What happened
01
The customer asked about a bereavement fare after a relative died.
02
The bot said he could claim it within 90 days of the ticket being issued.
03
The airline refused, because its policy did not allow claims after travel.
04
The tribunal rejected the argument that the bot was a separate entity and ordered compensation.
Why this is a design failure
The bot spoke with confidence about a policy that did not exist. People make money decisions on answers like this.
The fair alternative
Link the answer to the official policy text, and say clearly when it is not sure.
Do
Show confidence and link the official source.
Don’t
Don’t present a guess as fact.
Design guide for this case
If you're designing a support chatbot
Interface
Every answer about money, refunds or rules shows a link to the official policy page, right under the reply.
Words
In the bot's content guide: "For policy questions, quote the policy and link it. Never describe a rule from memory."
Flow
When the bot can't find the policy, it hands over to a person instead of guessing.
Metrics
Don't count "resolved by the bot" as success on its own. Track how many policy answers matched the official text.
Testing
Ask the bot 10 policy questions and compare each answer with the real policy, word by word.
Before launch
01
Does every policy answer link to its source?
02
Does the bot say when it isn't sure?
03
Is there a way to reach a person from any answer?