For years, tech enthusiasts, innovators and entrepreneurs have painted a bright future for chatbot technology. But the road to mass adoption hasn’t been without its speed bumps.
Facebook’s massive Messenger bot rollout a few years ago left a lot to be desired, and we’ve seen myriad me-too companies flood the market with less-than-stellar technology. Still, when they’re done well, chatbots can be amazingly innovative. For instance, Amazon’s Alexa has the ability to give users personalized gift recommendations. And recently, Google unveiled a chatbot that was so lifelike it actually fooled testers into thinking they were speaking with a real human.
Thankfully, entrepreneurs don’t have to get on Google or Amazon’s level to drive business results with chatbots. But implementing them the wrong way will do more harm than good. That’s why it’s absolutely crucial to understand the pros and cons of chatbots before unleashing one on your customers.