What is a chatbot?
A chatbot is software that talks to visitors through a text chat window on your site. It answers questions, collects information, and points people to the right page - all without a human on the other end. Good chatbots handle 80% of routine inquiries automatically.
How it works in online booking
You add a chatbot to your website. A visitor types "Do you have availability on Thursday?" The bot checks your calendar and replies with open time slots plus a link to book directly. If the question gets too specific, it hands off to a human with the full conversation context. The chatbot juggles 50+ conversations at once, day and night. Add one to your site built with the booking website builder. For AI-powered scheduling, the appointment booking MCP server lets AI assistants manage bookings through natural language.
Benefits
- Available 24/7 - captures leads at 11 PM when no one's at the desk
- Handles 50+ simultaneous conversations without any wait time
- Cuts front-desk workload by answering 80% of repetitive questions on autopilot
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a chatbot actually book appointments?
Yes. Modern bots connect to booking APIs and walk clients through the process: pick a service, choose a date, select a time, confirm. The appointment lands in your calendar immediately. AI-powered options from Tidio or Intercom handle this out of the box.
What happens when a chatbot can't answer a question?
Good bots detect when they're stuck and escalate to a human. The agent sees the full conversation so the client doesn't repeat themselves. No agent available? The bot collects contact info and creates a follow-up task. Always configure a fallback path.
