The Good, The Bad, and the Occasionally Confusing
Chatbots have become a familiar presence on websites — those friendly little pop-up boxes in the corner asking, “How can I help you today?” When used well, they’re a smart, efficient way to engage visitors and offer instant support. But like any digital tool, they’re not a magic fix. Let’s take a quick look at their strengths and where they still need a little human backup.
Strengths of Chatbots
1. 24/7 Availability
Chatbots don’t sleep, take lunch breaks, or go on holiday. They’re always ready to answer basic questions, helping visitors outside of business hours and keeping engagement going around the clock.
2. Quick Answers to Common Questions
Need to know your shipping policy? Office hours? How to reset a password? Chatbots are great at dishing out fast, consistent answers to frequently asked questions — saving your team time and reducing repetitive enquiries.
3. Improved Customer Experience
For users who hate waiting or navigating menus, a chatbot can feel like a shortcut to the right info — especially when it’s well-designed and easy to use.
4. Lead Capture & Routing
Chatbots can help qualify leads by gathering basic details and steering people to the right department or resource. They’re like a virtual receptionist who never calls in sick.
5. Cost Efficiency
Once set up, a chatbot can handle hundreds of conversations at once, making it a cost-effective solution for organisations looking to improve service without expanding their team.
Weaknesses of Chatbots
1. They Can’t Read the Room
Chatbots can follow a script, but they’re not mind readers. Subtlety, emotion, sarcasm, or unusual queries often go over their virtual heads. If the issue falls outside their pre-programmed responses, they’re likely to hit a wall.
2. Not Ideal for Complex Issues
When a user has a detailed, sensitive, or technical issue, chatbots often become more of a hindrance than a help. At worst, they can frustrate users who just want to talk to a real person.
3. Over-automation Risks
Some websites go all-in on automation and hide their human contact details behind endless chatbot loops. That can create a poor experience and damage trust.
4. Language Limitations
Even with AI-powered enhancements, chatbots can struggle with slang, accents, typos, or non-standard phrasing — especially if the chatbot hasn’t been trained on local or industry-specific language.
5. Setup & Maintenance Time
While they save time in the long run, a good chatbot can take time to set up, test, and regularly update. Otherwise, it becomes a virtual paperweight — technically present but not very useful.
So, Should You Use One?
If your website gets a lot of traffic and your team spends time answering the same questions, a chatbot can definitely improve service and efficiency. Just make sure it’s part of a broader strategy — one that includes a clear path to a real human when needed.
Think of chatbots like the front door: they can open the conversation, but they shouldn't replace the whole house.
Expert has included a chatbot (AI Assistant) in the latest version of our MoST software platform (MoST5) and it’s provided free as part of the MoST5 lease.
Contact us to learn more about adding a chatbot to your MoST website.