Chatbot is an automatic interaction system that is programmed to converse with people on your company’s behalf. These bots do this using pre-programmed responses that can be as simple as a single word answer to as complex as a full response or interaction. It’s an artificial intelligence system which conducts a conversation via auditory or instant messaging. It is also known as Talkbot, IM bot, Chatterbot etc. and works like a game of tennis i.e. Talk-Reply-Talk-Reply.

Chat bot development has become a very important aspect nowadays due to majority of business looking for automated solutions for customer service. There are several chatbot app development frameworks also available which help in developing these bots for your business. These frameworks include Microsoft Bot Builder SDK, Botkit, Dialogflow, Botpress and Rasa Stack, etc.

The chat bot development procedure can prove to be an asset for your business however there can be some consequences as well. So, let’s look at what advantages and disadvantages these Chatbots could bring to your Business.

Advantages of developing and using a Chatbot:

The advantages of utilizing chat bots to interact with your clients include the following:

• Accessibility:

One of the biggest advantages is that Chatbots are available for help 24/7. This means that Customers can talk with Chatbots anytime anywhere, even outside of the normal business hours and people don’t need to wait for a specific time to get the information they want. This extra comfort and accessibility make customers happy and increases the chances of customers recommending you to others.

• Time saving:

It also helps in reduction of staff in business that in turn saves money. You don’t need a team for training the new employees and you can easily set the roles of Chatbots and take advantage from this system.

• Data Recollection:

This program or intelligence system is connected to your database and access the information that is required, also it can gather data on your behalf of strategic importance. The accessibility to data is quicker than a human and enables handling of more requests per hour.

• Labour cost:

Chatbot lower your labour cost, you don’t have to pay for employee, they cost less than you’d pay an employee. Less labour cost means you can increase profits of your business.

• High volume of requests:

If your business deals with high volume of users on daily basis, Chatbots allow you to connect quickly with huge numbers of customers in a very short time. That is why they are ideal for receiving and attending high volume of requests without any need to hire extra staff.

• Customer’s satisfactions:

Another advantage of chatbot is that your customers will be more satisfied. When they get satisfactory response from your end, they’ll be happier, and shop more than they would have if they had problems getting information they need.

• Analytics:

These Chatbots process a huge amount of Data and Information and they got the capability to save Data, Metrics and Trends, so you can easily check the interactions, adjusts processes and responds accordingly to problems. You can easily get to know what information the customer is looking for in real time without any delays in your services.

• Platforms:

These programs is available on a number of different platforms making them attractive to your business and easy to adapt to. You can also develop specific system for your websites, applications or any other sort of service.

• Shows Advancements:

Chatbots especially those with some impressive Artificial Intelligence give the impression that your business is up to date with advancements and technology. This also shows that you are pro-active and forward thinking and makes you an ideal company for the customer to deal with.

Disadvantages of developing and using Chatbots:

The disadvantages include the following:

• Inflexible:

Chatbots are designed for specific responses and try to find out what the user needs, so they could solve it. However, there could be instances when they themselves don’t know what the solution or required information is. They can’t do more than what they’ve been programmed for. They can’t reply to those questions which they are not taught. This can cause frustration among customers when they don’t get a satisfactory response.

• Costly:

If you are trying to setup and automate a lengthy or complex process, it will take a lot of time, money and effort. The maintenance required would also be extensive. This can make it less cost effective if a human could have been trained with less cost and effort. Also the requirement could be for one-off costumer or a small amount of customers as compared to the costs associated. Hence it is always better to conduct a Cost-Benefit Analysis before starting anything.

• Loss of service:

If your system stops working or the functionality breaks, and your interface goes offline, you have no backup in position to deal with such situation. There could be loss of customers and business until you get the system back online. Also, the Human Team behind the Chatbots could be working well over their capacity and this could cost your company even more.

• User dislike:

Some clients especially the older generation would prefer to talk to a real person. They may not have the knowledge of how to interact with the Chatbot. So even if they Chatbot is doing its Job perfectly even then the customer would get annoyed. Hence it is better to conduct a demographic research before setting up AI or Human Based Team.

• Emotionless:

Its work like a robot, they can’t feel or pickup human emotions. They can’t sense the tone of the costumer or what the customer is thinking during the conversation. This can cause frustration among costumers even when the Chatbot is doing its Job effectively.

• Time-consuming system:

Where there are great number of processes and corresponding responses, it will take more time to develop the system and begin your operations. This can prove to be costlier and delays your business plans to start your operations. You need to determine what responses need to be added or changed and all these calls for a longer settling period.

Are you looking for chatbot development services, then Aalpha can help you, contact us today.

Also read: Chatbot for Healthcare Systems | How to build a Chatbot | Chatbot frameworks