Technology is constantly evolving, including within the social messaging space. By now, I am sure you’ve heard of “Chat Bots.”
If you haven’t heard of Chat Bots, they are computer programs (think Artificial Intelligence) designed to simulate online conversation with consumers.
Gartner estimates that by 2020, consumers will manage about 85% of their relationships with companies without interacting with a human, with all of their interactions being handled by some form of AI.
Think about it. If you’re engaging in an online customer service chat, you’ll most likely be typing with a Chat Bot. In my personal opinion, I think that is where you begin to lose the connection with your customer.
Eventually, the customer will get frustrated and want to speak to a human who can interact on a more personal level. You may just get to the point where you’d just want to say “Operator” or “Agent,” like some do with customer service phone trees. Sometimes you just want to interact with a human to get a quick answer.
As excited as some companies are about investing in Chat Bots, I really don’t think they are ready for prime time. I think there needs to be more research, development and training to make them as good as a human representative.
I am sure the future of AI will be amazing and will be as fluid as interacting with a human (think Star Trek). But until then, I think Chat Bots are still just a work in progress.