With the rise in technology, chatbots are something you have heard us mention but have also probably ha interaction and experience with as well. All trend watch lists mention using them for your business. A lot of businesses particularly use them for social media messenger communication. As with all technology, once of the biggest concerns and questions has been “how/why can a robot replace human interaction?” Watch the video HERE.
This TED talk video discusses a little more in depth why we have an emotional connection to robots. Now, while this presentation is mostly geared towards robot use in medical, military and everyday use, the same concepts apply when using robots, or chatbots with your business. Here are a few points Kate Darling makes and how they can apply to business concepts as well.
Although emotions are shown less via messages than they are in person or talking on the phone, emotions can still be portrayed via text. What this means for your business use of robots is that chatbots have the capability to show empathy and compassion towards your audiences requests, concerns and problems.
We personify robots by adding voices, faces and naming them. If using an automated system, stating a name and having them speak as we would speak has a positive impact on a persons overall experience with them.
While robots can make processes much more efficient, it can also be frustrating to some. Some audiences prefer a live person however this can be countered by making sure the chatbot you choose is programmed to make the right connections and point them in the direction they want. It’s also important to always have an out for those who might be getting frustrated or just want nothing to do with a chatbot. A lot of times, most people do not even realize they are not talking to a person.
This was not mentioned in the video, however knowing that chatbots now have the ability to be more life like and to express and recognize emotion, they can take your customer service to new heights. Most business owners do not have time to be attentive to Facebook messenger all day long. This is where a chatbot comes in. When someone is responded to immediately, whether a solution is created or not, they feel attended to. Psychologically speaking, it instills instant trust and a positive experience in the person inquiring. People expect a timely response from business or they move on to the next. Chatbots can accomplish this by being the first, immediate point of contact buying you a bit more time to create an answer or solution as time allows.
Have you had a good (or bad) experience with a chatbot? We would love to hear about it in the comments!