Are Chatbots the New Normal?
Love them or hate them, chatbots are here to stay. Chatbots have quickly become a must-have as a business player in the digital space. Technology is quickly changing the landscape and today’s chatbots are smarter, more responsive and more useful than ever!
What Are Chatbots?
According to an article published on Wordstream, Chatbots — also known as “conversational agents” — are software applications that mimic written or spoken human speech for the purposes of simulating a conversation or interaction with a real person. There are two primary ways chatbots are offered to visitors: via web-based applications or standalone apps.
Are Chatbots a Hype or a Trend?
The use of chatbots for business is more likely to increase in the coming years. Businesses should keep an eye out for chatbots in order to remain competitive in the space. I recently came across an article in the NY Times about Facebook launching “Liam Bot”, an internal chatbot designed to teach employees what to say when family or friends inquire about the company. Liam Bot was rolled out right before Thanksgiving so that the bot was accessible to Facebook employees during the holiday season.
There are already many mixed reviews as to how Facebook is addressing internal communication with it’s employees through Liam Bot; especially right now that the company and Mark Zuckerberg continue to face major data privacy issues. However, in my opinion, I don’t think Liam Bot should come as a surprise given that company heavily uses chatbots as one of their primary offers to brands. As a matter of fact, Facebook specifically launched Facebook Messenger in order to be able to offer an easy way for users to create chatbots.
I am personally not a big fan of chatbots myself. Call me old school but I still would prefer to have a conversation with a human who can relate and sympathise with my human needs. However, I have to admit that I’ve also had some good and efficient experiences with chatbots. And the best part of all is that one can avoid the chit-chat altogether and dive in directly into what’s needed.
Let’s take a look at some pros and cons of chatbots as described by amoCRM
To Chatbot or Not to Chatbot?
It depends. I am not saying every business needs to have a chatbot. It has to make sense! As TheBusinessOpportunity.Biz says in it’s article, “Ultimately, if your business frequently communicates with customers, then implementing a chatbot for your business could save you money, engage customers, and keep you available all day every day, all year long.”
