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Chatbot, chatboot, or robot?
Adapting today to all the technological innovations can be quite a challenge for those who are not as expert or do not make much use of them. But since knowing doesn't take up space and being well-informed can be very useful for your business, here we explain a little about what virtual assistants are and how to make the most of them.
Chabot, Chatboot or robot?
To first get oriented, let's see what each of them is and what their differences are.
1. Chatbot
Chatbots are software programs designed to simulate conversations naturally and spontaneously, providing automated responses that have been previously defined by the company using them. Conversations take place through text.
2. Chatboot
Although it often generates confusion, this term is incorrect. Chatboot does not serve to describe the booking virtual assistant. It has no meaning😉
3. Voicebot
Voicebot is software that uses AI to maintain conversations naturally but orally. By definition, it would be 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 responding to 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. Thus, a voice assistant is like a voice bot and, if it were by 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, generally, 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, and they can be classified according to Artificial Intelligence and the type of interaction.
According to Artificial Intelligence
ITR (Interactive Text Response) Chatbots or “dumb bots”
This is the most basic type and one we have surely encountered at some point, which can be quite frustrating if not well programmed. If sufficient time is dedicated, it can be very useful for simple operations and can be given a more human and natural touch for all possible user requests.
Example of ITR Chatbot: When you call your car insurance or a medical center, or interact with a clothing company intending to return a product and a bot responds giving you options, whether via the web or by voice, for you to select one of the options offered. “If you want to make an appointment: press 1; if you want to cancel an appointment: press 2…”
Cognitive Chatbots “smart bots”
This type of chatbot is more complex as it uses conversational AI, allowing it to understand what the user wants and respond according to their needs, 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 interaction becomes. The company itself, studying past conversations, can update the software, establishing more resources for potential alternative conversations. The chatbot itself also learns from its own conversations, thus providing a better experience over time.
The value that “smart bots” bring, unlike “dumb bots,” is that the responses are more personalized based on the customers' responses and preferences.
Example: When you call a restaurant and the chatbot asks open-ended questions to the customer and responds simply as if it were a worker. The following photos clearly show this:
“Word-spotting” Chatbots
This last type is halfway between the previous types as it works through the recognition of key words to which the chatbot responds with an automatic and preconfigured answer.
Example of “Word-spotting” Chatbots: when making a reservation at a hotel, the bot hears 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 than the “dumb bot” but has drawbacks since when it hears the word “prices” it does not interpret the context of the sentence and directly responds with the price list, 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 takes place in writing through text messages.
Dynamic Chatbot
The conversation also develops through texts but includes videos or GIFs, making the dialogue more dynamic and fun.
Voice Chatbot
This type of bot establishes dialogue through voice, generally via telephone calls.
Benefits of Chatbots
There are many benefits to incorporating this technology into all types of businesses, but here are the most important ones:
24/7 Availability
You will never have to keep a customer waiting or leave anyone unattended because the store is closed or the line is busy, thus improving customer service by adapting to their schedules, without waiting times and without losing any opportunity for bookings 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 to perform 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 like websites, mobile apps, and social media, thus providing unified support across various channels.
Personalization of Customer Experience
With the use of AI and machine learning, chatbots can personalize interactions based on previous conversations, preferences, and customer behaviors, streamlining problem resolution and enhancing the 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.