Sometimes it works out, but other times, it is glaringly wrong, and that can hurt a brand.
Interpreting free-flow text and commenting appropriately is far more advanced. This saves companies time and money, mitigates dropped calls, and prevents customers from hearing the nearly obsolete busy signal.īut this is very different from what brands are asking of bots on social media. If the bot can’t handle the request, it can usually connect the caller with a real person.
When you call a business, you don’t get a person on the phone - you get an automated attendant that asks callers simple questions. Indeed, automating simple tasks can be a critical business decision. Google uses bots to index the internet, and bots field routine questions on the websites of digitally mature companies. Instagram says fake accounts only make up a small fraction of its user base, but they are there.īrands can employ bots to inflate their fan bases or as part of digital ad fraud scams, but, obviously, not all bots are bad. Back in 2014, the app eradicated millions of fake users in a now infamous purge, causing celebrities to lose millions of followers overnight. Sometimes the language just feels awkward, but other times it can be downright insulting or inappropriate. We are pushing bots further than they are ready to go. Using a bot to field simple customer service inquiries is one thing, but expecting it to comment appropriately on a post is another entirely.