Hire a chatbot developer who tests with real conversations

What the developer builds besides the chat window

The chat window is the easy part. The work is in what sits behind it, and each of these pieces decides whether customers trust the bot.

For the difference between scripted and model-driven bots, read our AI chatbot vs rule-based chatbot guide.

Who to hire

If a platform tool does the job, use it. Hire a developer when you need the bot to read private data, take actions, or follow rules the platform cannot express.

Testing before launch

Ask the developer to build a test set from your real enquiries: emails, call notes, chat logs. They should run it before launch and after every change. Include awkward cases: angry customers, off-topic questions, attempts to make the bot say something it should not.

1. Collect real questionsFifty to two hundred, grouped by topic. Remove personal details first.
2. Write the expected answer or actionInclude cases where the right answer is 'pass to a person'.
3. Run and scoreMark each reply right, partly right or wrong, and record why.
4. Fix and re-runContent gaps are fixed in the source, not patched in the prompt.
5. Launch smallStart on one page or channel and read transcripts daily at first.

Our chatbot script template helps you write the opening lines, fallbacks and handoff messages.

Privacy and honesty

• Tell visitors they are talking to an automated assistant.
• Do not collect more personal data than the task needs.
• Check where chat transcripts are stored and who in the supplier's team can read them.
• Ask whether your data is used to train any model, and read the provider's terms.
• Keep a way for people to reach a human or contact you by other means.

Rules on automated chat, recording and personal data differ by country and sector. Check with your lawyer or data protection contact for your markets.

Interview questions

1. Show me how your bot behaves when it does not know the answer.
2. How do you stop it quoting a price or policy we no longer use?
3. Which metrics will you report each month?
4. How long will it take to add a new product or a new language?
5. How is my content kept private from other clients' bots?

How hiring Liftup works

Liftup Technologies builds chatbots and assistants with the OpenAI and Anthropic APIs, plus voice and workflow tools. Our head office is in Pune, with offices in Coventry and New York. Calls are booked in your working hours.

A short call defines the audience, content and channels. A fixed quote follows within one working day. One lead runs the build and you test a working version each week. Our rate is $30 an hour and projects start at $1,500.

Read about AI chatbot development, check typical budgets in the AI chatbot cost guide, see more roles on the hire page, or contact us.