Chatbots provide a unique user experience and are therefore one of the favorite modern tools of many organizations nowadays. They help companies to improve their business, achieve better communication with customers, and finally, to achieve more profit. Of course, this is only the case when chatbots work optimally and fulfill their purpose. However, chatbot failures are not uncommon, which leads to unpleasant user experiences, which is never a good thing for a company. To prevent dealing with these fails every once in a while, you need to know which ones are the most common and how to avoid them. Let’s start!
1. A conversation that is not going in the right direction
One of the more common files of chatbots is when they can’t recognize the client’s question and do not understand in which direction the conversation should go. The logical consequence is a dead-end in communication which will result in the client giving up communication and your business in general, which you definitely want to avoid at all costs. The reason why this happens is that chatbots that are most commonly used today are rule-based, which means they can only recognize those cases that you have previously introduced them to.
Even small variations in words or context can confuse them, so they will not give adequate answers. In these situations, it becomes clear to the other party that he is not talking to a real person, but to artificial intelligence that does not provide them with adequate information. And the goal of using artificial intelligence is to make it work smoothly and for users not to notice that they are talking to a computer.
The way you can overcome this is to “learn” your chatbot how to communicate in many more different communication scenarios. Arrange a meeting with your team during which you will conduct brainstorming and come up with the most common questions that interested clients can ask. Another great idea is to hire a real person to communicate with people for a while until they understand what issues are recurring and how best to program a chatbot to avoid situations like this.
2. Chatbots that are too invasive in communication
One of the things that very often rejects people initially interested in your offer and communicating with you are messages that seem too aggressive and invasive. If the conversation does not look relaxed and natural, but it looks as if some email landed directly from the spam folder, it will not lead to the desired outcome. Too many buttons and emojis look forced and unnatural, which is never the way of communication you want to apply. Of course, you can use both, but in moderation and with a clear point, which is to make it easier for the interested user to get to your offer. If this is not the case, that person will disappear from the chat in the blink of an eye.
Also, pay attention to the welcome message with which you greet people. This is the first step in the interaction and if it is not adjusted, it will not lead to further conversation. At botsurfer.com you can read more about why a welcome message is important and how to create the ideal for your business to achieve better communication with customers and more conversions.
3. A chatbot that directs communication to another platform
The thing to keep in mind is that nowadays there are many platforms through which you can communicate for interested customers. Today, most companies are advertised on Facebook, Instagram, as well as on Twitter and e-mail. The point is that people can contact you through any platform they choose. The chosen platform depends exclusively on their personal preferences. Another of the more common failures of chatbots is directing communication to another platform.
For example, an interested party writes to you via Facebook, and the chatbot sends them to write by e-mail and continue communication there. In this case, most people give up on further conversation because it is too complicated for them to take another step in order to get the desired information. Although it only takes a few more minutes, keep in mind that we live in an instant time where people want results in the shortest time. If you don’t allow them to do that, they will probably stop being interested in you and go somewhere else. Therefore, you need to develop the chatbot so that it communicates on the platform on which the user approached you and provides him with the necessary information as soon as possible.
4. They don’t work at all
Lastly, the biggest chatbot fail you can come across is that it just doesn’t work at all. Interested users send their messages in the chat, but there is no reaction from the other side. Why is this happening? The reasons can be numerous. When it comes to technology, it is important to keep in mind that it is very unpredictable and that there are often unforeseen circumstances that you have to deal with. And this is one example of such a situation.
When this happens it is important to quickly detect that a problem has occurred and to immediately hire a team to help you understand what the cause is and how to overcome the problem. Although it is artificial intelligence, there are still setbacks and obstacles that need to be overcome in order for the chatbot to function properly and provide an optimal user experience. Careful monitoring of the chatbot’s work on a daily basis can prevent this from significantly affecting your business, and you will also be able to solve the problem as soon as possible.
Conclusion
Chatbots have found their place in many companies because they are a useful modern tool that facilitates communication with users and automates processes that take a lot of time and energy. However, technology is often unpredictable and much work and understanding of how it works are still needed. If you use chatbots be prepared for fails that will sometimes cost you a client and a profit. But knowing the most common files and working to improve their functioning can lead to the optimization of this tool and significant progress of your business.
