Chatbots for Business: What’s Really Going On

For over 50 years, humans have been trying to create the perfect conversational robot

For over 50 years, humans have been trying to create the perfect conversational robot, capable of communicating as naturally as a real person. Every year, it seems like we’re on the verge of a revolutionary breakthrough in this field. However, all the software solutions that have appeared during this time are still far from the dream of the ideal artificial intelligence.

Examples of how modern voice assistants work

Let’s take, for example, a dialogue with Apple’s smart assistant, Siri:

- Hi, Siri. Add a reminder for tomorrow: I need to call Serhiy at two o’clock.

- Who is Serhiy?

- Serhiy Tykhonov

- Specify what needs to be done

- Call Serhiy tomorrow

- Calling Serhiy Tykhonov

It seems like a simple task, but by the time Siri figures out what you want, it’s easier to enter the reminder manually. Yes, voice assistants are constantly improving and becoming “smarter,” but for now, it’s too early to call them full-fledged conversationalists.

What about chatbots?

The situation here is rather ambiguous. Chatbots are simpler to implement, they have fewer tasks, but they also often get into funny or awkward situations. Especially if these are bots that need to understand free-form text commands. In interface-based programs, the user simply selects one of the options, but here you can type any question. And if the bot is just a set of algorithms and dialogues, it simply won’t understand many questions.

Limitations and difficulties in communicating with chatbots

For example, you want to book a ticket from Kyiv to Lviv and write: “Book a plane ticket from Kyiv to Lviv for February 15.” But in response you see: “Sorry, I can’t understand your request. Please enter the data in the format: departure city/arrival city/day/month/year.”

It would seem like a regular request, but the program doesn’t recognize it. But this doesn’t mean all bots work this way. Those companies in Ukraine that have made business process automation their main strategy and allocate enough funds and attention to it can boast much better results. The “intelligence” of a virtual assistant depends on how diverse and well-thought-out the scenarios and response options developed by programmers are. Of course, you’re unlikely to discuss abstract topics with a bot, but for solving routine tasks, it’s the perfect option. For example, making a booking. The main thing is quality implementation.

Successful examples of chatbot usage

A vivid example of an effective chatbot is the solution from Aviasales. When a user first contacts it, they receive a brief instruction describing the tool’s capabilities.

After activation, the bot offers to choose one of several actions. This is convenient because it reduces the likelihood of the program misinterpreting a text request.

The less freedom of action, the lower the risk of error. For example, on the Aviasales website, you specify the direction and date, and the bot only monitors prices and availability, notifying you of the best offers in the messenger.

The simpler the chatbot’s logic, the more effectively it can be used for automation. With competent implementation, it becomes a powerful tool for business, useful for clients, employees, and company management alike.

Original ideas for chatbot applications

Options for using cha