We've all been there. You have a simple question, a chat window pops up, you type, and the "virtual assistant" replies with something completely unrelated.
So the question is fair: does a chatbot on the website help a small company, or does it just annoy customers? The honest answer: it depends on how it is built and what it is for.
Why some chatbots are annoying
The problem is not the idea of a chatbot. The problem is a badly made one.
The one that doesn't understand the question and walks you around in circles. The one that jumps in your face before you've read a single line. The one that never lets you reach a person.
A chatbot like that does more harm than having none at all. The customer leaves with the impression that the company doesn't care.
When a chatbot is truly worth it
A good chatbot does one simple thing: it quickly answers the questions you get all the time anyway.
It is worth considering if you recognise yourself here:
- You keep getting the same questions about opening hours, delivery or availability
- Customers write in the evening and at weekends, when nobody answers
- You lose enquiries because you reply too late
- You want only the conversations that really need a person to reach you
In those situations, a virtual assistant for your business doesn't replace anyone. It takes over the routine and leaves you time for the customers who need attention.
When you're better off without one
If you have few visitors and every customer means a long, personal conversation, a chatbot won't help much. A good form and a clearly visible phone number do the job.
The same goes if nobody is there to maintain it. A chatbot that gives out old information is worse than none.
And don't add one just because "the competition has one too."
Live chat or chatbot
Live chat means a person answering in real time. It is warm and flexible, but someone has to be there.
If the window says "offline" most of the day, you're better off without it.
A chatbot is available around the clock, but it has limits. It can't solve everything.
The best setup for a small company is usually the combination: the chatbot handles the simple questions, and when it doesn't know, it hands the conversation to a person.
A good chatbot knows how to answer. A very good one knows when to call a human.
What a well-made chatbot looks like
It says from the start that it is an automated assistant and doesn't pretend to be a person. It answers briefly and to the point.
It knows real things about your company, not generic phrases. And when it doesn't know something, it says so and doesn't make things up.
And it always has a way out: "would you like to talk to someone from the team?"
If you're not sure a chatbot makes sense for your company, tell us which questions you get most often. We'll tell you honestly whether it is worth it or whether you need something else.