‘Text-Only Chatbots’ Vs ‘Voice-Enabled Chatbots’. Which Is Better?

Can we do more than just chatting with chatbots? A candid answer to this would be — of course we can!

Businesses are diversified nowadays. They may have more than one line of products or services, thus, making the businesses a bit complex. They have their specific needs and their segment of customers might be different too.

These type of businesses accordingly demand even more expert features that can deal with the customers with supreme professionalism and ease. So, businesses will obviously have vivid preferences when it comes to bringing in chatbots for customer support. Some may require chatbots that can only text and some may require voice-enabled chatbots.

Let this article give you some insights on content on ‘text-only chatbots’ vs ‘voice-enabled chatbots’ and which is better for which type of business.

What is a ‘Text-Only Chatbot’?

A ‘text-only chatbot’ is one that is capable of interacting strictly through messaging. They converse via texts sensing the want of the customer. How about understanding this with an example.

Tim: Hey Restobot, me and my wife want to go out for a casual dinner. Can you please book us a table at a nice restaurant nearby?

Restobot (A Food and Restaurant bot that helps you find restaurants nearby and book tables there) : Sure. What kind of food would you like to have? Chinese, Lebanese, Continental or Thai?

Tim: Lebanese is good!

Restobot: There you go!. I have booked your table at the restaurant ‘Leban Delicacies’. Hope you like it!

Tim: Ofcourse, thank you so much.

Restobot: Is there anything else I can help you out with?

Tim: No, thanks!

(Restobot leaves the conversation automatically)

It was earlier believed that text-based messages are good only if you have humans on both the sides but the increasing use of AI (Artificial Intelligence), has made the text bots amazingly efficient and effective. They sense your wants quite easily and promptly provide you with what you desire.

Not only this, they also help you do online research about your target customers, assist you in getting feedbacks, engage the customers by solving their queries etc.

This type of bot can be merged with SMS, Social Media, Messaging Apps, Emails and so on. The user while chatting with these bots can use calendars, sliders and clocks for referring time, date and so forth. Text-chatbots are believed to be the most convenient form of bots. They are widely used and quite common among all kinds of businesses.

What is a ‘Voice-Enabled Chatbot’?

Me: ‘Hey bot, can you find me the best salons around my place’

Voice-enabled bot (speaks up instantly in a particular voice): Sure. The best Salons around here are X, Y and Z.

That’s the most simple way a ‘voice-enabled chatbot’ can be explained.

Here, when you put a command in a written or an oral form, the bot speaks up immediately to reply to your questions. There can be two such type of chatbots- one which can reply with text and voice together, and the other which can reply only with voice. Strong examples of this type of bot are Amazon Echo and Google Assistant.

By far, the bot that interacts with texts and voice together, is the most suitable one for businesses.

Now let’s have a look at the similarities between a ‘Text-Only Chatbot’ and a ‘Voice-Enabled Chatbot’.

1. Both type of bots are capable of helping the user to find the information as requested.
2. ‘Text-only bots’ and ‘Voice-enabled bots’ both largely depend on NLU, i.e., Natural Language Understanding.
3. Both the bots can work on mobile and other devices. Though at times, one may require a special speaker to effectively use a ‘voice chatbot’.

Few differences.

1. ‘Text-only chatbots’ need to understand short form of words or typos that users may use while typing their messages whereas a ‘Voice chatbot’ needs to be expert at scanning the accent of the questioner.
2. Users can initiate a conversation anytime, anywhere with a ‘Text-only bot’ as it merely needs a mobile or any other small device. A ‘Voice-chatbot’ will need a computer or a speaker device to start an interaction session.
3. A ‘text-only bot’ necessarily needs a user to type to kick-start or continue a conversation but a ‘Voice-chatbot’ uses only voice commands keeping the user’s hands free to do any other work that he desires.

Businesses that may go ahead with ‘Text-only bots’.

As discussed earlier, ‘text-only chatbots’ are the ones that are used frequently. If your business meets the following parameters, you can opt for ‘text-only bots’.

1. Budget Constraint: If your business has a small budget initially, you can definitely choose these form of bots.
2. Simple Business: In case, your business isn’t that complex, or has just one line of product or service or has a very small segment of customer to cater to, you can go for ‘text-only bots’.
3. Device Based Inquiries: If your customers consists of people who are always on-the-go and always carry their mobiles and other small devices with them, you can offer them a ‘text-only bot’. With this, they can start inquiring or searching about your offerings at their own convenience and pace.
4. Screen Presence: If your customers compulsorily need a screen while chatting, then ‘voice-chatbots’ might be a bad idea. You need to completely facilitate your customers with things that they need while talking to your bot. Hence, ‘text-only bots’ might be the ideal ones here.

Businesses that can go ahead with ‘voice-enabled chatbots’.

‘Voice-chatbots’ have for sure started becoming more popular and might soon become very popular among users! If you want a ‘voice-enabled chatbot’ for your business, you are advised to keep these things in your mind.

1. Should be able to bear the expense: If your business has a fairly good budget, then surely go for this one.
2. Types of customer: For instance, if your customer base involves housewives, disabled or physically challenged people and people who are always multitasking but at the same time have the liberty to put on a speaker anytime, why not get going with a ‘voice-enabled chatbot’. This will give them a lot of freedom.
3. Text and Voice together: It might work out the best if you can have a bot that presents texting with voice. That will make things simpler, more fun and lively.

Lastly, it would be amazing to remember that chatbots are as intelligent as you. Every type of chatbot is good until you design them the right way, put them to use appropriately at the right place.

Try to bring out the best in them and with them.