational flows
• When working with WhatsApp, Telegram, chatbots in general

1. Message Structure

• Short messages: Maximum 3 lines per block.
• One action per message: Don't mix multiple requests.
• Clear confirmations: "Got it! You want X, right?"
• Break long messages: Split into multiple short messages.

Example

Bad:

"Hello! Welcome to our service. To proceed, I need your ID, full name, date of birth and email. After that, I'll verify your account and inform you about available options."

Good:

"Hello! I'll help you verify your account." "What's your ID number?"

2. Tone of Voice

• Friendly, direct, no unnecessary jargon.
• Adapt to context:
  • Formal for enterprise/B2B
  • Casual for consumer/B2C
• Emojis in moderation: Use for clarity, not decoration.

Tone by Context

3. Error Handling

• Don't blame the user: "Oops, something went wrong" > "You made an error".
• Offer clear next step: What the user should do now.
• Gentle fallback: "I didn't understand. Can you rephrase?"

Fallback Examples

• "Hmm, I couldn't understand. Did you mean [option A] or [option B]?"
• "Sorry, I couldn't find that information. Can you try another way?"
• "I didn't understand. Want to speak with a human agent?"

4. Confirmations and Feedback

• Always confirm important actions: "Booking confirmed for March 15th."
• Progress indicators: "Processing...", "Almost there!", "Checking..."
• Clear closure: "Done! Your order has been registered."

Confirmation Types

5. Handoff Flows (Agent → Human)

When the agent needs to transfer to a human attendant:

1. Notify the user: "I'll transfer you to an agent."
2. Pass summarized context to human: ID, problem, what was already tried.
3. Confirm when human takes over: "All set! You're now speaking with [Name]."

Handoff Example

Agent: "This case needs a specialized agent. I'll transfer you now." Agent: "Passing context: customer wants to cancel booking #12345, already tried via app." Agent: "Hello! I'm Maria. I see you want to cancel the booking. I'll handle this."

6. Flow Patterns

Options Menu

What do you need?
1️⃣ Make booking
2️⃣ Cancel booking
3️⃣ Speak with agent

(Type the number or write what you need)

Sequential Data Collection

Agent: "What's your ID number?"
User: "123.456.789-00"
Agent: "Perfect! And your email?"
User: "john@email.com"
Agent: "Great! Data confirmed. Now I'll verify your account."

Understanding Confirmation

User: "I want to change the date"
Agent: "Got it! You want to change your booking date. Is that right?"
User: "yes"
Agent: "Alright! What date do you want to change to?"

7. Common Errors to Avoid

8. Quick Checklist

• Messages with max 3 lines
• One action per message
• Clear next step
• Appropriate tone for context
• Gentle fallback for errors
• Confirmation of important actions
• Smooth handoff to human when needed