E-commerce
July 1, 2026
A customer may see an offer on a flyer, a poster, a magazine, a paper catalog, a radio commercial, or an in-store QR code, and then try to find it online. The problem arises when the code does not work, the product cannot be found, or the validity date is unclear.
The chatbot must link the request to the offline campaign, collect useful clues, and verify the conditions without assuming that all offline offers are still valid online.
This guide explains how to manage offline offers with an AI chatbot, to prevent the customer from losing trust between physical advertising and the digital journey.
Summary
Why do offline offers cause misunderstandings?
Offline advertising can remain visible after a campaign has ended. A flyer can circulate for a long time, a poster can be forgotten, a QR code can lead to a modified page.
The customer, however, sees a current promise. The chatbot must therefore check the context before replying that the offer does not exist.
An offline offer must be reconnected to its campaign before being accepted or refused.
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What information should be requested?
The bot may request the medium seen, the location, the date, the code, the QR code, a photo, the product concerned, the advertised price, and the legible conditions.
It must remain practical: a photo of the flyer or poster can often resolve the issue faster than a long description.
How to check validity?
The chatbot must verify the campaign period, the product selection, the channel used, the country, the participating stores, exclusions, and cumulative conditions.
It must distinguish between an offer that can be used in-store, an offer that can be used online, and an offer valid only in certain points of sale.
How to handle a broken QR code or link?
If a QR code leads to an expired page, the bot can request a photo or the relevant media, then offer the current page if it exists.
If the offer still seems active but the link is blocked, it must be escalated with the media and the error message.
How do I reply if the offer has expired?
The chatbot must explain the expiration of validity tactfully, especially if the physical support is still visible. It can propose a current offer if one exists, without inventing an extension.
If the date was illegible or missing, the request must be transferred with proof to check if a commercial exception can be considered.
Which flow to follow?
The flow must identify the campaign before concluding.
Collect media, location, date, code, photo, or QR code.
Identify the offline campaign and its conditions.
Verify channel, period, product, country, and exclusions.
Explain if the offer is valid, expired, or limited.
Forward ambiguous proof, broken links, or commercial exceptions.
Which messages should be used?
To collect: "Could you send a photo of the offer or indicate the visible code? This will help me identify the campaign."
To clarify: "This offer may be limited to certain products, dates, or channels. I am checking the terms."
To escalate: "Since the medium still seems visible, I am forwarding the proof for verification."
When to transfer?
The transfer is necessary if the proof is recent, if the QR code is broken, if the date is illegible, if the customer is in-store, or if the code should work but is blocked online.
The bot must transmit the photo, location, date, code, product, channel, error message, and desired request.
Which KPIs should be monitored?
Track flagged offline offers, broken QR codes, expired campaigns that are still visible, rejected codes, exceptions granted, and the marketing materials involved.
This data helps align field marketing with the online experience.
Which mistakes should be avoided?
Avoid refusing without identifying the campaign, extending an offer without validation, ignoring physical proof, or confusing a boutique offer with a web offer.
The chatbot should serve as a bridge between the message seen offline and the reality of the site.
How can Qstomy help?
Qstomy can connect the chatbot to orders, the catalog, logistics statuses, campaigns, and support rules to respond clearly, then transfer sensitive cases with an actionable summary.
The chatbot helps the customer move forward without exposing unnecessary data or promising an action that still depends on human or operational validation.
Explore AI support, the AI sales agent or request a demo.
Key takeaways
Key Takeaways
An offline offer must be verified using its medium, date, channel, and terms.
What the Customer Needs to Understand
The customer must understand whether the offer is valid, expired, limited to a specific store, or blocked by mistake.
The Chatbot's Actual Limits
The chatbot can identify and explain, but it must hand over in the event of ambiguous proof, broken QR codes, and commercial exceptions.
Enzo
July 1, 2026
