The development of technology has changed the way we communicate producers to consumers. If the past three years, manufacturers are required to have an application, now some manufacturers began developing robotic technology human spirit in an effort to improve work efficiency and engagement with consumers. A series of names like Vira, Rinna, Jemma, and Veronika present in an effort to assist the customer in the form of the chatbot. Then, how much efficiency chatbot for a brand ?
Line, messaging platform that became one of the pioneers chatbot technology regard this as one of the tools of targeted marketing for businesses. Revie Sylviana, Business Development Director Line Indonesia in Social Media Week Jakarta, Thursday (09/14/2017), said there are several advantages to be gained brand in using the chatbot.
"A lot of brand confusion chatbot what shape they should use. Actually, this goes back to the needs of each brand themselves because they are more familiar customer of his. However, many brands that use the chatbot as a service customer care . If previously one person can handle only one user, through this chatbot thousand users can be handled directly in the same time, "said Revie.
According Revie, chatbot, not merely as a function of customer care. Now, a series of brand began to use the chatbot to help them market the product, process the sale and purchase transactions, to collect data for the perpetrators of profiling that led to the targeted messaging.
"Chatbot can also be used to improve customer loyalty. For example, if a brand is engaged in the retail business or apparel, they can integrate the functions of the chatbot into loyalty platform them. Brand can see what FMCG products bought by consumers and when the estimated time of use of the product discharged. Brand then be proactively remind the consumer to buy the product back through the chatbot. So, its function is diverse, "said Revie.
Chatbot, Complexity Language, and Human Touch
Efficiency that the chatbot technology is not without drawbacks. It was felt by BCA calling their chatbot technology called Vira. Vice President Director of BCA Armand Hartono explained, one of the drawbacks Vira currently are in the vocabulary.
"It BCA still develop Vira primarily on problems of vocabulary so that he can more understand what the customer appropriately. Nowadays, Vira BCA is limited in providing information about balance, exchange rates, ATM locations, check transaction history, credit card info, and the administration, "said Armand about Vira are now present on the platform Facebook, Line, and Kaskus.
These problems concern a number of technology developers Artificial Intelligence (AI), including Kata.ai. CEO and CO-Founder Aditya Kata.ai Irzan admit, the people of Indonesia is unique in the use of language. In addition to the diverse ethnic factors, there is a gap so large between English and Indonesian. The Indonesian market is considered Irzan so attractive and create a diverse language of slang makes the chatbot developers simply overwhelmed.
"Currently, we use Natural Language Processing technology that enables companies have chatbot capable of communicating in accordance with the persona of a brand. Through behavioral data from millions of conversations which include more than fifty commercial realm, we have developed a chatbot technology to communicate with non-formal language ( slang) with a fairly high degree of complexity, "said Irzan.
Jemma is owned Unilever chatbot developed by Kata.ai through this technology. Present on the Line in the form of official accounts Unilever, Jemma present like a friend chat for Line user .
"Its function is not to increase the engagement of consumers to the brand itself. Jemma has had 1.4 million followers on Line within nine months to 180 million total joint conversation user. Most surprisingly, the time duration of the longest conversations between users with Jemma even up to two hours. Obviously, this has the potential to build engagement deeper with prospective customers, "said Irzan.
Not only Jemma, the telecommunications company Telkomsel also use this technology. If earlier Telkomsel service Voice Mail named Veronika, Veronika now comes in the form of AI that can be found on Facebook, Line, and Telegram. Irzan said Veronika also has a similar ability with Jemma who can understand the kind of language slang used by users.
Another innovation coming from Microsoft's newly launched chatbot named Rinna. Seeks to bring the human touch in a robot, Microsoft then developed a chatbot, which has a body temperature for the engine.
"Microsoft wants to develop that the chatbot is no longer merely an assistant or a correct answer only. Engines are generally insensitive, and it takes a human touch to be able to increase engagement with consumers. Our dream is to have an AI that has a body temperature as a human being , "explains Product Manager of Microsoft Indonesia Yugie Nugraha AI.
After the official release since April 22 in Indonesia, Yugie said the duration of the conversation is the longest along Rinna to seven hours of chatting . According Yugie, Microsoft equip Rinna with abundant data to allow Rinna answered in different ways but still related . "Because customer engagement is our main target. Through intelligent chatbot, they will be able to bind the customer to then be directed to a brand specific, "explained Yugie.
In the end, Revie said, the chatbot can help the process of customer acquisition and transaction. For the brand, continued Revie, it became the convinience factor. For example, the chatbot could be the acquisition of tools because there are services that can provide access closer to the customer itself, more convinience through chat.
"As for the competition, this will be a brand tools that can drive purchases from online to offline such as Starbucks coupons redeemed promo digerai, or even from offline to online," bright Revie.
Will the trend chatbot effectively become a means of improving engagement brand with consumers?