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Customers don't want chat bots

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Re: Customers don't want chat bots

#81

Post by nfriedly »

seanhunter wrote: post #69

A big part of the problem isn’t actually chat bots even though it may well seem to be. It’s that you can’t pop some system atop a teetering ziggurat of shitty data from mutually incompatible systems and think the fundamental problems are going to just disappear. Example: I am currently executor of my dad’s estate and trying to get various policies and pensions and whatnot transferred into my mother’s name. One compan…

You have my condolences. My brother and I ended up hiring a lawyer to handle our dad's estate, and I'd recommend it to anyone. She did things like send the hospital a letter that said in essence "give me a single bill with a total for all services provided at your hospital. If it's not on this bill I'm not going to pay it."

(Although legal fees for estates are capped here in Ohio, not sure if that's true where you are.)

Re: Customers don't want chat bots

#82

Post by AnimalMuppet »

bell-cot wrote: post #42
dgb23 wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can provide that with a simple HTML form though.

Yes, - but there are no bragging rights, promotions, or other rewards for the team/manager who put clear, useful HTML forms into production.

Depends on the management above them. (And maybe depends on the spin: "We introduced a clear HTML form that reduced customer loathing by 30%...")

Re: Customers don't want chat bots

#83

Post by pknomad »

wouldbecouldbe wrote: post #46

I dont want useless customer support. Wether that's a human or a bot. It's extremely frustrating to have a real issue, take for instance a plane cancelled or delayed when travelling with kids, and not being able to talk to a real person who can actually help. Let alone having to wait 30-60 minutes to get a hold of someone. Nowadays most large organisations are structured now that it's impossible to have a conversatio…

Same.

Few years ago, I was stuck at Dulles due to a snow storm and had to resort to online customer chat support via the United app. I only used it because United was pushing people really hard to use the app for support. I was connected with a support rep who obviously did not live in the states because he tried to give me an impossible itinerary. Anyone living in DMV area knows taking an AA flight from DCA that's about to take off in 40 minutes when you're currently located in terminal C/D in IAD is impossible.

My current gig requires me to travel more and now I am able to enjoy the privileges of dedicated support line for 1K. The difference is night and day; you not only get connected to reps who are obviously American, but also reps who deal with frequent travelers so they have contextual information to get what you need.

Re: Customers don't want chat bots

#84

Post by JAlexoid »

blagie wrote: post #62
ithkuil wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm very surprised. My experience with Amazon refunds and in general customer support is that they care more about upsetting a customer than fighting for pesky 10 bucks. Could it be that their behaviour is different depending on who is the customer, i.e. what is the customers yearly spend? I shop frequently on Amazon. Last year I sent a gift to my nephew how was living in a dorm at the University. The gift was a como…

So was I, the first few times this happened. My experience is that Amazon customer service did a complete 180 in 2020. Prior to that, every issue was resolved to my satisfaction, and they felt too generous, if anything. Today, every Amazon rep I speak to isn't even empowered to resolve the most basic issues, and sounds like they hold their employer in complete contempt. Which is to say, they follow the scripts and /t…

I can't say I had a bad experience with my Amazon interactions.

I have 3 free UPS's, that were wrong and Amazon just refunded me without requesting a return.

And I even had a hard drive go back, because of degraded performance - but it did require some extra troubleshooting on the phone.

Granted, I live in a rural area and I spend a lot on Amazon with Prime - from cleaning supplies and food to furniture and tech.

Re: Customers don't want chat bots

#85

Post by pmontra »

dontworryabout wrote: post #53
benj111 wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I had a savings account where the interface was basically a chat bot. It was basically guess the verb. And also not obvious when you're talking to a human through the exact same interface. It's a menu system but harder to use.

Wow! “Guess the verb.” That is exactly how text based adventure games worked in 80s. The interface of the future is Zork.

In those years my English was quite basic. I abandoned an adventure in a mine in front of an elevator door because open and every other verb I could think about didn't work. Very frustrating but I lived on and forgot about it. A few years ago I found a walkthrough on some retrogames site. I checked that location and... slide!

Re: Customers don't want chat bots

#86

Post by JAlexoid »

NikolaNovak wrote: post #27
RobotToaster wrote: post #24

People don't want a useless chat bots, more often than not they seem deliberately programmed to be obstructive. If you told it you wanted a refund for order xyz, and it immediately gave you a refund, I'm sure people would like it.

That's the thing. At work, I hated an hr bot for years. But in the last year it became good and useful and I now like it. If a bot gives me what I need I'll like it. If it only provides value for YOU though and makes MY life more difficult then I will not enjoy it very much. Big problem with most bots is they don't have authority and they refuse to turn you over to someone who does. If I'm engaging with your customer…

You should try talking to people who work in customer service call centers, most of their calls are arrogant opportunists that aren't calling to fix any issues... but to get something extra.

"This item is scratched, so I want a 50% discount refunded" - comes to my mind. Most of customer service is dealing with Karens

Re: Customers don't want chat bots

#87

Post by bell-cot »

AnimalMuppet wrote: post #82
bell-cot wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, - but there are no bragging rights, promotions, or other rewards for the team/manager who put clear, useful HTML forms into production.

Depends on the management above them. (And maybe depends on the spin: "We introduced a clear HTML form that reduced customer loathing by 30%...")

Point. (And LOL on your "loathing" quip!)

Re: Customers don't want chat bots

#88

Post by malfist »

tetha wrote: post #70
mduggles wrote: post #32

Typically chatbots that I interact with are just attempting to steer me back towards FAQs. I don’t need a different interface to search your documentation in an attempt to keep me on the cheap customer service path and away from the expensive customer service path. Which isn’t to say they can’t be helpful. I’d much rather chat with a bot than call a person, if the bot is capable of doing the things I need. The thing…

I like the vision our chatbot team at work has there. They want their bot to have 2, maybe three tasks. First, it's supposed to be a neater way of presenting that initial phone choice of "Press 1 if you have an internet issue. Press 2 if you have a telephone issue". It's easier for some people to say "My phone is dead and has no free tone when picked up" and have the system recognize this as a phone issue. And second…

Save a few minutes of paying someone, piss off your paying customers

Re: Customers don't want chat bots

#90

Post by malfist »

JAlexoid wrote: post #86
NikolaNovak wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's the thing. At work, I hated an hr bot for years. But in the last year it became good and useful and I now like it. If a bot gives me what I need I'll like it. If it only provides value for YOU though and makes MY life more difficult then I will not enjoy it very much. Big problem with most bots is they don't have authority and they refuse to turn you over to someone who does. If I'm engaging with your customer…

You should try talking to people who work in customer service call centers, most of their calls are arrogant opportunists that aren't calling to fix any issues... but to get something extra. "This item is scratched, so I want a 50% discount refunded" - comes to my mind. Most of customer service is dealing with Karens

If you wouldn't buy a scratched item in store, why should you have to accept it from an online retailer?

I wouldn't call a person wanting their new item to be in new condition a scammer.

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