You might have wondered the first time you witnessed a chat box emerging on your screen after you have accessed an E-commerce website. This is nothing but a Chatbot that has been created to offer you pertinent information regarding online offerings. Once you as customers begin to interact with this technological tool called Chatbot, you will have all the information you need coming from the virtual robot.
This has been made possible through constant advancements in the field of APIs, automating every facet of your business. However, apart from some advantages of Chatbot development, there are some demerits that will make you think twice about the actual purpose met by these virtual robots taking over human capital.
Here are the advantages and disadvantages of Chatbot Development.
Let us first move on to the description of positives.
The Positives in Favor of Chatbot Development
1. Chatbot- The Omnipotent Technological Tool With A Near-Human Appeal
There is a good reason for the rising patronage of Chatbot. Chatbots are becoming the new-age marketing tools. Given the fact that Chatbots demonstrate a human-like feel to customers, they are also instrumental in making the online surfing process interactive and appealing at the same time. You no longer have to put up with the monotonous inconvenience of online searching. You can rely on Chatbots which will infuse a sense of excitement to your browsing experience.
2. The Interrogative Nature of Chatbot
Another attractive feature that is linked to Chatbot development is the fact that it offers a befitting option only after analyzing what you actually want. How does it do this? A Chatbot, through a series of questions delves deep into what you are looking for and what suits you the best. Only after investigating all your responses it will come up with a perfect solution. It is like you making a well-informed decision to pick the best from amongst a plethora of choices that match your requirements. All this is made possible through the use of NLP, AI and Machine Learning which are the upcoming technologies that bestow human-like intelligence to machines.
3. A Chatbot Builds Your Brand Image
Since a Chatbot is linked to social media platforms, you will be able to cater to a larger audience. Past search data that is saved by the Chatbot will become a major data point for businesses to not only build their brand image but also to rake in profits through the announcement of discounts and coupons during special occasions. Internet browsing, through Chatbot is all set to unleash a new potential that will be fueled by customer preferences. If you are aware of what your customer wants, it will be a breeze to provide them with 100% satisfaction. This facet of Chatbot development stands out primarily leading to a customer-centric proposition that goes a long way in meeting your business targets.
4. Chatbot Are Purse-Friendly
Reduction in manpower costs is another advantage of Chatbot development. If your business runs on Chatbots, you don’t have to spend monies on the salaries of customer service executives. Simply install a Chatbot and you are all covered. Additionally, given the multitasking abilities of Chatbots to receive and respond to various queries simultaneously, you will be rest assured that all the queries of your customers are taken care of. Thus, your investment in Chatbot development will work in line with your business goals, offering the best customer service through effective and timely conversations; at all times.
5. The Round-The-Clock Presence Demands A Special Mention
Once you have installed a Chatbot, you don’t have to sweat over customer queries. All thanks to the 24/7 availability of these Chatbots, your business will start earning the goodwill of your brand loyalists. While your customers can be kept waiting to interact with a customer service executive, Chatbots offer a perfect solution by stepping into the shoes of humans, providing timely suggestions. You will also be able to keep a close watch on the traffic generated during non-working hours and address the queries of your customers in record time.
The second section sheds light on some of the disadvantages of Chatbot Development:
The Negatives That Plague the Chatbot
1. Complicated Interface
The Chatbot technology which took off a couple of years ago is still to register a complete boom, hampered by the complicated procedures in their making. It is indeed a tedious task to delve deep into what the user wants and hence fleeces a lot of time. Coupled with this, the fact that Chatbots are unable to sieve results can work against your esteemed clientele.
2. The Human Element Is Missing
Another striking disadvantage of Chatbot development is the near human-life appeal to customer enquiries and queries which might seem mechanical. There can be instances when you feel a void created by the absence of man-to-man interaction. A Chatbot mechanically does what it is scripted to do while infusing a sense of interactivity.
3. The Conspicuous Misgivings
Think of a scenario when a Chatbot encounters a query which was not saved earlier. What happens then? The Chatbot gets stuck, disappointing your customer. At times, multiple messaging works against your customers, not only inconveniencing them but also damaging the online experience of your website.
4. Installation Costs Burn a Hole In Your Pockets
Money matters concerning Chatbots demand a special mention. Given the fact that Chatbots are replacing the human element of any business, every line of activity demands different programming techniques. This uniqueness with regard to Chatbot development can drain your resources in the form of shooting preliminary installation costs.
5. Time Constraints
Alongside demanding a constant rush of installation expenditure, you should also keep in mind the time it takes for you come up with a befitting plan. Effective Chatbots are the result of diligent preparation that cannot be overlooked. You need to come up with a clear-cut program so that you implement the same without any hiccups. However, rude surprises are always around the corner.
6. No Scope For Decision Making
After all, virtual robots are the instruments behind the effectiveness of Chatbots. On the flipside, you cannot expect Chatbots to display human characteristics; especially concerning the art of decision making. With Chatbots, you have absolutely no control over the decisions they will take on your behalf. Since there is no scope for you to make any decisions, everything and anything that Chatbots indulge in, can at times hamper your brand presence.
7. Unable To Delve Into The Earlier Conversations
Another striking disadvantage of Chatbot development concerns their inability to recall or memorize past conversations. This drawback leaves no option for the user but to key in his earlier query all over again. This repetitive questioning can be tiresome for your customer; eventually annoying him. Hence, it is the need of the hour for Chatbot developers to code programs in such a way that these robots not only understand the queries of users but also come up with effective responses.
Wrapping It Up
While Chatbots come with a plethora of benefits to both businesses and end users, the conspicuous absence of the human element needs to be addressed. Once this aspect is taken care of, you as online shoppers will love to share your opinions and concerns to Chatbots that will become your all-time customer service providers. With the passage of time, you will be introduced to newer platforms which will encourage you to build different types of Chatbots. This excitement of thriving in your niche will eventually pave the way for you to tread the path of a technological innovation that is poised for the long haul.