Clients do not only have questions during business hours. A client panicking about an IRS notice at 9pm on a Friday needs a response.
An AI chatbot on your website or client portal can handle after-hours queries without you working weekends.
What your chatbot should handle:
- “I got a letter from the IRS. What do I do?” → Calming explanation + instruction to email a photo of the letter
- “When is my return due?” → Deadline information based on extension status
- “I need to make a tax payment. Where do I go?” → Link to EFTPS or state payment portal
- “I need a copy of last year’s return” → Instructions for accessing the client portal
Setup options:
- Tidio + ChatGPT integration — Relatively easy to set up, good for small firms
- Intercom — More robust, handles escalation to your team during business hours
- Custom GPT — Build a GPT trained on your firm’s FAQs and policies
Important: Configure the bot to clearly state it is an AI and escalate urgent matters (IRS deadlines, penalties) to a human via email alert.
Does your firm have any after-hours client support? What are you using?