Chatbots promised to transform nearly every industry- from entertainment to retail to tourism. The vision was that widespread use of chatbots would bring more automation, efficiency, and intelligence to how they interact with customers and operate internally.
Unfortunately, early representatives of the chatbot revolution over-promised and under-delivered, leaving many consumers and operators confused about their potential, not to mention a bit underwhelmed.
As chatbots began to hit the market a few years ago, some pundits predicted that customer service would never be the same and that companies could reduce overhead, improve customer satisfaction, and allow their employees to focus on more meaningful, complex tasks. The idea was that chatbots would answer repetitive questions asked by customers.
Instead, chatbots are generally disliked by customers today, or as Forrester put it, “Most Chatbots Disappoint." The New York Times even coined a phrase referring to the reaction many people have when encountering a chatbot when they’re looking for immediate help or important information: “the spiral of misery.”
Today, chatbots' reputation is such that some experts believe their widespread adoption has actually hindered the advancement of digitization, leading to a “wicked automation hangover” in scalable customer service.
The good news is that many companies have realized the value of chatbot alternatives that employ very different, far more sophisticated technology. A conversational AI platform uses artificial intelligence technology, supplemented by natural language processing and machine learning techniques, to understand human language, and the context behind it, and get smarter over time.That's quite a contrast from the exclusively rule-based system that most basic chatbots employ. Conversational AI is designed to help companies revamp how they interact with consumers and organize their business with powerful software.
This is particularly true in industries that grapple with seasonal swings in both hiring and customer demand. (Think retailers and holiday shopping, or resorts that benefit from huge spikes in the summer).
Still, many businesses and leaders remain hesitant to push forward with more sophisticated web chat technology, partly because of lingering confusion about what chatbots and true chatbot alternatives can and cannot do.
Overall, our hope at Satisfi Labs is to draw a clear contrast between traditional chatbots and chatbot alternatives to help decision-makers understand the key differences. The goal is two-fold: to help them set expectations for whichever technology they adopt and to guide them toward the best choice for maximizing the ROI of conversational AI if they choose to invest in it.
First, here are the common characteristics of chatbots:
Now, here are the common characteristics of alternative AI solutions:
Overall, there’s no doubt that artificial intelligence will have a significant impact on nearly every industry over the next decade or so. Basic chatbots are only the first (rather primitive) step for most companies on this journey. The businesses that fully take advantage of the potential of conversational AI solutions will fundamentally revamp how they interact with customers, structure their internal processes, and ultimately, compete to win the future.