We’ve probably all encountered a chatbot at least once. From getting some quick support on a retail site to playing an online game on Facebook Messenger, chatbots are everywhere.
However, we have to consider how chatbots impact UX. After all, this is a completely different type of experience than calling someone on the phone or a live chat with a real person.
So, how does this change things? Are chatbots for the better? What can we learn as designers to improve the UX? There are a lot of questions, but luckily, the answers are already revealing themselves as chatbots mature.
Why Are Chatbots Taking Over?
An entire post could be dedicated to the sudden rise of chatbots. Just like with anything, they hit at the right time and offered something different to users. It’s kind of like how Starbucks suddenly became the ultimate coffee chain. They brand offered unequaled variety, personalization and of course, convenience.
So why do we love chatbots? Honestly, it’s the way chatbots impact UX. When it comes to customer service, if we can get a quick answer from artificial intelligence, it’s better than waiting until office hours to call or waiting 24 hours or more for a response via email. In fact, over 45% of consumers prefer a messaging option versus email.
Of course, that’s not all chatbots do. They also help organize and interpret information, provide entertainment (such as games) and even help consumers make informed purchasing decisions. The way they personalize conversations makes them feel real, but we get that immediate satisfaction we all crave. So speed and convenience are probably the two biggest reasons chatbots seem to be taking over the world.
Are They Really Equal To The Human Experience?
Here lies the big debate – is it really possible to replace the human experience with an AI? Honestly, it all depends on the situation. One study found that a chatbot saves people four minutes on average versus a call center. In that case, a quicker answer without waiting on hold does make the experience better.
The great thing about chatbots is they learn. While they might have some glaring errors sometimes, they adapt to their purpose. This means the more they interact with humans, the more human-like they become. In many cases, it’s hard to tell a chatbot apart from a live chat. They may never be quite as personal as talking to another human being, they’re a highly effective tech version to help users online accomplish more.
What Problems Do Chatbots Face?
The biggest issue chatbots face is being unable to truly replace a human interaction. For instance, a chatbot might not understand your issue while a human may be better able to ask the right questions to better understand you. We could probably point out as many negatives with chatbots as benefits, but Venture Beat covers four big issues that are plaguing this technology. It’s also an eye-opener in how chatbots impact UX.
Some of the biggest issues include:
- Overcomplicating processes
- Being more trendy than problem solving
- Don’t offer enough features to be useful
- Aren’t being fully user-tested for a better experience
- Providing the wrong information
- Don’t work as well on mobile (typing is kind of a biggie)
- Sometimes turn into spam
How To Adapt UX To Chatbots?
Now, we can see that chatbots impact UX in both positive and negative ways, but it all depends on how the chatbot is designed and the type of problem it’s supposed to solve. Instead of just building a chatbot to provide quick information, it’s important to adapt UX to make chatbots more human-like. For the best UX, chatbots have to have a more conversational quality and simplify processes.
In some ways, designing the experience part of a chatbot is kind of like designing a digital person. No, it’s not an easy thing to do, but by focusing on what users actually want and need, it’s possible. The most important thing to remember is to design for the complete user experience. Chatbots often just focus on convenience and ignore other areas. UX designers have to focus on the user more than ever to make chatbots a pleasant and useful experience for all users.
Images: Andy Kelly, Cole Hutson, Himesh Kumar Behera