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Chatbot, chatboot, or robot?
Adapting to all the technological innovations today can be quite a challenge for those who are not so expert or do not use them often. But since knowing doesn't take up space and being well-informed can be very useful for your business, here we explain a bit about what virtual assistants are and how to get the most out of them.
Chatbot, Chatbot, or robot?
To situate ourselves a bit first, let's see what each of them is and what their differences are.
1. Chatbot
Chatbots are software programs designed to simulate conversations in a natural and spontaneous manner, providing automated responses that have been previously defined by the company using them. Conversations are conducted via text.
2. Chatbot
Although it often generates confusion, this term is incorrect. Chatbot is not used to describe the reservation virtual assistant. It has no meaning 😉
3. Voicebot
Voicebot is software that uses AI to have natural conversations in a spoken manner. It would be, by definition, a voice robot. A good example would be Siri.
4. Phone bot
This software shares characteristics with the previous one, but its use is more focused on answering calls, while the voicebot can be used in other more general situations. An example would be answering customer calls.
5. Voice Assistant
A smart voice assistant is an application or device that uses voice recognition technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) to interact with users through voice commands. Therefore, a voice assistant is like a voice bot, and if it were via phone call, it could be classified as a phone bot.
6. Robot
On the other hand, a robot is a programmable machine or device that is capable of manipulating objects and/or performing various operations. This means that, in general, a robot has a physical form and its purpose is to produce some alteration or modification in the environment where it acts.
What types of chatbots are there?
There is quite a variety of types of chatbots, which can be classified according to Artificial Intelligence and according to the type of interaction.
According to Artificial Intelligence
ITR (Interactive Text Response) chatbots or “dumb bots”
This is the most basic type that we have likely encountered at some point, and it can be quite frustrating if not well programmed. If the necessary time is dedicated, it can be very useful for simple operations, and a more human and natural touch can be given for all possible user requests.
Example of an ITR Chatbot: When you call car insurance or a medical center, or interact with a clothing company with the intention of returning a product and a bot responds to you with options, whether by web or voice, for you to select one of the options it offers. “If you wish to make an appointment: press 1; if you wish to cancel an appointment: press 2…”
Cognitive chatbots “smart bots”
This type of chatbot is more complex as it does use conversational AI and can understand what the user wants and respond according to their needs, thus offering a more fluid and natural conversation, as if it were a teleoperator.
They use a mechanism called Machine Learning where the more they interact with customers, the more they learn from them, and the higher the quality of it. The company itself, studying past conversations, can update the software, establishing more resources for possible alternative conversations. The chatbot itself also learns from its own conversations and thus offers a better experience over time.
The value that “smart bots” provide, unlike “dumb bots”, is that the responses are more personalized based on customer responses and preferences.
Example: When you call a restaurant and the chatbot asks open questions to the customer and responds to them simply, as if it were a worker responding. The following images clearly demonstrate this:
“Word-spotting” Chatbots
This last type is halfway between the previous types as it works by recognizing key words to which the chatbot responds with an automatic and preconfigured answer.
Example of “Word-spotting” Chatbots: when reserving at a hotel, the bot listens for the word “price” and directly offers a list of prices according to the characteristics of the different rooms.
This is a more natural type of chatbot compared to the “dumb bot” but comes with drawbacks since when it hears the word “prices,” it does not interpret the context of the sentence and directly responds with the list of prices even if the customer asks, for example, “Are these the only prices?”. They can make conversations pleasant depending on the complexity of the business.
According to the type of interaction
Text chatbot
The conversation unfolds in written form through text messages.
Dynamic chatbot
The conversation also unfolds through text but includes videos or GIFs making the dialogue more dynamic and fun.
Voice chatbot
This type of bot establishes dialogue through voice, typically via phone calls.
Benefits of Chatbots
There are multiple benefits to incorporating this technology into all kinds of businesses, but here are the most important ones:
Available 24/7
You will never have to make a customer wait or leave anyone unattended because the store is closed or the line is busy, thus improving customer service by adapting to their schedules, with no waiting times and no lost opportunities for reservations or sales.
Cost Reduction
By implementing this system, you avoid the need to hire new workers and/or enable the reorganization of the ones you already have for other tasks, thus significantly reducing personnel costs.
It can also be a source of information and data collection to improve products or services or make demand predictions through interaction with customers.
Consistency in Responses
The information provided by chatbots to users is consistent and accurate based on programmed information. Every possible question has a clear answer without confusion, thus matching the effectiveness of conversations with an operator.
Multichannel Integration
Another benefit is that they can be integrated into different platforms such as websites, mobile apps, and social networks, thus offering unified support across different channels.
Customer Experience Personalization
Using AI and machine learning, chatbots can personalize interactions based on previous conversations, preferences, and customer behaviors, streamlining problem resolution and enhancing user experience.
With all this information, you surely have a better idea of what it means to have chatbots in a company and their various benefits. If you want more information or are interested in this type of content, we have some suggestions for related articles here.