As the world has evolved and more business takes place online, chatbots have become an important part of our day-to-day operations.
Though it initially took some time for people to embrace using the chatbot feature on websites, today it is the preferred way of communication for many customers. Businesses that don’t already use chatbots are probably investigating how to deploy them, while businesses that do offer chatbot support view it as a vital part of their customer service mix.
There are two main types of chatbots available for customer support: rules-based, and AI. Each one has strengths and weaknesses, and they serve different purposes. The best one for your company will depend on your customers and how you plan to use the chatbot.
Rules-Based Chatbots
Rules-based chatbots are simple to configure and fast to implement and train. Because of this, they offer cost savings and can be up and running quickly.
The “conversation” in a rules-based chat happens in a series of menus. The customer selects the first menu, then the bot pushes a sub menu, the customer selects a choice, and the bot pushes a message.
Because of these menus, rules-based chatbots work with a predetermined if/then flow. They offer what may feel like a conversation, but the exchange is limited to what they are scripted to answer.
A downside of rules-based chatbots is that they can’t answer questions outside of the predetermined flow. They are also unable to learn through their interactions. What you have programmed is what you get.
AI-Based (Conversational) Chatbots
AI-based or conversational chatbots are more technologically complex and therefore more expensive, but they also offer significant benefits.
Conversational chatbots employ natural language processing and machine learning to carry on a conversation.
Because of the technology used, they aren’t restricted to a set flow of conversation. They can be trained, and due to the AI technology, they can learn and improve on their own.
Depending on the technology used, some AI-based models can be multilingual without reprogramming them for a new language.
Which Chatbot Should You Choose?
The best chatbot for your situation will depend on what you need it to do.
Rules-based chatbots work well in situations where you need straightforward chat replies. They function well answering simple, predetermined questions, such as frequently asked questions. They also work well to funnel customers to human agents who will answer the more complex questions. They can be a good choice when you only need to answer questions in one language, though they can be used for multiple languages, as long as you have relatively static content.
AI-based chatbots work well in situations where you have more complex chat conversations. This includes answering questions where there are many variables that can’t be easily scripted. They perform well when it’s important for the chatbot to simulate a conversational tone. If you want to offer multilingual chat support to your customers, then AI-based chatbots are a good option.
A Simple Solution for Multilingual Customer Support
Multilingual customer support is more important than ever in today’s global economy. Offering customers the opportunity to choose the language they want to converse in is an important part of the online customer experience. However, many companies are concerned about the time and effort it takes to build and deploy chatbots for each language they want to offer.
Fortunately, you can offer multilingual customer support quickly, without a huge effort. Language I/O can plug into both rules-based and AI-based chatbots to give you the ability to translate multiple languages customer support. The Language I/O technology uses NLP and machine learning to map what your customers actually say and provide answers to their questions. By offering chatbot support, you can take the pressure off your live support agents and let the chatbot answer most questions. Your live agents can then focus on the more complex issues that need a human touch.
It’s easy to add additional languages with Language I/O, giving you more customer service options without having to build additional bots. Language I/O can even auto detect languages, saving you time and money while you offer the support your customers want in a language that they’re comfortable in.
The entire translation process is automated. This allows you to use simultaneous translation when you need immediate responses. For rules-based chatbots, Language I/O can even employ human-translation to perfectly translate the predetermined messages and menus.
Whether you use rules-based or AI-based chatbots, you can improve your customer service by offering multilingual support with Language I/O. Contact us today to find out more.