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It's usually far easier to build and test a UI than integrate the same backend code with multiple vendor's chatbot SDKs as well. Is there any evidence customer

by adwww 5y ago

It's usually far easier to build and test a UI than integrate the same backend code with multiple vendor's chatbot SDKs as well. Is there any evidence customers prefer chatbots? The entire concept feels like it's driven by managers trying to impress their managers.

borplk 5y ago
Nobody wants chatbots and companies just drum up propaganda to create that impression because they want to reduce their customer support costs while giving themselves a pat on the back and pretending that it is in the interests of the customer. A chatbot is just a long way of saying "GO AWAY!". Large telecoms do this so they get to shut down their customer support almost entirely while claiming that they are available for the customers. a large telecom in Australia has applied this to an extreme degree in the last two years to the point that you almost can't contact them no matter how severe the issue is. Their message is clear "SHUT UP AND PAY".
eitland 5y ago
We had a somewhat beloved chatbot at work, but we are of course a consulting company. And it is gone now and replaced with a much more effective app, my point is just that it clearly possible to make chatbots that aren't rage inducing. The question is just if it is worth it, something we didn't think after the novelty wore off. I believe one way it can provide value is when it is closely backed by competent support staff so it takes more of a receptionist role instead of the role of a support engineer.
ethbr0 5y ago
> The entire concept feels like it's driven by managers trying to impress their managers It's cost cutting. Customer contact is always treated as a cost center. Therefore, the only relevant question for its management is "How can we provide the minimum acceptable level of service, at the lowest possible cost?" In general, the answer to "Why does X suck?" is to ask whether the company sees it as a profit or cost center. See: HR.
- hutzlibu 5y ago
  "Customer contact is always treated as a cost center." "How can we provide the minimum acceptable level of service, at the lowest possible cost?" Not with all products. Some companies understand, that good support keeps the people loyal to their products. But they are usually in a higher price segment.
  - ethbr0 5y ago
    The most surprising example I found was Dell Alienware support. Not sure if it's different from Dell consumer support, but I'd guess so. Had to RMA an ultra widescreen monitor I use for work, and the experience was as smooth as silk and always in the hands of actual humans, who would follow up and push things forward.
    - seanp2k2 5y ago
      Dell has always had good support, especially for business. I once bought a laptop second-hand that still had a few months of their highest support plan on it. Needed a screen first because of a few dead pixels. They had a tech come out to me at work and repair it on-site. A month before the warranty ended, the motherboard died. Same thing, replaced on-site. In both cases they offered to either send me the parts and DIY repair instructions or just send someone to do it. This was on a laptop I paid like $300 for (probably $2-3k new back then, it was a nice Latitude). I’ve had their enterprise support on the phone with me for a dozen hours over the course of a week trying to get this SAN working. Their support remoted into it and had me manipulating physical stuff when required. They eventually got it going through a combination of hard resetting everything and updating firmware on half a dozen components + some software updates. Dell doesn’t always have the greatest hardware, but their support really doesn’t rest until you’re satisfied. “No one ever got fired for buying Dell”.
  - y4mi 5y ago
    Do they use chatbots for support?
tshaddox 5y ago
> It's usually far easier to build and test a UI than integrate the same backend code with multiple vendor's chatbot SDKs as well. I’m guessing that’s often not true if you’re running a Wordpress blog or some white label e-commerce platform or similar. You can probably just pase some JavaScript into an admin interface somewhere to add a third-party chatbot to your site.

by adwww 5y ago

borplk 5y ago

Nobody wants chatbots and companies just drum up propaganda to create that impression because they want to reduce their customer support costs while giving themselves a pat on the back and pretending that it is in the interests of the customer. A chatbot is just a long way of saying "GO AWAY!". Large telecoms do this so they get to shut down their customer support almost entirely while claiming that they are available for the customers. a large telecom in Australia has applied this to an extreme degree in the last two years to the point that you almost can't contact them no matter how severe the issue is. Their message is clear "SHUT UP AND PAY".

eitland 5y ago

We had a somewhat beloved chatbot at work, but we are of course a consulting company. And it is gone now and replaced with a much more effective app, my point is just that it clearly possible to make chatbots that aren't rage inducing. The question is just if it is worth it, something we didn't think after the novelty wore off. I believe one way it can provide value is when it is closely backed by competent support staff so it takes more of a receptionist role instead of the role of a support engineer.

ethbr0 5y ago

> The entire concept feels like it's driven by managers trying to impress their managers It's cost cutting. Customer contact is always treated as a cost center. Therefore, the only relevant question for its management is "How can we provide the minimum acceptable level of service, at the lowest possible cost?" In general, the answer to "Why does X suck?" is to ask whether the company sees it as a profit or cost center. See: HR.

hutzlibu 5y ago
"Customer contact is always treated as a cost center." "How can we provide the minimum acceptable level of service, at the lowest possible cost?" Not with all products. Some companies understand, that good support keeps the people loyal to their products. But they are usually in a higher price segment.
- ethbr0 5y ago
  The most surprising example I found was Dell Alienware support. Not sure if it's different from Dell consumer support, but I'd guess so. Had to RMA an ultra widescreen monitor I use for work, and the experience was as smooth as silk and always in the hands of actual humans, who would follow up and push things forward.
  - seanp2k2 5y ago
    Dell has always had good support, especially for business. I once bought a laptop second-hand that still had a few months of their highest support plan on it. Needed a screen first because of a few dead pixels. They had a tech come out to me at work and repair it on-site. A month before the warranty ended, the motherboard died. Same thing, replaced on-site. In both cases they offered to either send me the parts and DIY repair instructions or just send someone to do it. This was on a laptop I paid like $300 for (probably $2-3k new back then, it was a nice Latitude). I’ve had their enterprise support on the phone with me for a dozen hours over the course of a week trying to get this SAN working. Their support remoted into it and had me manipulating physical stuff when required. They eventually got it going through a combination of hard resetting everything and updating firmware on half a dozen components + some software updates. Dell doesn’t always have the greatest hardware, but their support really doesn’t rest until you’re satisfied. “No one ever got fired for buying Dell”.
- y4mi 5y ago
  Do they use chatbots for support?

tshaddox 5y ago

> It's usually far easier to build and test a UI than integrate the same backend code with multiple vendor's chatbot SDKs as well. I’m guessing that’s often not true if you’re running a Wordpress blog or some white label e-commerce platform or similar. You can probably just pase some JavaScript into an admin interface somewhere to add a third-party chatbot to your site.