Ticket deflection is a customer service strategy to reduce support tickets by helping customers resolve issues without contacting an agent. This can happen in several ways:

• Self-service resources → knowledge bases, FAQs, tutorials.
• Community support → forums or user groups.
• Automation & chatbots
• Channel redirection → encouraging customers to use faster, automated, and lower-cost channels (e.g., moving from phone/email to chat).

Each of these methods reduces the volume of inbound tickets and frees up your support team.

Among all approaches, deflecting to chat (especially with an AI chatbot 💬⚡) is the most efficient as chat enables 85 - 95% automation, while email and voice automation remain much lower.

In this guide, we’ll explain what deflection is, why it matters, and how to improve your deflection rate with practical techniques - including call deflection, proactive chat, and smart contact page design.

📘

Deflection Definition

For clarity, this guide defines deflection as shifting customer inquiries away from phone calls and emails and into highly automated chat with an AI chatbot.

Why Deflection Matters

• Channel imbalance → Companies still receive the majority of inquiries through email or phone. Deflection helps redistribute this load into chat, where automation is strongest.
• Lower costs → AI chatbot automates 85 -95% requests.
• Instant replies → customers get faster answers without waiting.
• Scalability → handle seasonal peaks without extra hiring.
• Better CSAT → happier customers with less frustration.

Deflection is not about blocking customers. It’s about offering them a faster, easier path while allowing your support team to focus on complex issues.

Deflection Rate

The deflection rate is the percentage of tickets successfully redirected from one channel (such as email or phone) into another (such as chat).

For e-shops, the average ticket deflection rate is 15-25%, while well-optimized setups can consistently reach 30% or more.

Typical Deflection Rates by Technique are:

• Contact page redesign: 30–50% of contacts shift to chat
• Email footers & transactional emails: 5–10%
• Call deflection (IVR → chat): 20–30%
• Proactive chat outreach: 10–30%

Ticket Deflection Tactics

Below is a list of deflection tactics that, when optimized, typically deliver the highest deflection rates.

If you want to take it further, you can also map all your customer support touchpoints (places where customers find your contact - website, social media, transactional emails, Google Maps, etc.) and measure how much each channel is used. This way, you’ll know exactly where customers reach out most often and can prioritize deflection tactics where they bring the greatest value.

High Priority (Quick Wins)

Chat Visibility & Design

Your chat widget should be highly visible and inviting. If customers don’t notice it, they will default to email or phone. Use your website’s main call-to-action color to make the launcher stand out, and add simple text like “Need any help?” to signal that chat is the fastest option.

Just as important, the widget should not interfere with other design elements. Test it across your homepage, product pages, and checkout flow to ensure it remains easy to find without blocking buttons, navigation, or promotional banners.

Contact Page Optimization

The contact page is often the first point of contact for customers who are about to send an email or make a call. This makes it one of the most valuable touchpoints for deflection. The key is to highlight chat as the primary channel while de-emphasizing phone and email.

📘

Auto-Open Chat on Contact Page

When a customer visits the contact page, the chat widget can open automatically. By showing a typing indicator and welcome message right away, the chatbot draws the customer’s attention and encourages them to start a conversation instead of looking for an email address or phone number.

You can emphasize the advantages of chat by making response times clear:

• Chat: “Instant reply”
• Email: “Replies within 24–48 hours”
• Phone: “May involve long wait times”

Design also plays a role. Highlighting the chat in a positive color (such as green) helps signal that it is online and fast, making it the natural first choice.

For maximum impact, configure the chat widget to auto-open on high-intent pages like FAQ or Delivery & Returns. This ensures customers notice the chat option before they consider email or phone.

Finally, avoid placing phone numbers and email addresses in prominent locations like headers or footers. Instead, route customers to the contact page, where chat is positioned as the primary support channel.

Transactional Email Deflection

Customers often reply to order confirmations, shipping updates, or return instructions by email. To deflect these interactions into chat, redesign your transactional emails with a clear chat call-to-action.

Instead of just including an email address, add a button like “Get instant help in chat”. This redirects customers to your website, where the chatbot can handle most inquiries.

Proactive Outreach Outreach

Proactive outreach means sending a chat message when a customer shows signs of needing help. This reduces calls and emails by catching issues early and guiding customers before they switch to phone or email.

In Amio, proactive outreach is designed to attract attention without being intrusive. The chat window remains collapsed, but a small message preview is shown to the customer. This creates awareness while still letting them choose to engage.

Common triggers:

• A welcome message when the customer first visits your website (typically after 20–60 seconds).
• Spending more than 60 seconds on the returns or shipping page.
• Browsing multiple products in the same category without adding to the cart.

When these triggers occur, the chat can display a friendly, contextual message such as: “Hi, do you need help finding the right size?” or “Want to check delivery options for your order?”.

Call deflection (IVR → chat)

Call deflection happens when customers calling your support line are redirected to chat (or messenger like WhatsApp) instead of waiting on hold. This is especially powerful during peak times like holidays or product launches.

The most common approach is to add an option to your IVR (interactive voice response) system, such as: “Press 1 to receive a text message with a link to chat instantly.” Customers who choose this option get an SMS with a direct chat link and can continue their support journey digitally.

To implement this, you need to integrate your IVR with an SMS provider or your chat platform. While this requires some technical setup, the payoff is large - phone calls are expensive and time-consuming, while chat can be automated and scaled.

Additional Ideas

• Mobile app integration - If many customers use your app, embed chat directly inside for a seamless support experience that avoids phone or email.
• Messenger channels - Active on Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, or Viber? Add a chatbot to handle inquiries instantly and redirect them into automation.
• QR codes on packaging - Place a QR code on boxes or invoices that opens your contact page with chat active, guiding customers into automated support.
• Out-of-hours email auto-reply - Use an auto-reply to point customers to chat: “We’ll respond within 24h, but you can get instant help here [link].” This reduces backlog and builds a chat-first habit.

Conclusion

Deflection is one of the most effective ways to lower support costs and improve response times. By moving customers from phone and email to chat, e-shops can automate the majority of inquiries, reduce agent workload, and keep customers satisfied with instant answers. Start with the most common touchpoints, measure your deflection rate, and expand gradually - even small changes can deliver significant results.