Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers to common questions about Hay, from setup to billing and troubleshooting.

General Questions #

What is Hay? #

Hay is an AI-powered customer support platform that handles conversations automatically using artificial intelligence. It connects to your existing channels (website, WhatsApp, email, etc.) and responds to customer questions 24/7.

How is Hay different from traditional chatbots? #

Traditional chatbots follow rigid scripts and break easily. Hay uses AI to understand context, learn from your documentation, and respond naturally. It knows when it needs help and escalates appropriately.

Do I need technical skills to use Hay? #

No! Hay is designed for non-technical users. You can set up and manage everything through a simple web interface. No coding required.

How long does it take to set up? #

You can be up and running in about 10 minutes with basic setup. Full optimization typically takes 2-4 weeks as you add more documentation and refine your agents.

What languages does Hay support? #

Hay can understand and respond in over 50 languages. Your documents can be in any language, and the AI will match the customer's language.

Pricing & Plans #

How much does Hay cost? #

Pricing varies based on conversation volume and features needed. Contact your account manager or visit the Hay pricing page for current plans.

Is there a free trial? #

Most plans include a trial period. Check with your account representative for current trial offerings.

What's included in my plan? #

Plans typically include:

Number of conversations per month
Number of agents
Team member seats
Integrations
Support level
Storage

Check your specific plan details in Settings → Billing.

What happens if I exceed my conversation limit? #

Depending on your plan, you'll either be charged for additional conversations or need to upgrade your plan. You'll receive notifications as you approach your limit.

Can I cancel anytime? #

Yes, most plans are month-to-month and can be canceled anytime. Check your specific plan terms in your agreement.

Getting Started #

What do I need to get started? #

To start using Hay effectively, you need:

A Hay account
Basic customer support documentation (FAQs, policies)
At least one communication channel to connect
10-15 minutes for initial setup

Should I start with one agent or multiple? #

Start with one general agent. Add specialized agents later only if you have distinctly different use cases (e.g., sales vs. support).

How many documents should I upload initially? #

Start with 15-25 essential documents covering your most common customer questions. You can always add more as you discover gaps.

Can I test before going live with customers? #

Absolutely! Use the Playground mode to test your agent with sample questions before connecting it to real customer channels.

Agents & AI #

How does the AI "learn"? #

The AI doesn't learn automatically. It gets "smarter" when you:

Upload more documentation
Create better playbooks
Refine agent instructions
Add examples and context

Will the AI make mistakes? #

Occasionally, yes. That's why Hay has confidence thresholds and escalates when unsure. You can minimize mistakes by providing clear, comprehensive documentation.

Can the AI access external systems? #

Yes, through integrations. For example, it can look up orders in Shopify or check tickets in Zendesk, if you've connected those integrations.

Can I control what the AI says? #

Yes! You control the AI through:

Agent instructions (tone, style, what to say/not say)
Documents (what information to use)
Playbooks (specific workflows)
Test mode (approve each response)

Will customers know they're talking to AI? #

That's up to you. Best practice is transparency - let customers know they're chatting with an AI assistant that can connect them to a human if needed.

Conversations #

Can customers talk to a human anytime? #

Yes! Customers can request a human anytime by saying things like "I need to speak to a person." The AI also escalates automatically when appropriate.

What happens to conversations when someone takes over? #

When a human takes over, the AI stops responding. The full conversation history is preserved, so the human has complete context.

How long are conversations stored? #

Based on your data retention settings. Typically conversations are kept for 90 days to 1 year. Check Settings → Privacy for your specific retention policy.

Can I delete conversations? #

Conversations are archived rather than deleted for compliance and learning. For privacy requests (GDPR), use the data deletion tool in Settings → Privacy.

Integrations #

Which integrations are available? #

Popular integrations include:

Web Chat (embed on your website)
WhatsApp Business
Email
Shopify
WooCommerce
Zendesk
Magento

Check Integrations → Marketplace for the complete list.

Can I connect multiple channels? #

Yes! You can connect as many channels as you need. The same agent can work across all channels, or you can assign different agents to different channels.

Do integrations cost extra? #

Most integrations are included in your plan. Some third-party services (like WhatsApp) may have their own fees.

Can I build custom integrations? #

Yes! Hay has an API for custom integrations. Contact support for developer documentation.

Will my Shopify/Zendesk data be secure? #

Yes. Hay uses secure API connections and only requests the minimum permissions needed. Your data is encrypted and protected.

Performance & Quality #

What's a good resolution rate? #

Resolution rate varies by industry:

Simple FAQ support: 80-90%
E-commerce: 70-85%
Technical support: 60-75%
Complex B2B: 50-70%

Why is my resolution rate low? #

Common causes:

Not enough documentation
Unclear agent instructions
Complex questions outside AI's scope
Confidence threshold set too high

See the Troubleshooting guide for solutions.

