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4 Ways Chatbots Could Leave Your Customers Feeling Helpless
Chatbots are becoming increasingly popular for businesses to incorporate into their conversational commerce strategy. You could use them for sales, customer care, marketing, and so on. The advantages of using chatbots include faster customer service, increased customer satisfaction, and lower labor costs.
Yet, with every new technological innovation, there are usually downsides. Chatbots are no different. Yes, the technology is still developing and advancing. However, until those improvements are in place, there are 4 significant cons to keep in mind when considering chatbots instead of a people-powered messaging system.
1. Cannot Compute
The technology is undeniably cool. At any time of the day, your customers may ask your agents a question. Considering how important customers are to your business, they should get a quick answer. “Should” is the key word here.
What if your customers’ questions are too complex for your chatbot?
What if your chatbot doesn’t understand your customers’ slang?
Most likely, the back and forth between the customer and the chatbot becomes a long infuriating thread of volleys that lead nowhere.
One expert writes, “because many chatbots work from a limited data base, they can’t improvise. In other words, if they get confused, the conversation could run in a circle. That can lead to customers who become frustrated.”
Unless your chatbot is sophisticated enough to navigate past these roadblocks, your customers could find themselves lost in the chatting land of “cannot compute.”
2. The Trust Factor
Brand trust is the cornerstone of any successful business. Without trust, prospects will not become customers. Situations like endless loops described above are one way to damage that trust in your company. Another situation is going beyond the “cool” factor into being creepy; that is — programming chatbots to be too human. This is risky in two ways:
You are seen as trying to pull one over on your customers by trying to pass off your chatbot as a real person. Nobody wants to be catfished — especially when it involves money.
You are perceived as being rude and intrusive with an overabundance of replies or responses that cross the line. Your attempts to be relevant end up coming across like that houseguest who stays way too long, snoops through your personal belongings, and makes a pass at your partner. Your “friendly” chatbot has now crossed over into the spam zone.
3. Show Me the Money
Chatbots that can solve some of the hassles discussed will require complex programming which requires more money—sometimes thousands more! Investing in chatbot programming could negate the benefit of lower labor costs.
Chatbot development also takes hours of work and testing. As the old saying goes, “time is money.” If you’re thinking about using chatbots, ask yourself—Are the thousands of dollars you may need to spend on resources and time worth it?
4. It’s Not for Everyone
The last con to keep in mind when contemplating chatbots is it may not be right for your brand. If your customers’ questions need more than coding canned answers can provide, you may want to stick with employing knowledgeable agents instead.
Other considerations for using AI is whether your need warrants the cost.
- Is your business so bombarded with customer care questions or sales inquiries that chatbots will save you more than hiring more humans will?
- Is the amount of time saved by using a chatbot really costing you less compared to an agent replying by instant message?
These are all points that should be carefully taken into account when deciding if chatbots are the best solution for your specific requirements.
This article is not meant to be a complete downer on chatbots. The possible cost savings and increased customer satisfaction are definite pros for using them. However, your best bet is to consider the cons outlined above; they can help you decide if chatbots fit into your distinct business blueprint.
Looking for other conversational commerce strategies to level up your business chatting game? Chatfully can help! Click here to learn more.
Sources
1. “4 PROS AND CONS OF USING CHATBOTS” due.com, Kayla Sloan, 8/15/18
2. "Chatbots And The New Conversational Commerce Era." Shippit. N. p., 2019. Web. 18 March 2019.
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