AI chatbots have become a valuable tool for SMEs: they answer visitors at any hour, qualify their needs and collect their contact information. But as soon as a tool collects a name, an email address or a description of a need, it is handling personal information. In Quebec, this means it must comply with Law 25, the law governing the protection of personal information in the private sector.
Connect Chat, the chatbot module of the Pratcom Connect suite, was designed with this reality in mind. This article presents what the module actually does for Law 25 compliance, based solely on the features described on its official page.
Connect Chat at a glance
Connect Chat is a bilingual AI chatbot available 24/7. It answers questions from your website visitors, guides them and captures their contact information as leads. It is part of the Pratcom Connect suite and installs on a WordPress site in just a few minutes using the Pratcom Connect Bridge connector.
Its main features, as presented by Pratcom, are as follows:
- 24/7 availability: visitors get an immediate response in the evening, on weekends and on holidays.
- Trained on your business: the chatbot knows your products, your services and your standard answers, so it gives accurate responses rather than generic ones.
- Lead capture: it collects the visitor’s name, email address and need, then creates a lead in the Pratcom Connect CRM.
- Bilingualism: it automatically responds in French and English to serve your customers across Canada.
It is precisely because it collects contact information that the question of Law 25 arises. A chatbot that is effective at capturing leads must also be transparent with the people who entrust it with their information.
What the module provides for Law 25
On the module’s official page, the answer to the compliance question is clear. Pratcom states that Connect Chat complies with Law 25 and specifies two concrete elements.
Connect Chat displays a privacy notice when it opens, and data is managed in accordance with Law 25.
A privacy notice as soon as it opens
The first element concerns transparency. When the visitor opens the chat window, Connect Chat displays a privacy notice. The person is thus informed before interacting with the assistant and, where applicable, before leaving their name, email address or a description of their need.
This moment matters: it is at the start of the interaction that the information is most valuable to the visitor. They know what to expect before sharing anything.
Data managed in accordance with Law 25
The second element concerns the handling of the information itself. According to the module’s page, the data collected by Connect Chat is managed in accordance with Law 25. For an SME, this avoids having to set up a generic chat tool and then wonder after the fact how the conversations are handled.
Centralized and traceable conversations
Data management also depends on how conversations are stored. Every conversation handled by Connect Chat is recorded. When a visitor leaves their contact information, a lead is automatically created in the Pratcom Connect CRM, and you keep the complete history of the exchanges.
This centralization offers several advantages for a business that wants to properly manage the information it receives:
- Information is not scattered across multiple tools or email inboxes.
- The history of exchanges is stored in the same place as the corresponding lead.
- Follow-up with the visitor is based on what they actually expressed in the conversation.
The module also provides for cautious behavior when the chatbot reaches its limits. If a question goes beyond its knowledge, it invites the visitor to leave their contact information for human follow-up. Rather than improvising an answer, it directs the person to your team.
A comprehensive approach with Connect Privacy
Connect Chat does not operate in isolation. The module’s page specifies that, when combined with the Connect Privacy module, it fits into a comprehensive compliance approach. In other words, the chatbot covers its share of compliance (a privacy notice when it opens and data management in accordance with Law 25), while Connect Privacy, another module of the Pratcom Connect suite, completes the setup across your entire online presence.
For an SME, the benefit is being able to build its compliance process with tools designed to work together within a single suite, rather than with disparate solutions.
Setup and the business’s role
On WordPress, Connect Chat installs in just a few minutes with the Pratcom Connect Bridge connector. The client then configures the module themselves from their Pratcom Connect account, including the content the chatbot relies on to answer: products, services and frequently asked questions.
This point deserves emphasis. A tool can facilitate compliance, but the responsibility for properly managing personal information remains with the business. A few simple best practices help you get the most out of the module:
- Make sure the content provided to the chatbot is up to date and accurately reflects your products and services.
- Follow up promptly on leads created in the CRM, since visitors left their contact information for that purpose.
- Consider the Connect Privacy module to place the chatbot within a broader compliance process.
Conclusion
Connect Chat allows SMEs to respond to their visitors 24/7, in both French and English, and to turn conversations into leads in the Pratcom Connect CRM. With regard to Law 25, the module displays a privacy notice as soon as it opens, manages data in accordance with this law and, together with Connect Privacy, fits into a comprehensive compliance approach. To see the module in action, you can request a demo from Pratcom at 1-844-640-9500.
