OPC-DC: Guided Chatbot Journeys for Better User Navigation & Engagement

Project Objective

The DC Office of People’s Counsel Office (OPC) sought a more intuitive, helpful experience for users visiting their website. Their goals:

• Enable visitors to find what they need quickly via guided pathways (“journeys”) triggered by keywords or selections
• Allow free-text questions for topics not covered in those paths
• Reduce friction and improve access to OPC’s resources (consumer assistance, utilities help, legal/advocacy, etc.)
• Ensure the chatbot integrates with the existing Microsoft stack (CRM, flows, etc.)
• Provide analytics to measure how well the chatbot is helping, and allow continual refinement

Our Approach

1. Mapping Key User Journeys

We began with a deep dive into usage patterns and priority content on the OPC site:

• Analyzed which topics or sections users access most (utilities help, consumer complaints, legal resources, FAQs)
• Identified user intent patterns (e.g., someone looking for “electric bills,” “file a complaint,” “what are my rights”)
• With OPC’s team, designed specific guided journeys: triggered by certain words or menu selections so that the user is led through a path to relevant content

2. Flexible Conversational Paths

While many users benefit from guided experiences, others have specific questions:

• The chatbot is configured to offer structured journeys but also accepts typed questions freely
• If user input matches a known journey trigger, that path is followed; otherwise, the bot attempts to match to closest relevant content or escalate for manual handling

3. Technical & Systems Integration

To ensure the bot fit into OPC’s operational systems:

• Integrated with Microsoft Copilot Studio, enabling seamless connection to their CRM and other Microsoft tools
• Enabled backend workflows (e.g. through Power Automate or similar) to handle data, notifications, or escalation based on user interactions

4. Analytics & Reporting

A central part of the project was ensuring the chatbot isn’t just a tool, but an insight engine:

• Captured user responses, journey usage, free-text queries, and drop-off points
• Generated periodic reports for OPC showing which journeys are used most, what queries aren’t being satisfied, where improvements are needed
• These insights inform content updates, path refinements, and adjustments to conversation flow

5. Continuous Feedback & Improvement

OPC’s chatbot is viewed as a living asset. As their work evolves (new policies, new resources, changing utilities laws, etc.), the chatbot continues to be updated. Future enhancements might include:

• As the OPC team identifies new needs or sees gaps, new journeys or content are added
• Regular testing of conversation logic and trigger accuracy
• UI / response formatting polished over time to match style, tone, and user expectations

Result & Outcomes

• Improved User Navigation: Many users now locate their desired resources in just a few clicks via the guided journeys rather than browsing aimlessly
• Greater Flexibility: Users also have freedom to ask specific questions when journeys don’t cover their query
• Operational Insights: Reports reveal which content is most needed, and which areas were previously under-serviced or confusing
• Systems Efficiency: Integration ensures that relevant user data flows into the CRM and Microsoft tools for follow-up, tracking, or escalation
• Team Empowerment: OPC’s team is able to suggest improvements, adjust content paths, and enhance conversation flows without needing major redevelopments

Continuing Partnership & Future Plans

Since go-live, the chatbot is refined in cycles:

• More sophisticated natural language handling for typed questions
• Predictive suggestions based on user behavior
• Deeper analytics (e.g. sentiment, question satisfaction scores)
• Integration with other channels (e.g. SMS or social media)