The continued evolution of chatbots and AI: The “no coding” approach

Below we discuss the evolution of chatbots and provide an update on the latest features of sophisticated chatbot and AI platforms. We’ll also seek to demonstrate how next-generation chatbots can deliver a first-class experience to improve multiple KPI’s.

What a futuristic chatbot platform looks like

Obvious benefits of using a chatbot marketplace where ready-made solutions are available, supportive of all languages in the world and almost all social media platforms have already been embraced by customers worldwide. (Beginner users should read the basics of chatbots by Avi Ben Ezra.)

Some highlights of the coming update include the ability to share a bot with a friend or colleague that allows for realtime collaboration. It launched a simplified process for making adjustments to the WebChat widget embedded on any website. Now, all customizations are applied immediately, eliminating the need to re-install the script. Users will now have a seamless experience in WebChat with the bot keeping history while the user browses between pages – all with a fast load speed and connection.

Bot developers love the fact that the new Test chat will now look exactly like the Webchat widget, including all of the most advanced customizations to enable a live preview. Developers also need the freedom to format text, make it bolder or italicise in WebChat to emphasize for better perception by your end user.

Another critical improvement developers will have, is to enjoy the new look and more comfortable experience when editing and training models – and the ability to add samples easily on a dedicated page. Adding samples in bulk for Intent models, will mean that developers can quickly scale their operations.

Customer service teams can find an inbox section from where all cross-channel communications are integrated, eliminating the need to switch between platforms.

How fast is the Chatbot market growing?

This is a good question. We already have more than enough evidence in order to safely predict that within five years the chatbot market is going to be worth more than $1.2 Billion. It is now well known that more than 50% of all consumers have indicated that they prefer to communicate with chatbots when it comes to things such as customer service.

France, Israel, the UK and the US are countries where businesses were quick to test bot technology. Today, this is a global phenomenon. More initiatives are underway to increase the use of chatbots over the next year. It’s important to understand that chatbots are basically AI-powered computer programs.

Because of this, they are more than able to have conversations with humans by making use of audio and text. It has already been seen that these chatbots are able to interact very effectively and this is providing businesses with the means to provide a very high level of customer service thereby more effectively providing in the demands of consumers.

It is important to maintain a high standard when it comes to chatbot implementation. It will be particularly important to provide users with the following values such as helpfulness, friendliness and adequate conversational skills.

Excellent industry examples of chatbots

Creating belief always starts by having a successful case example. Sephora was one of the first companies in the retail sector to make use of chatbots. The company has committed itself to improve customer service and experience by making use of available technologies. They have started out with a basic messaging app which has been very successful and now they have added additional features that are allowing for even better interaction with their brand.

They provide two basic services such as Sephora Color Match and also Sephora Reservation Assistant both of which is paying attention to important areas as far as customer experience is concerned. As far as Sephora Reservation Assistant is concerned this is allowing consumers to make reservations with beauty specialists simply by sending a message to the chatbot.

The chatbot makes use of technologies such as smart learning which is making it possible to understand the intention of the customer and this allows for efficient and simple interaction.

There is also Sephora Color Match which is making use of augmented reality which allows the chatbot to assist consumers in the selection of colors. All that will be required is that the user will hold a camera to a face or image. This will allow the chatbot to identify a solution by making use of an algorithm from Sephora’s line of products. It is even possible to match a particular outfit with something like cosmetics.

Language learning with Duolingo

The language learning platform Duolingo initially started out as a website and an app and eventually it evolved into a chatbot. Something which has been experienced as far as students of new languages are concerned is that people do not want to appear to be stupid and this is something which can be addressed by making use of chatbots.

One of the best ways to learn any new language is through constant conversation and this is also the premise which has been used in the designing of the Duolingo chatbot. At this point in time, Duolingo already has more than 150 million users.

This platform is increasingly popular because it allows people to learn by engaging in a conversation. This is providing a situation where there is no judgment, embarrassment or fear. This is why the Duolingo platform has been designed to provide the consumer with a cheerful and playful design.

Students will have a conversation with a bot and this will allow them to practice their language skills until they are ready to take the process to the next level by starting to speak to humans. The software is making use of sophisticated automation which is enabling the bot to respond to new dialogs very quickly. Automation helps the bot to give users a variety of phrases such as how are you and many others. Over time the conversations become incredibly human-like.

