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> a fake chat window Exactly, I hate the bait-and-switch of chat windows. "Oh hey there, do you have any questions?" pops up after a couple minutes on the sit

> a fake chat window Exactly, I hate the bait-and-switch of chat windows. "Oh hey there, do you have any questions?" pops up after a couple minutes on the site, then you reply with a question and you get "We will respond to you within a couple hours, you are important to us". I think it erodes your user's trust in you.

gitgud 8y ago
It's so obviously an automated bot that I'm not sure anyone would use one more than once. People like to build and show off these "helpful" assistants as AI tech, but how much do they actually get used?
- wingworks 8y ago
  I've used them in the past, knowing that 99% of the time it'll be a "We'll get back to you" message. But for the most part, I find it helpful as a quick "contact us" option without having to wade through contact pages trying to find a contact email.
  - Old_Thrashbarg 8y ago
    I'm opposed to the dishonest copy used, not the concept of having a contact button conveniently located in the bottom right corner.
- Old_Thrashbarg 8y ago
  I run a website where we used to use one of these. People were constantly getting fooled by it. They would reply: "Oh awesome, yeah I have a question about using XYZ" and then the system would instantly reply, "Please enter your email here and we will get back to you. <Company Name> typically responds within 3 hours."
- akvadrako 8y ago
  The other day I was pleasantly surprised by my interaction with one of these website bots. By asking it a very natural question: > What happens if I'm not home when the shipment arrives? I received exactly the answer I was looking for.
  - exikyut 8y ago
    FWIW, do you know what provider was being used? (Seeing the site the bot was on may also be interesting too)
    - akvadrako 8y ago
      It was lazada.com.my - an alibaba subsidiary.
mitchdoogle 8y ago
Maybe I'm an outlier, but I've used these things a handful of times and have always received an immediate response. I don't mean an automated response trying to "answer" my question either. It was an actual person responding to my specific questions. I have also seen chat windows that display an "Away Message" showing that you won't receive a response right away before you type anything at all, which isn't deceptive.

gitgud 8y ago

It's so obviously an automated bot that I'm not sure anyone would use one more than once. People like to build and show off these "helpful" assistants as AI tech, but how much do they actually get used?

wingworks 8y ago
I've used them in the past, knowing that 99% of the time it'll be a "We'll get back to you" message. But for the most part, I find it helpful as a quick "contact us" option without having to wade through contact pages trying to find a contact email.
- Old_Thrashbarg 8y ago
  I'm opposed to the dishonest copy used, not the concept of having a contact button conveniently located in the bottom right corner.
Old_Thrashbarg 8y ago
I run a website where we used to use one of these. People were constantly getting fooled by it. They would reply: "Oh awesome, yeah I have a question about using XYZ" and then the system would instantly reply, "Please enter your email here and we will get back to you. <Company Name> typically responds within 3 hours."
akvadrako 8y ago
The other day I was pleasantly surprised by my interaction with one of these website bots. By asking it a very natural question: > What happens if I'm not home when the shipment arrives? I received exactly the answer I was looking for.
- exikyut 8y ago
  FWIW, do you know what provider was being used? (Seeing the site the bot was on may also be interesting too)
  - akvadrako 8y ago
    It was lazada.com.my - an alibaba subsidiary.

mitchdoogle 8y ago

Maybe I'm an outlier, but I've used these things a handful of times and have always received an immediate response. I don't mean an automated response trying to "answer" my question either. It was an actual person responding to my specific questions. I have also seen chat windows that display an "Away Message" showing that you won't receive a response right away before you type anything at all, which isn't deceptive.