10 Interesting Applications of Chatbots
A Chatbot is a program that can have a conversation with a person using rules and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in a way that mimics human-like discussions and interactions. Chatbots have become popular in the past few years as businesses discover innovative ways to put them to use.
Having a Chatbot today has numerous benefits for businesses – they make life easier for customers, are available 24/7, save time (no more long waits to talk to a service rep) and they are easy to use.
These benefits have led to increased adoption of Chatbots by both businesses and consumers. This is great news for businesses and entrepreneurs as they can develop Chatbots to augment or improve the efficiency of any aspect of their business operations, improve customer engagement and enhance User Experience.
The following examples highlight 10 interesting applications of Chatbots in businesses across various industries –
#1. Content delivery
Media Publishers have realized that chatbots are a powerful way to engage with their audiences and monitor engagement to gain valuable insights on reader interests. Chat with the CNN and Wall Street Journal Chatbots on Facebook Messenger and receive the latest news directly in Messenger, without having to visit their websites.
A lot of publishers are also harnessing AI and machine learning technology within their chatbots to anticipate what content their consumers may be interested in. This is an interesting application of chatbot technology and it’s sure to lead to immediate and more personalized content than ever before.
#2. Order Food
Various fast food giants like KFC and Pizza Hut have invested in Chatbots that enable customers to place their orders through conversations. Taco Bell went a step further to improve the conversational experience by giving their Chatbot named TacoBot some personality.Â
TacoBot cracks jokes use emojis, answers trivia questions, and will even add a cup of water to an order if the customer mentions being hungover.
#3. Book Flights
Airlines are also applying chatbots to their business operations, for instance, Icelandair’s chatbot gives their customers the ability to search for and book flights in a text-based conversational manner.
Instead of drop-down menus, customers enter the information themselves. These features give customers more control over how the flight is booked and it also keeps the entire conversation in one thread so that the purchase information can be reviewed and called up with ease.
#4. Companionship
Russian technology company Endurance developed its companion chatbot for Senior People and Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease. The primary function of the chatbot is to be a virtual companion – To speak with senior people on general topics like the weather, nature, hobbies, movies, music, news, etc. The chatbot asks questions, reacts to the answers, can speak on various topics, and share interesting news and facts from Google
Another companion bot worth mentioning is Replika. If you need a friend whenever you feel lonely, you can have a chat with Replika. This bot is more like your A.I. friend to whom you can tell everything – the bot learns from you, matches your personality and becomes your best friend. Replika can act as your safe space to share thoughts and feelings without fear of being judged. It is available for free on Google Play & Itunes.
#5. Market Research
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In research, we see another interesting application of chatbots. The way market researchers get in touch with respondents is changing as many respondents may prefer to be contacted on WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger. Instead of having a dedicated survey app, many research firms are developing Chatbots to have personalized, engaging conversational surveys with respondents to improve the experience and increase completion rates.
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Read: 7 Important Tips For Creating Awesome SurveysÂ
#6. Transportation
Uber in partnership with Facebook has enabled users to sign up for Uber and request a ride, without having to leave Messenger or download the Uber app. Ride status updates and ride receipts are delivered to a private conversation between the customers and Uber on Messenger, making it easy to track Uber rides and payment history.
#7. Health Care
Chatbots have also made their way into health care by easing the burden on medical professionals by facilitating faster medical diagnosis, answering health-related questions, booking appointments and lots more. A Chatbot like Super Izzy can track menstrual cycles, dates and fertile windows. The bot also asks menstruation-related questions and learns to give information about menstrual health and sexual issues.
Another interesting Chatbot in health care is named Florence. This bot is more like a virtual nurse and has her office on Facebook Messenger. Florence can remind patients to take their pills, all they need to do is write the name of the medicine in chat, the number of times a day they must take it and at what time. Florence sends a message in chat every time the patient must take their meds
#8. E-commerce
The e-commerce industry is also improving the shopping experience with Chatbots. Customers can now search and shop more conveniently with the help of chatbots. eBay has invested in Chatbot technology with their ShopBot, a virtual shopping assistant that helps customers find the items they want at the desired price range.
Customers only need to type in details of what they are looking (e.g. Telescopes under $150), ShopBot will ask you all the relevant questions to find the best match. This a great example of how Chatbots can improve the shopping experience beyond what regular e-commerce sites can offer.
Update: eBay Shopbot was discontinued in September 2018
#9. HospitalityÂ
Chatbots have been put to use in the hospitality industry in various ways. Radisson Blu Edwardian hotels use a virtual host called Edward to help guests with various things from; online check-in, to handling customer inquiries, letting them know their rooms are ready and more.
Edward has his own personality, and can automatically escalate complaints should a request be not followed up. The Chatbot is so good at his job that most guests don’t know they are dealing with a ChatBot and praised him with glowing reviews on TripAdvisor. The Edwardian Hotels team also leverages data from Edward to improve their services as they monitor common guest requests and trends.
#10. Legal
Chatbots have also shown their practicality in the Legal industry as well, they are a great way of optimizing work processes to save both lawyers and their clients time and money. Montreal-based law firm EXEO launched a smart virtual assistant called IVA to help future immigrants. IVA (Immigration Virtual Assistant) makes the process of immigration much easier and less stressful.
IVA is accessible via Facebook Messenger and provides users with information regardings opportunities available for them such as; different immigration program categories, work permit applications, student visas, and permanent residence programs.
Chatbots may spell the end of mobile apps altogether. The benefits of Chatbots over mobile apps are significant – for instance, a customer can simply contact his favourite e-commerce store chatbot via a messaging app to order an item instead of downloading the store’s app. This way the e-commerce store saves money on developing and maintaining a website or app, plus the customer won’t have to waste storage space (and network data) installing and downloading the app.
There are numerous applications of Chatbots and Artificial Intelligence for brands to improve; customer engagement, User Experience and also productivity. It is a step in the right direction for businesses to start investing in Chatbots and AI technology.Â
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