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Topic:  ” I Agree that Chatbox technology can provide effective CRM without frustration and cognitive dissonance. Defend your position.” Submitted to:
Submitted by:
Submitted on: 25 June 2011
INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
A CHATBOX is a voice or text input communications device. Embedded with the latest trends in Artificial Intelligence and Natural Language processing at the back end, these technologies have been looked up to by inventors for years.
For long, man has attempted to replicate the human intelligence into machines. However, very little success has been witnessed in this regard. The areas that have witnessed some success are very few and can be named as follows: Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing, Speech Recognition, Decision Support Systems and Executive Support Systems via artificial intelligence and neural networks. Considering one success application among all are the intelligent decision support systems. Advanced forms of decision support systems can be fore fronted by a user-friendly layout. Slight intelligent modifications in a set of possible answer values enables smart end results that are in accordance with the output expected by the user interacting with the system. These systems are often self adaptive in nature and learn from every word the user types. Being futuristic machines their evolution involves the embedding of input data from the user’s conversation into their own repository of answers, learning from each interaction they make.
VIRTUAL REPS VERSUS HUMAN REPS
It is potentially not possible for human business personnel to remain online twenty four hours a day for the query justification of their customers. The customer may be present in any part of the world. Thus, the best usage of chatbots is in call centers. Chatbots. org quotes as follows:
“ It is solely used within the customer, self-service, and call center industry, and especially in non-English language zones.”
and again,
“ It provides information, services and assistance about web pages, and supports a wide range of applications in business, education, government, healthcare, and entertainment. Sometimes the term Virtual Assistant is also used in assistance of employees of an organization instead of external audiences.” (Chatbots. org, n. d.)
REASONS AND BENEFITS OF CHATBOTS
Chatbox based interactive question answering systems having become an essential part of businesses today. Since voice enabled chatbots (interactive systems that have chat box technology embedded in them) are becoming increasingly common the Economist is quoted to have mentioned the benefits of their installation as follows:
” Speech recognition: At long last, speech is becoming an important interface between man and machine. In the process, it is helping to slash costs in business, create new services on the Internet, and make cars a lot safer and easier to drive.”
CUSTOMER FRUSTRATION REDUCES
Human Realization of interaction with a Virtual Representative automatically reduced any irritant feelings that may arise in him. This is because the user is aware of the fact that he is dealing with emotionless and unbiased virtual representatives who do not understand emotional expressions. Since the embedding of virtual representatives is a new technological advancement overall thus the enthusiasm of using new technology excites the user and half of his queries get resolved this way only as his anxiety decreases and he gets ti understand things better.
CONCLUSION
In the light of the above mentioned information it can very well be ascertained that chatbox technology’s evolution is increasing for good. The Australians have been reported to have preferred chatbox technology based interfaces rather than human run call centers. According to them Speech recognition based chatbots provide a company with better insight into their customer’s requirements since it does not limit them to make choices from a set number of options.(Kotadia, 2007) Conclusively when the organization would understand the customer’s requirements better it would also provide better solutions to them. Thus customer frustration and cognitive disorders would very well be eliminated.
REFERENCES:
Chatbots. org. (n. d.) Virtual Assistant. Retrieved from: http://www. chatbots. org/virtual_assistant/.
Artificial Intelligence Topics. (December 6, 2001). The Economist Technology Quarterly. Retrieved from: http://www. aaai. org/AITopics/pmwiki/pmwiki. php/AITopics/Marketing
Kotadia Munir. (August 23, 2007). ZDNet Australia. Retrieved from: http://www. aaai. org/AITopics/pmwiki/pmwiki. php/AITopics/Marketing