How can I improve customer satisfaction? #

Upload comprehensive documentation
Write clear, empathetic agent instructions
Respond quickly to escalations
Regularly review and optimize
Learn from negative feedback

How fast should the AI respond? #

AI typically responds in:

1-3 seconds for simple questions
3-8 seconds for document lookups
8-15 seconds for complex queries

If slower, check your document organization and agent complexity.

Documents & Training #

What types of documents work best? #

Most effective:

FAQs (question and answer format)
Policy documents (returns, shipping, privacy)
Product information and specs
Troubleshooting guides
Step-by-step instructions

How often should I update documents? #

Update documents:

Immediately when policies change
Weekly to add new FAQs from recent conversations
Monthly for full content review
Quarterly for major refresh

Can I upload documents in different languages? #

Yes! Upload documents in any language. The AI can work with multilingual content.

What if my document has wrong information? #

Simply edit or re-upload the correct version. Changes take effect immediately.

Is there a limit to how many documents I can upload? #

Depends on your plan. Check Settings → Billing for your storage limits.

Queue & Escalations #

Why do conversations escalate? #

Common reasons:

Customer explicitly asks for human
AI isn't confident in its answer (below threshold)
Negative sentiment detected (frustrated customer)
Complex issue beyond AI's capabilities
Policy exception or special handling needed

How quickly should I respond to escalations? #

Recommended targets:

Urgent/frustrated customers: 5-15 minutes
Standard escalations: 30-60 minutes
Low priority: 4 hours

Set your own SLAs based on your business needs.

Can I automatically assign escalations to specific team members? #

Yes! Use routing rules to assign based on:

Topic or keywords
Time of day
Team member availability
Customer tier/value

What if the queue gets too long? #

Short term:

Prioritize urgent items
Add temporary support coverage
Set customer expectations

Long term:

Train AI to handle more cases
Add better documentation
Adjust escalation triggers
Hire more support staff

Security & Privacy #

Is my data secure? #

Yes. Hay uses:

Encryption in transit and at rest
Secure authentication (passwords + 2FA)
Regular security audits
Compliance with data protection regulations

Yes. Hay provides tools for:

Data access requests
Data deletion (right to be forgotten)
Data portability
Consent management

Can I control who accesses what? #

Yes! Use role-based access control:

Owner: Full access
Admin: Settings and management
Agent: Conversations only
Viewer: Read-only access

Where is my data stored? #

Data is stored in secure, encrypted databases. Contact your account manager for specific data center locations relevant to your region.

Can I export my data? #

Yes! You can export:

All conversations
Customer data
Analytics
Documents

Go to Settings → Privacy or use the export feature in Analytics.

Technical Questions #

What browsers are supported? #

Hay works best on:

Chrome (recommended)
Firefox
Safari
Edge (Chromium-based)

Always use the latest version for best performance.

Can I use Hay on mobile? #

Yes! The dashboard works on tablets and phones through your mobile browser. There's no dedicated mobile app currently.

Do I need to install anything? #

No installation needed! Hay is fully web-based. Just log in through your browser.

What if Hay is down? #

Check status at status.hay.ai (example URL). For urgent issues during outages, check for status updates and estimated resolution times.

Can I use API to automate things? #

Yes! Hay has a full API for:

Creating conversations
Sending messages
Accessing analytics
Managing agents and documents

Contact support for API documentation.

Billing & Account #

How do I change my plan? #

Go to Settings → Billing → Change Plan. Changes typically take effect at your next billing cycle.

How do I update my payment method? #

Go to Settings → Billing → Payment Methods and update your card information.

Can I get a refund? #

Refund policies vary by plan. Contact your account manager or support for specific refund requests.

What happens if my payment fails? #

You'll receive notifications to update your payment method. After a grace period, service may be suspended until payment is resolved.

How do I download invoices? #

Go to Settings → Billing → Invoices and download any invoice as PDF.

Support #

How do I contact support? #

Email: [email protected] (example)
In-app: Click the Help icon in the dashboard
Community: Join our community forum

What are support hours? #

Typically Monday-Friday, business hours in your region. Check your plan for specific support hours.

How fast will I get a response? #

Response times vary by plan and urgency:

Critical issues: 1-4 hours
Normal issues: 24 hours
Questions: 48 hours

Can I get phone support? #

Phone support is available for enterprise plans. Contact your account manager to add phone support.

Where can I find training resources? #

This documentation
Video tutorials (check dashboard)
Webinars and live training
Community forum