Member-only story
Why Every Chatbot Needs a Human Touch: The Importance of Human Escalation, Emotions, Empathy, and Recall
Chatbots are becoming increasingly popular for businesses to interact with their customers, providing efficient and convenient assistance with tasks such as answering frequently asked questions, making recommendations, and even processing transactions.
However, as valuable as chatbots can be, there are certain situations in which a human must intervene in the conversation. This is known as “human escalation.” Here are some key reasons every chatbot should have a human escalation feature.
Complex or unconventional inputs:
Chatbots are designed to understand and respond to a certain range of inputs, but they can need help with more complex or unconventional requests. For example, a chatbot designed to assist with making travel arrangements may be able to handle simple queries like “What are the available flights to Paris?” but may not be able to understand a request like “I need to book a round-trip flight to Paris with a layover in Frankfurt, leaving on Tuesday and returning on Friday, with a budget of $700.” In situations like this, a human agent can provide more personalized assistance.
Emotional or sensitive issues:
Chatbots struggle to understand or respond to emotional or sensitive issues like humans. For example, if a customer is upset or frustrated, a chatbot may not be able to provide the necessary level of empathy or understanding. A human agent can provide a more compassionate and personalized response in these cases.
Legal or technical issues:
Chatbots may not be equipped to handle legal or technical issues that require a deeper understanding of a particular subject. For example, a chatbot designed to assist with financial transactions may need help to guide complex tax laws or securities regulations. In these cases, it is important to have a human agent who can provide more detailed and accurate information.
Customer preferences:
Some customers may simply prefer to interact with a human rather than a chatbot. Allowing human escalation in these cases can help improve…
