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How to write an RFP for digital chat

Requirements, questions, and evaluation criteria specific to digital chat procurement

7 min read

Digital chat solutions are no longer simple add-ons but core components of modern customer experience. RFPs are critical in this space because the solutions vary widely in technical capabilities, AI sophistication, and integration depth, impacting everything from customer satisfaction to agent productivity.

What makes digital chat RFPs different

Digital chat RFPs differ significantly due to the rapid evolution of AI and its integration into these platforms. Buyers must carefully assess the AI capabilities offered, including natural language processing (NLP), sentiment analysis, and the ability to automate tasks through agentic AI. Additionally, the level of integration with existing CRM, knowledge management, and contact center systems is a crucial differentiator.

Legal and compliance requirements surrounding data privacy and security in digital communications also add complexity.

  • Level of AI integration and automation capabilities
  • Integration with existing CRM, knowledge management, and contact center systems
  • Data privacy, security, and compliance requirements (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA, SOC 2)
  • Scalability to handle increasing chat volumes and evolving customer needs

RFP vs RFI vs RFQ

Here's when to use each document type when procuring digital chat software.

RFI

Request for Information

Use early in your search to understand what vendors offer and narrow your list. Gather general capabilities, company background, and high-level pricing ranges.

RFP

Request for Proposal

Use when you know your requirements and want detailed vendor solutions and pricing. This is your main evaluation document for shortlisted vendors.

RFQ

Request for Quote

Use when requirements are fixed and you just need final pricing. Often used after RFP when you're ready to negotiate with finalists.

For digital chat, an RFI is useful for initial market research to understand available features and deployment options. An RFP is necessary for detailed evaluation of specific vendor solutions, including AI capabilities, integration options, and security protocols. An RFQ is generally not suitable due to the complex and customizable nature of digital chat implementations.

Technical requirements checklist

Use this checklist when defining your RFP scope.

Channel Support

  • Web chat
  • Mobile in-app chat
  • SMS/Text messaging
  • Social media messaging (e.g., Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp)
  • Email integration

AI Capabilities

  • Natural Language Processing (NLP) for intent recognition
  • Sentiment analysis
  • AI-powered chatbot/virtual agent
  • Agentic AI for task automation
  • Knowledge base integration for AI responses

Integration Requirements

  • CRM integration (specify platforms: Salesforce, Zendesk, etc.)
  • Knowledge Management System (KMS) integration
  • Help desk/ticketing system integration
  • Analytics platform integration
  • Authentication and SSO integration

Security and Compliance

  • Data encryption (at rest and in transit)
  • Data residency options
  • Access controls and user permissions
  • Compliance certifications (SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR)
  • Data retention policies

Reporting and Analytics

  • Real-time chat monitoring
  • Historical reporting on chat volume, resolution time, CSAT
  • Agent performance metrics
  • Conversation intelligence and sentiment analysis reports
  • Customizable dashboards

Questions to include in your RFP

AI Capabilities

  • Describe your AI engine's ability to understand complex customer inquiries and intent.
    Ensures the AI can accurately interpret customer needs.
  • Explain your approach to Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) and how it prevents AI from providing inaccurate or fabricated information.
    Critical for ensuring AI responses are truthful and grounded in your data.
  • Detail your platform's sentiment analysis capabilities and how it triggers escalations to human agents.
    Helps identify and address frustrated customers quickly.
  • Describe the AI's ability to automate tasks (Agentic AI) and provide examples of tasks your AI can perform.
    Demonstrates the potential for AI to resolve issues without human intervention.

Integration and APIs

  • Describe your platform's integration capabilities with our existing CRM (specify platform), knowledge base, and other relevant systems.
    Ensures seamless data flow and prevents data silos.
  • Detail your API offerings and provide sample use cases for integrating with custom applications.
    Allows for extending the platform's functionality and integrating with unique business processes.
  • Explain how your platform handles data synchronization and ensures data consistency across integrated systems.
    Prevents discrepancies and ensures accurate information is available to agents.
  • What pre-built connectors are available for common business applications?
    Reduces integration complexity and implementation time.

Security and Compliance

  • Describe your platform's security measures to protect customer data, including encryption, access controls, and vulnerability management.
    Protects sensitive information and maintains customer trust.
  • Detail your compliance certifications (e.g., SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR) and provide relevant documentation.
    Verifies adherence to industry standards and regulatory requirements.
  • Explain your data residency options and how you ensure data is stored in compliance with regional regulations.
    Meets data sovereignty requirements and avoids legal complications.
  • Describe your data retention policies and provide options for data deletion or anonymization.
    Ensures compliance with data privacy regulations.

