PointSource published a survey that seeks to find a common ground between consumers and artificial intelligence (AI), specifically chatbots. And in the process, the company has discovered some of the pet peeves or frustrations that people are experiencing with chatbots.

To this day, Chatbots have become the most popular AI application. But in the report, PointSource insists that the interest in chatbots still has not translated into full understanding or adoption of the technology. He goes on to say that discovering where chatbots are best used or adapted will definitely help businesses deploy technology.

For small businesses, this means being able to afford complete customer response systems 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and using chatbots to answer a wide range of questions about their business. And with PointSource, 80% of consumers buy OK with a company using chatbots and other AI capabilities, support does not seem to be a problem for the vast majority of users.

In its report, PointSource says, "There are still some hurdles to overcome to achieve such benefits, but companies should consider these challenges as opportunities to develop more valuable and enjoyable experiences for all concerned. This type of successful chatbot integration requires a deep understanding of consumers and a certain organizational rigor to keep evolving. Chatbots can constitute a technological investment, but they fall under the whole of the company. "

What makes a chatbot boring

The first of the black beasts is speed. Fifty-nine percent of respondents said that they were more frustrated if the chatbots they use do not offer a clear path to resolution in five minutes.

The second pet peeve is friction due to the fact that chatbots do not understand what they're looking for. Fifty-one percent said it was a problem, which lays the foundation for the next biggest concern.

Precision problems led 44% of respondents to question whether the information provided by chatbots was correct.

In addition to the three main concerns, other concerns raised by respondents related to the protection of privacy, the security of personal data and the impersonal experience.

The future of chatbots

The use of chatbots and other AI is important for small businesses to communicate effectively with customers. And as technology improves and chatbots become smarter (they will be), they will end up coexisting with consumers seamlessly.

For small businesses, the adoption of chatbots will offer faster and more efficient customer service capabilities without the cost of a call center or similar expenses. And the frustrations felt by consumers can be solved through well-crafted chatbots providing accurate and up-to-date information.

The PointSource survey was conducted with the participation of 1,008 US consumers online between 13 and 21 October 2017.