UX Content Strategist
From dead ends to clear paths: How I redesigned a chatbot fallback for BMO Assist
The challenge: Help users succeed on their first try
BMO launched a new chatbot, BMO Assist, to support everyday banking. With 760,000+ users and 1M+ sessions, traffic was strong. But half of those chats ended in failure.
When the bot wasn’t confident, it said: “I’m sorry, I didn’t understand that.”
That left customers stranded without guidance or next steps.

The problem: fallback wasn’t just a copy issue — it was a strategic gap
While the long-term plan was to improve intent recognition through training, I proposed a content-led solution that could help immediately:
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“What if fallback wasn’t the end of the conversation—but a second chance?”
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That’s how the fall-forward model was born.
The goal: measure outcomes, not just AI accuracy
We set clear targets to shift focus from precision to progress:
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Raise the response success rate from 45% to at least 80%.
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Reduce exits after fallback.
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Improve positive feedback.
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Define success in terms of customers completing tasks, not just the AI guessing right.
A poor user experience. The chatbot couldn't match a response even if it were close.
My approach: turn fallback into fall-forward
I owned the content strategy for a new model that gave customers choices instead of dead ends.
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Create options, not apologies
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Short acknowledgement → “Try one of these” → 2–4 clear CTAs → safe escalation.
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Design a scalable CTA system (300+ options):
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Verb + noun → “Lock card”
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Noun only → “Account balance”
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Question → “Why am I receiving alerts?”
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Work across functions
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With PM: set new KPIs.
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With design: tested fit within UI.
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With engineer/QA: spec’d behaviour and edge cases.
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Real examples



The results? Users didn’t just stop at fallback. They moved forward.
Within the first week of launching the Fall-Forward Model, the chatbot’s response success rate jumped from 45% to 86.5%—nearly doubling its effectiveness overnight.
13,150
Fall-forward responses invoked in the 1st week
90%
Increase in correct responses
43%
Responses contributed to total thumbs up
Why it matters: building trust in a new channel
For many people, BMO Assist was their first time trying digital self-serve with the bank. A poor fallback would have eroded confidence quickly. By replacing a dead end with clear choices, we made the channel feel more reliable and worth coming back to.
Lesson learned: Sometimes the fastest way to improve AI isn’t retraining — it’s better content strategy.