Chances are that if you’ve engaged in online shopping in any way, or used online customer service, that you have experienced a chatbot. Chatbots have been improving businesses of all types in recent years and in 2019, we can expect them to become even more prevalent. They are also becoming more advanced and human-like than ever before.
5 Tips to Chatbots
A chatbot’s primary function is to offer information instantly. They’re programmed to deal with general inquiries and tasks, as well as frequently asked questions. As time and interaction with the chatbot continue, algorithms are formed and the chatbot “learns” from past results and retains the information for the company. Chatbots can also be programmed to monitor your team’s conversations, provide relevant facts, statistics, and advice, and can also handle adding things to your to-do list or calendar.
Because there are so many uses for them, we’ve put together a short ‘2019 Guide to Chatbots’ to list the different ways chatbots will continue to influence our culture.
1. Natural Language Programming (NLP)
With natural language programming, consumers can speak to chatbots just as they would a live person. What will likely become one of the biggest chatbot trends for 2019, NLP is basically where developers can program AI to operate like humans just by being around us. Completely scary, but also pretty cool when you think about it.
2. Customer Service AI
Chatbots are already used mostly for customer service because one of the downsides to humans manning customer service departments is that there are generally set office hours. When using chatbots, customer service departments can operate 24/7. They don’t need breaks and can retain highly detailed information in the system in real time. Beyond simple chatbots, many businesses will also be implementing life-like virtual agents to solve customer service issues without having to pass users off to a real-life staffer.
3. Machine Learning
Machine learning is based on the idea that machines should learn through experience. To do so, they must capture information: it’s like data mining and data collection at the same time, but in a format that learns an individual in order to win them over. Chatbots use algorithms and natural language programming together while having no limit to the amount of data that can be held and learned.
4. Multi-Linguistics
As the newly advanced generation of chatbots becomes a game changer, multilingual chatbots are about to change the business world simply by speaking their language. Until recently, the majority of chatbots could only speak one language. Now, thanks to modern technology, the possibility of a multi-linguistic chatbot being able to speak hundreds of languages is a very real thing. Smaller businesses will have the ability to go global and move beyond language barriers, while large companies will be able to better communicate with their customers.
5. Data Regulations
Data security is a huge trend in technology and finance. Bots need data in order to expand their knowledge base, and in order to do so, there has to be a level of data collection that takes place. There are projected regulations coming in the world of uncontrolled data processing and collection, as well as security, too.