So what\u2019s next in the world of subtle marketing? Well seemingly many are turning to chatbots. The bots have landed so I\u2019m officially on botwatch. I like to think of myself as a pretty tech-savvy service experience explorer (!) so when I\u2019ve got a problem with a product or service, and I click on their website to investigate, and they offer the opportunity to \u2018chat online to one of our advisors\u2019 I\u2019ll often give it a go, ready to boldly step where (I imagine) not so many other users have gone before (I have no data to substantiate this claim, I\u2019m sure lots of users give the chats a go).<\/p>\n
The experience is often painful. Again, the internal monologue starts: \u201cBet they\u2019re in a service centre on the other side of the world, that\u2019s why they\u2019re not understanding what I\u2019m saying\u201d. \u201cThey\u2019re probably up against some serious chat targets and are managing eight chat conversations at one time\u201d. Some general: \u201cArgh! Why is this taking so long?\u201d and\/or \u201cit\u2019s not that difficult to understand, I expressed myself very clearly\u201d. Then, finally: \u201cI wonder if I\u2019m talking to a bot\u201d.<\/p>\n
This is a screenshot of a relatively recent online chat with Apple whilst keen to avoid the quest that is securing a Genius Bar appointment.<\/p>\n Hmm. \u00a0\u201cLaughing! I am certainly human\u201d<\/strong> was not the most convincing reply to my question, Apple.<\/p>\n By the way, nice try including the word \u2018totally\u2019 in your next response in an attempt to throw me off the scent.<\/p>\n I have no idea whether I was talking to a bot, and I\u2019d hope that when chatbots are fully integrated into society, they won\u2019t \u2018lie\u2019 and pretend to be human, but this particular experience certainly felt like it. I suppose there is some good practice in repeating and confirming whether they had correctly understood the nature of my problem, but it felt too much, too perfect, too machine-like. I was trying to talk to an expert, and it didn\u2019t feel like it. It felt forced. Suddenly I needed to know whether I was talking to a machine or talking to a human being. Why did this matter to me? Well, authenticity I suppose. As a consumer, as a human, I want to feel in control and fully cognizant of what is happening to me, particularly when I can\u2019t see the person to whom I am talking. The minute I start to doubt what\u2019s happening, my trust in the company, in the brand, the ability to fix my problem, begins to erode.<\/p>\n This isn\u2019t the only \u2018online chat\u2019 I\u2019ve had where I\u2019ve really wondered whether it was an automated chatbot or a human being. Why is that? Well, I\u2019ve seen chatbots being demonstrated at service conferences and they can be VERY convincing. I am fully aware of their abilities and potential. I can also imagine the lure of an automated, humanless ability to respond quickly to customers, providing the businesses with the low-cost information that they desperately crave.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/sarahlethbridgelean\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/554\/2018\/03\/Applebot.png\")
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