Cons of Chatbots | Are They Really Worth Your While? | Ideta

Like everything in life, chatbots also have their advantages and disadvantages. We might not cover all the cons of chatbots, but we will cover those that really suck.

Sure, chatbots are all the rage right now as they make many tasks easier for companies. However, there are quite a few fields in which chatbots are inferior to the more traditional ways of doing business. I mean, nobody's perfect, right.

But, what are chatbots? Are they worth it? Should you dive in and get one? In the end, you will have the final say in whether or not getting a Chatbot is the right decision for you.

So, without further ado, let's see which are the top four cons of chatbots!

What Are Chatbots?

Let's start with a quick introduction before we move on to the central part of the article. Chatbots are a piece of software that you can buy from various companies. Take Ideta, for example. Ideta's Chatbot offers everything that a Chatbot should provide for companies and individuals.

Like Ideta's, Chatbots can send automated messages to customers, answer questions, and complete tasks. Also, you can customize them to your liking and use them for several things. If you want to know more about using a Chatbot, you can find out here.

Now, on to the main discussion. Let's see which are the top four cons of chatbots!

Top Four Cons of Chatbots

To every advantage, there is a disadvantage. Well, maybe not always. But one cannot exist without the other. Have you seen something that is entirely perfect, with no faults or disadvantages whatsoever? We haven't either.

So, let's dig into the world of chatbots and see if some of their cons are just too bad to ignore!

Chatbots Sound Too Inhuman

You probably know about Siri and Alexa. And, chances are, you know how they sound. Well, chatbots sound similar to Siri and Alexa.

Chatbots sound automated because they are. You will know that you are talking to a robot, and your conversation will be unorthodox. Also, they can only respond to questions that they are pre-programmed to answer. They cannot read context or emotions and cannot show express feelings in appropriate situations, unless you add NLP, but that's a whole different ballgame that comes with its own challenges

Also, chatbots cannot maintain a natural conversation. If a customer strays from the topic too much, a chatbot will not be able to respond. Chatbots can only answer simple questions related to price, delivery time, and other similar ones that you program it to answer.

So, using Chatbots can cause you to disconnect from your customers, especially those who prefer human interaction. Customers might feel like you don't want to take the time to help them solve their problems. Thus, they might think that you don't care enough and don't respect them enough.

Cons of Chatbots Related to Their Creation

Customer service tools around the world use Natural Language Processing. So, your company would need to use NLP to create a chatbot. And that task can prove to be complicated.

Companies can use Natural Language Processing to interact with customers and engage them. Also, they use it to solve customers' problems in a textual format.

Natural Language Processing is a complex process that requires complex thoughtful planning, and if you are not familiar with NLP and creating a chatbot, this will be quite hard.

If you get a chatbot from a company that will not help you during the creation process, you will have to spend additional resources to create your Chatbot. All of that can cost you a lot of time and money.

Continuous Maintenance

You might think that you won't need to worry about your Chatbot ever again once you get it. Sadly, that is not the case with Chatbots. One of the top four cons of chatbots is that your company will need to maintain them all the time.

As you continue with your work, your products and services will change. Also, prices will increase and decrease all the time. So, if you want your customers to have accurate information, you will need to update your Chatbot constantly.

Also, Natural Language Processing capabilities are constantly advancing. What's more, many new developments for NLPs will emerge with time. And as NLPs advance and get new features, you will need to program them into your Chatbot. If you don't do that, your Chatbot will be out of date, and your information will be irrelevant.

Another feature that needs to be constantly analyzed is frequently asked questions and answers. You will need to identify what customers ask the most and what solutions they receive. Then, you will need to update the answers for your future customers.

Risk of Misunderstanding Customers

The final item on out cons of Chatbot's list is the risk of misunderstanding customers. If a customer asks a question that is not clear and straightforward, a Chatbot might be unable to help. Misunderstanding a customer is one of the biggest cons of chatbots.

A Chatbot will answer only general questions for which they have programmed answers. So, if they receive a question for which they don't have a programmed response, they will not answer. What's more, the Chatbot will most likely circle your customer around, which may lead to the customer being frustrated and disappointed. Another scenario may be that the customer doesn't receive any reply in the end.

And if your Chatbot cannot answer a question, then why would you buy it?

Cons of Chatbots - Final Words

So, do Chatbots suck. Well, we wouldn't go that far. However, using a Chatbot for customer service or anything else will be a big gamble. The most important thing at risk with a Chatbot will be your company's reputation.

However, if you look at everything you can do with a Chatbot on the link above, you might consider risking it anyway. But, if you want to go for it, we hope that this article helped you with your decision!