Thanks to recent advances in digital technology, many business sectors have been impacted. The most obvious example is the commercial sector. Today, the means used for commercial exchanges (buying and selling goods and services) are not what they used to be. With digitalization now at the heart of these activities, salespeople are increasingly turning to social networks (Facebook, Messenger) and websites (mobile applications) for their business needs. It’s this situation that has led to the advent of chatbots.
What is a chatbot?
The word chatbot is an English word that has become incorporated into the French language over time. It’s an Anglicism made up of two lexical units: chat and bot. Each of these units has a specific meaning. Indeed, “chat” is derived from the verb “to chat”, which refers to “discussion”, while “bot” is nothing more than a truncation of the noun robot. Consequently, when we combine these words, we get “discussion robot” or “conversation robot”. This chatbot is used by sales reps to converse with their customers automatically. The bot is programmed to carry on a normal conversation with the user, sending messages and responses appropriate to the context.
On the other hand, there’s a short and simple definition of chatbot that’s easy to remember. A chatbot is defined as “a computer program designed to simulate a conversation with human users, particularly over the Internet”. According to this definition, bots can only be implemented via the internet, through social networks, commercial platforms and websites.
How do bots or chatbots work?
To better understand how chat agents work, it’s important to know that there is more than one type of bot. There is generally the simple or basic chatbot and the advanced chatbot. The implementation of these chatbots therefore differs from one type to another.
The advanced chatbot
If you’re looking for a short definition, remember that a chatbot is said to be advanced because of the level of complexity of the language it obeys (machine learning, natural language processing technique). Classified as strong artificial intelligence, it can imitate human actions very well. Chatbots perform tasks such as:
- Send messages to users or customers (automatic reply)
- Send appropriate responses to customer questions and needs
- Offer medical services to patients based on available data (chatbot for doctors)
- Provide financial advice and banking services to users and customers of finance companies (chatbots for banking organizations)
- Suggest sewing patterns according to the needs and measurements of the customer of styling companies (chatbots for stylists)
- Receive customer orders and manage parcel deliveries (chatbots for dropshippers)
- Perform HR administrative or secretarial tasks (chatbots for companies)
Simple or basic bots
A bot is said to be basic when it is designed only to perform elementary tasks that do not require strong artificial intelligence. Bots in this category are used by companies in their marketing strategies to :
- Inform the customer (press bot)
- After-sales service
- Send funny or entertaining messages to users to get closer to them
- Describe the products offered by the brand
- Marketing through social networks and other Internet-related means
Given the basic level of programming used for these conversational agents, their implementation does not require any particular criteria with regard to the choice of conversational agent.
The chatbot: what are the advantages?
Using a bot is a decision that can have a positive impact on your business in several ways.
Bot saves time in business
In real-life conditions, a customer service department can spend a considerable amount of time going through numerous messages (left by prospects) in order to formulate appropriate responses. Automating these tasks can save you time.
The bot brings you closer to your customers
To attract and retain users of your services, you need to create a relationship between you and your customers. The use of chatbots (conversational agents) is an excellent way to optimize your marketing strategies.
It should also be pointed out that conversational agents not only improve your relationship with prospects, but also enable you to guarantee ongoing support for your customers.