The Starbucks chatbot

The food industry is a highly competitive market. It is therefore important to research new ways to make it increasingly simpler for consumers to order foods. This has to be done in such a way that the brand is successfully distinguished from the competition. This is equally important for small brands as well as for well-known brands such as Starbucks.

Because of this Starbucks have introduced a chatbot which has been implemented to make consumer ordering as simple as possible. It has been integrated into its MyBarista app where consumers can order making use of voice messages. This can be accomplished by making use of messaging apps or going through Amazon Alexa.

The entire process is simplified from the moment that the order is placed from the comfort of the consumer’s home until the consumer is informed by the bot that their delivery is ready. The barista bot will handle everything such as payment and tipping. All the consumer has to do is to pick up their delivery.

Customers can use the chatbot to place specific orders and even multiple orders which is made possible because the chatbot is able to learn. It actually has the ability to gauge customer habits and preferences because it has access to all previous orders.

Domino’s Pizza

Domino’s is another brand that has started to make use of the power of chatbot technology. Since they introduced Dom which is their pizza ordering bot they have been able to significantly improve their customer service. Because of the Dom chatbot, they were able to provide customers with the opportunity to place orders directly on Facebook messenger. Because of this chatbot, it is now possible for consumers to purchase once off or repeatedly and they will not need a profile or account to do so.

All interactions can take place within the preferred messaging app which is used by the consumer and there is no need to make use of external platforms. Dominos has been experimenting with bots for some time. However, since the implementation of Dom customers no longer requires an account.

It is now entirely possible for loyal supporters to order from the full restaurant menu. Dominos was able to test the Dom chatbot extensively during a Super Bowl weekend. Because of the chatbot, people did not have to phone their orders in and there was no need to visit the website of Dominos and therefore both their phone lines and their website was running smoothly during a time when they were always inundated by customer orders.

The chatbot Joy

Most people are familiar with HealthJoy which is simply a chat-based app which is allowing employees to successfully manage their own health care benefits. This is done by combining insurance experts, a team of doctors and also the chatbot Joy.

The bot has the responsibility to provide relative information to users such as individual providers and benefits so that users can have access to different healthcare options. This can also result in lower health insurance costs for participating companies.

This is because the chatbot Joy is able to direct users to high-quality care which is available at a lower price. Behind the chatbot Joy is a team of professionals which is available to help users with the booking of appointments and they are also able to bring patients and doctors together. The objective is that Joy is used in order to allow consumers to take charge of their health care decisions.

This is why the chatbot will provide users with the relevant information and it will also provide recommendations as far as prescriptions are concerned. This is resulting in many benefits for users because they have more control over their well-being. There are also substantial benefits for employers who will benefit from lower insurance costs and also lower claims.

Conclusion

Chatbots are incredibly diverse entities which can be applied successfully in a variety of ways across many different sectors. This is why it is increasingly used in many different industries. The primary benefit derived from chatbots are that they are able to provide consumers with a much better experience.

They can also successfully increase brand recognition, they can drive conversions and also substantially improve loyalty. It is already assumed that almost all channels for example Facebook, Pinterest, Skype, Line, Viberr are easily integrated to enable omni-channel marketing. The most futuristic chatbot platforms focus the best combination of key features such as robotic process automation, natural language processing and how to best deploy artificial intelligence.

Within a short time, chatbots helped to reduce credit card fraud and removed mafia-style elements from call centers worldwide: where bots replaced humans the posed a high risk, enabling humans to focus on different things. Cybersecurity improved thanks to chatbots. Beyond that, bots reduced the carbon emissions of thousands of people who travelled long distances to work at call centers each day, also reducing heavy tax burdens in countries with high employment tax.

It is important to have a chatbot which is an accurate reflection of the brand of a business or Corporation. It is important to avoid things such as invasiveness or creepiness when it comes to those personalized experiences.

It is already well-known that the use of chatbots are continuing to grow at a rapid pace. This is why now is the time for businesses and corporations to investigate how they can fully utilize the available technologies. It should be determined how chatbots could be used not only to save time but also to save money along with boosting other KPI’s.

The continued evolution of chatbots and AI: The “no coding” approach