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The Rise of Conversational AI: Why Businesses Keep Falling Short

Ever since the Industrial Revolution, we have been learning to live with automation in our households. Even though today’s technology might feel like it’s light years ahead of the 18th century, we still have the challenge of integrating machines into our lives.

With the rise of conversational AI, we have learned to communicate with bots and shop with the help of virtual assistants. While online businesses seem to have gone chatbot crazy, it’s also a high time for the machines to start learning how to interact with us.
But maybe our goals are just too ambitious for the existing tech? Did you know that chatbots fail in 70% of all user requests?

Houston, we have a problem

Only 30% of interactions with conversational al tools ran automatically and without human support. Chatbots are based on a decision tree model and respond to the specific keywords that users enter, and when something goes beyond their script, bots struggle to offer an appropriate response.

Even though chatbots are designed to provide faster customer service and make users happier, the daily practice tells another story. Generic conversations with chatbots often make users frustrated, so they still prefer to solve more complex problems with a real person instead.

Bot conversations aren’t natural and lack human touches like empathy and humour — it’s always obvious when you have a bot answering your questions. Simple bots installed in Facebook Messenger are nothing better than heartless hotline robots, irritating almost every user. Many companies expect bots to take over most tasks that require human interaction; however, artificial intelligence cannot substitute all human competencies.

Businesses are investing big money into bot development, but if more than a half of chatbot projects fail, is it worth the effort?

How to create bots that won’t screw up

The smarter bot you construct, the more personalised the experience will be for our clients; however, this isn’t the only aspect to consider, it’s important to be clear on a bot’s purpose and the outcome you want it to achieve.

1. Have an explicit business requirement for creating a bot

If you are considering a bot, the first thing to do is to define what you want to offer your end user and look at which aspects of your business could be automated by AI. For example, you could adopt a virtual helper to scale teams in their interaction with customers, deal with a higher amount of customer service requests, save money or eliminate daily routine tasks.

Some companies train AI-powered helpers to recognise more complicated requests and deal with exceptional situations without human help, but it’s highly unlikely that your business will benefit from this advanced bot. Ensuring that your virtual assistant is matched to jobs they can successfully manage will increase your chances of ROI.

2. Test everything before going live

Sometimes developers fail to create a perfect AI-powered system, which results in poor interactions between businesses and customers. You can create a solid decision tree model if you completely understand the bot’s purpose.

It’s also preferable to only launch a virtual assistant when it’s 100% ready. Don’t rush; test UX before an official release and make sure your bot can cope with high levels of customer requests. Don’t forget to include all your employees in the launch, and be prepared for customer complaints if anything goes wrong.

3. Make sure you have the resources necessary to develop and install a chatbot

AI growth is at its peak; if you haven’t already experimented with conversational commerce, now’s the time. If given appropriate consideration and executed prudently, chatbots could be a great asset to your organisation.

Get in touch with ELEKS today, and our specialists will help you choose the right AI strategy for your business.

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