Deployment and Scalability

  • Describe your platform's deployment options (cloud, on-premise, hybrid) and the associated infrastructure requirements.
    Determines the flexibility and cost of deployment.
  • Explain how your platform scales to handle increasing chat volumes and agent workloads.
    Ensures the platform can meet future demands.
  • Detail your platform's disaster recovery and business continuity plan.
    Guarantees service availability in case of unforeseen events.
  • What are the platform's requirements related to network bandwidth and latency?
    Identifies potential infrastructure bottlenecks.

Reporting and Analytics

  • Describe your platform's reporting and analytics capabilities, including real-time dashboards, historical reports, and customizable metrics.
    Provides insights into chat performance and customer behavior.
  • Explain how your platform measures customer satisfaction (CSAT) and other key performance indicators (KPIs).
    Tracks the effectiveness of the chat solution and identifies areas for improvement.
  • Detail your platform's conversation intelligence capabilities and how it extracts insights from chat transcripts.
    Uncovers valuable information about customer needs and product issues.
  • Can we create custom reports and dashboards to track specific metrics relevant to our business?
    Ensures the platform can provide the insights we need.

Pricing and Licensing

  • Provide a detailed breakdown of your pricing model, including licensing fees, implementation costs, and ongoing support charges.
    Ensures transparency and accurate budget forecasting.
  • Explain your pricing structure for AI-powered features, such as chatbots and sentiment analysis.
    Helps assess the cost-effectiveness of AI capabilities.
  • Do you offer flexible pricing options based on usage or the number of active agents?
    Provides cost savings for organizations with fluctuating chat volumes.
  • Are there any hidden costs or additional fees not included in the initial quote?
    Avoids unexpected expenses and ensures accurate TCO calculation.

Compliance and security requirements

Depending on your industry, you may need to require proof of these certifications and standards.

HIPAA

Required if handling protected health information (phi). If applicable, request a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) and documentation of HIPAA compliance measures.

GDPR

Required if processing personal data of eu citizens. If applicable, request information on data processing agreements, data subject rights, and data transfer mechanisms.

SOC 2 Type II

Required for demonstrating security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy controls. If applicable, request a SOC 2 Type II report from an independent auditor.

PCI-DSS

Required if processing credit card information. If applicable, request a PCI-DSS Attestation of Compliance (AOC) and documentation of security controls.

CCPA/CPRA

Required if processing personal data of california residents. If applicable, request information on compliance with CCPA/CPRA requirements, including data subject rights and data breach notification procedures.

Evaluation criteria

Here is the suggested weighting for digital chat RFPs.

AI Capabilities and Automation The sophistication and effectiveness of AI-powered features, including NLP, sentiment analysis, and agentic AI.
25%
Integration and API Flexibility The ease and depth of integration with existing CRM, knowledge management, and other systems.
20%
Security and Compliance Adherence to industry standards and regulatory requirements, including data privacy and security measures.
15%
Scalability and Reliability The platform's ability to handle increasing chat volumes and maintain service availability.
15%
Reporting and Analytics The comprehensiveness and customizability of reporting and analytics dashboards.
10%
Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Implementation costs, licensing fees, and ongoing support charges.
10%
Vendor Experience and Support The vendor's track record, customer references, and support services.
5%

Some weights were adjusted based on your priorities.

  • Increase if automation and deflection are critical goals.
  • Increase if complex integration requirements exist.
  • Increase for high-growth businesses or those with seasonal demand fluctuations.

Red flags to watch

  • Inability to demonstrate RAG implementation

    Indicates a potential risk of AI hallucination and inaccurate responses.

  • Lack of transparency in AI training data

    Raises concerns about data privacy and potential bias in AI responses.

  • Limited integration options with critical business systems

    Creates data silos and hinders seamless workflows.

  • Vague or incomplete security documentation

    Signals potential vulnerabilities and compliance risks.

  • High per-resolution pricing for AI-powered features

    Can lead to unpredictable and escalating costs.

Key metrics to request

Ask vendors to provide benchmarks from similar customers.

AI Deflection Rate

Indicates the percentage of customer inquiries resolved by the AI without human intervention.

Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) Score

Measures customer satisfaction with the chat experience.

Average Handle Time (AHT)

Tracks the average time it takes for agents to resolve customer inquiries.

First Contact Resolution (FCR)

Measures the percentage of inquiries resolved during the first interaction.

Bot-to-Human Handover Rate

Indicates how often the AI needs to escalate inquiries to human agents.

Implementation Time

Helps understand how quickly the solution can be deployed and generate value.