Why Enterprises Are Investing in Custom Chatbot Solutions
Just like any digital solution, chatbot solutions are available in varying levels of complexity and customization. Chatbots range from simple decision-tree-based architectures to fully customized conversational AI-powered solutions. And while there are many inexpensive options in the marketplace, you might be wondering why enterprise is investing upfront in a custom chatbot solution.
5 Reasons Enterprises Are Choosing Custom Chatbots
Let’s address the elephant in the room first. Custom chatbots aren’t the cheapest option. To get targeted, use case-specific technology to address a key business need, developers and consultants are going to spend some serious time and effort building you the best solution. But in the long run, even the inexpensive chatbot solutions are going to end up costing money to upgrade, modify or shelf altogether. So getting it right, the first time, is always the best way forward.
The ChatC Group has worked with dozens of enterprise clients globally over the last few years. Each custom AI chatbot brought with it a number of learnings, including providing evidence as to why the custom solution was the only right choice for the customer. Here are five reasons why custom chatbots are best for enterprise.
- Front Loaded Design Produced the Best Long Term Solution
A key feature of a custom chatbot solution is that the bulk of the work for all parties involved in the project is at the outset. Gathering the stakeholders, discussing what need the chatbot should meet, and carefully outlining the specific use case are essential to getting things right, the first time.
In addition to that, a custom solution should always be using KPIs to measure and track its progress against your specific requirements. Custom solutions nail down these KPIs early on and set up dashboards inside the chatbot so that it automatically gathers data, analyzes it and reports what you need to know.
The upfront burden of work can seem tiresome, but when enterprise clients see the data collected after their efforts, there was no question as to whether it was worth the hard work. The AI-powered chatbot continues to analyze data, which is then used to guide the business, providing accurate insights contributing to the bottom line, long after the chatbot project has concluded.
2. Enterprise Needs More than a Pop-up Solution
For some very simple use cases, the decision tree chatbot approach may work. Examples include capturing leads after a webinar, recording sign-ups for an email list or answering very basic FAQs on your website. The benefit of the decision tree chatbot here is ease of use, and keeping users in the same window to collect their information.
For larger businesses though, this solution won’t always work. Enterprise clients need a chatbot that is more involved and solves a larger business issue for them, in a way that more people will benefit. An entrepreneur or small business could use the decision tree chatbot for sign-ups, but SMBs or enterprises need a more polished solution that can do more than reply with pre-canned answers. Understanding language and intent are key.
3. Recognizing Intent in Conversations Was Crucial
Understanding a person’s intent when they type a message or question into a chatbot window is only possible when it’s run on a conversational AI platform. A simple decision-tree chatbot cannot tell what the person is getting at in their query; they can only identify if a keyword has been entered, and then look-up how to respond to that keyword in their decision tree framework.
When handling customer service or answering more involved questions, in the case of a dedicated internal chatbot, the person’s intent matters. Understanding lingo, undertones of emotion, and getting to the root of what’s being asked when different phrases are used is a tricky thing for a program. But when you want a solution that is more efficient at retrieving information and answering questions correctly, conversational AI is required, and all of our large enterprise clients have agreed and invested in this technology.
4. Improvement over Time Made the Best Business Case
One additional benefit of custom chatbot solutions: they actually improve over time. As their database of conversations grows with each passing day in operation, they learn to deliver better service, all on their own.
With other forms of software and technology, improvements are often at the cost of a new round of development or diverting current IT professionals to instead focus on bringing an older technology back to today’s standards. Enterprise clients are thrilled to hear that once they’ve invested in the conversational AI and spent the time training the code on their own data, it will continue to be relevant and useful without any other significant expenditures.
5. Custom Chatbot Solutions Meet Individualized Use Case Requirements Best
Custom solutions to meet very specific use cases may seem like an obvious answer, but the complexities associated with a modern-day enterprise and their tech stacks are not trivial. Big businesses have already invested heavily in their infrastructure and myriad technical solutions and software.
A custom AI chatbot can be developed on a platform that integrates seamlessly with a business’s current tech stack. Building a custom chatbot means it will fit into your existing architecture and can be deployed onto the server of your choice (from Azure and AWS to Google Cloud and more). All of this work upfront is again saving you time and frustration in dealing with a new system. Chatbots and consultants that cater to your needs make your life easier, not yet another thing to learn and add to your to-do list.
Chatbot Consultants Deliver Personalized Chatbot Solutions
While a custom chatbot solution is the most versatile offering for enterprise, the only way to achieve that end is by working with a chatbot consultant. These are experts versed in all things conversational AI, who don’t just have the tech background, but also the ability to work well with all parties, managing a project for big business, and ensuring seamless execution.
If you’re curious about our process at The ChatC Group, take a look at our webpage, or reach out to one of our experts to discuss what we do. Talking tech and helping your business reach its goals are two things we can’t get enough of. Book a call; it’s easy to chat with us.
Originally published at http://chatc.ai.
