Human intelligence is suffering, and automation is hurting it.

Sort of.

You’ve probably heard of chatbots already – companies are using them for customer support to filter out easy questions, to replace customer service agents, and to improve sales. To a company, chatbots and automation may sound like a great option.

No more need to pay customer support’s salaries – Right?

However, many consumers feel like their intelligence is insulted unless they interact with an adequately programmed chatbot – hurting business in the process.

The truth is, human intelligence demands software that will meet it where it is, and not one that compromises.

Are Chatbots Counter-Productive?

Sometimes chatbots do more harm than good. Most customers don’t trust a chatbot to answer their questions correctly. Instead, they’re looking for a solution that will directly take them where they need to go without delay.

In many cases, a chatbot that links to a FAQ and a link to customer service if the FAQ wasn’t helpful will be better received than a bot that will attempt to answer questions using AI. (Unless that AI is very impressive.)

However, this attitude seems to be shifting. Younger consumers have grown up with technology like chatbots always present, so they know what to expect. As human intelligence shifts to include more technological advancements, we can start to see this dynamic shifting.

If this is still going entirely over your head and you’re asking, “what are chatbots,” maybe follow our link to the explanation first before reading further.

Why Use a Chatbot?

As we’ve said, chatbots are very useful if used to complement traditional customer service and not as a replacement. This solution tends to compliment the user experience instead of complicating it.

So, do chatbots need to go? No! Approaching chatbot marketing as a blended service is almost essential to modern customer service and sales.

Using chatbots to direct service takes the pressure off of your support agents. That means that you’re helping more people and offering higher quality advice. You’re reducing the strain on your customer support so that they can do their jobs to the best of their abilities.

You have to realize that chatbots can’t replace the humans that run them. Chatbots 100% rely on the information that we feed them. Without a customer service rep programming in answers and providing insight, a chatbot won’t know where to start.

Think of the best bots like an automated phone directory. They’re great at answering and asking the questions that every customer support person asks at the very beginning of a call, but when nuance is needed, they fall short.

Human Intelligence Wins Out

Human customer service offers several distinct advantages. A human can empathize, answer complex questions, and can answer HIPPA related questions. A chatbot, by itself, can’t do any of this.

However, in a world run by global trade, our customer service agents are busier than ever. They need help. So, be careful that the automation you’re using is beneficial to business and compliments human intelligence. Chatbot companies like Cleverbot are great at this.

Try supplementing your human intelligence with automated communication today; you won’t regret it.

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