Imagine a future where your contact centre or sales floor is completely silent. There are no sales pitches, objections being handled, or deals being done. Instead, the entire task is left to a workforce of automated chatbots, all hosted in the cloud or running on a server in the corner.
For some, it’s an exciting prospect. For others, a horrifying vision. Either way, the current state of the technology and commercial realities of implementation mean it’s not a future many of us are likely to see.
Chatbots aren’t here to replace human agents, but to work alongside them. As a result, launching your own chatbot means understanding their strengths and weaknesses compared to humans – those times when artificial intelligence trumps human intelligence, and vice-versa.
Artificial intelligence is precise, logical and fast
Back in 2014, the scientific community debated the idea that an artificial intelligence had finally passed The Turing Test – over 30% of people who spoke to it believed it to be human, not a chatbot. Now, we are increasingly in a world where chatbots can ‘fool’ people into thinking they’re talking to an agent.
However, for most businesses, this completely misses the point. In reality, artificial intelligence is valued for the very things that humans can’t offer.
Defined by code, programming and algorithms, an AI will always follow the rules that have been set. This is the perfect match for logical intelligence, the act of analysing input, making decisions based on that input and its context, then outputting information.
In practical terms, an AI is very intelligent when it comes to:
· Answering questions with an clear-cut answer
· Taking a larger number of factors into consideration than most humans would be able to
· Making these decisions at speed
· Giving consistent answers and responses so that your brand stays on message
Increasingly, AI also demonstrates incredible linguistic capabilities. Using pre-written responses or sophisticated programming, the answers a chatbot gives will always be accurate and easy to understand.
Human intelligence is emotional intelligence
Over the past few years, a lot of research has been focused on giving AI more interpersonal intelligence, including the ability to show empathy and respond to the tone of a conversation. Some chatbots have even been exclusively designed to be caring, emotional sources of support.
However, what is taking years to bring to life – and not easily within the reach of most small call centres and businesses – comes very naturally to human beings.
Above all else, human agents bring an emotional intelligence that chatbots simply can’t offer. They can consider the aspects of communication that chatbots find notoriously hard to understand, like the subtle indicators of frustration and impatience.
Human intelligence is also creative, freeform and improvisational. While even a learning AI is stuck to rigid rules, humans can use their judgement to go off-script when necessary. Examples include handling the unpredictable, fragmented ways that people might change the subject or ask a seemingly unrelated question.
Chat Bots are much cheaper than agents
Modern psychologists are comfortable with the idea of multiple intelligences, from linguistic and logical to interpersonal and even musical intelligence. Chatbots excel in some of these areas, while humans excel in others.
In practice, the question isn’t whether AI or your agents are more intelligent. It’s where each type of intelligence is most valuable – and what you are willing to pay for it.
According to research, the cost of a single phone interaction with an agent is between £25 and £35. Meanwhile, chatbot interactions can be as low as 40 pence.
This huge difference is why artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly commonplace for call centres and businesses – and why the most intelligent decision you can make is to only deploy humans where their unique skills will be put to good use.
Learn about Hostcomm’s chatbot services.
