Six questions that reveal everything about an AI vendor before you sign. Most will answer them poorly. I am writing this because I am tired of watching businesses make expensive, avoidable mistakes.

The AI vendor market is large, growing, and largely self-regulated in terms of how companies describe what their products do. Anyone can claim anything in a demo. The questions that reveal the truth are the ones most vendors do not want asked.

I am sharing these because a business owner who knows what to ask will make a better decision — even if that decision is to work with someone other than Chatpliance.

Question 1: What Are the Specific KPIs You Will Report on Monthly?

Not “what does the dashboard show” — what will you report to me, on a specific date each month, in a format I can review? If the answer is vague, the accountability structure does not exist.

Good answer: “Your monthly report will include query resolution rate, escalation rate by category, average response time, revenue recovered, and flagged responses we updated that month.”
Red flag: “You will have access to our dashboard to track activity in real time.”

Question 2: Who Specifically Will Update My AI When My Business Changes?

A name. A role. A process. When you change your pricing, launch a new product, or update a policy — how does that change get into the AI, and how long does it take? If no one can answer this specifically, it probably will not happen.

Question 3: What Happens to My Data If I Cancel?

You need three commitments in writing: full data export within a specific number of business days, permanent deletion within 30 days, and a clear statement that your data is never used to train models for other clients. If any of these are missing from the written contract — not the verbal assurance — that is a problem.

Question 4: Can I See the Staging Version Before Any AI Goes Live?

Mandatory. Non-negotiable. Your written approval should be required before a single customer interaction occurs. Vendors who want to skip this step are not sufficiently concerned about your brand reputation.

Question 5: Which Data Protection Laws Are You Compliant With in My Market?

Canada: PIPEDA and CASL. USA: CCPA and CAN-SPAM. West Africa: NDPR. European customers: GDPR. Not “we are privacy-compliant” — which specific frameworks, and do you have a Data Processing Addendum available?

Question 6: Can You Give Me a Specific Result From a Business Like Mine?

A specific business, a specific metric, a specific timeframe. If a vendor cannot produce this for your sector, their track record there does not yet exist.