Chatbot Tracker: Chatbot Personalities Outside Of The Home

Companies have seen their fair share of finding the delicate balance of temperament over the years in customer interactions. With the instant gratification apparent in today’s fast-computing arena, the service industry not only merely requires it; it’s become a necessity in order to survive.

From the pushy sales person calling multiple times per week to the overly eager store associate looking for a commission, live interactions with companies have experienced a range of personalities. While in-person interactions don’t allow for customers to receive their preferred type of personality, interactive chatbots have turned that notion on its head. Most of the time, customers seem to want information about their products or services as quickly and as painlessly as possible, and with chatbots, that’s a possibility.

Chatbots have the capability to determine whether or not the customer stays a loyal customer and what they could possibly write up in an online review of a company’s product or services. So, in a sense, the very essence of a chatbot’s personality makes a difference, and companies should keep this in mind during the development phase.

In a recent Microsoft study, it was found that, in the online environment, people in the U.S. are generally more friendly than those in Russia. Further proving that temperament is an important aspect of chatbots, Microsoft was forced to shut down a chatbot project after its artificial intelligence component began simulating offensive language.

In our phones and at home, we already have the likes of Siri, Alexa and the upcoming Bixby by Samsung. Gone are the days where chatbots respond in robotic ways. In a detailed article a few months back, Fast Company described the play by play on how to design an engaging chatbot personality, which included thinking both like a screenwriter and editor, while being sure to up the ante on the graphic design aspect.

Taking chatbot temperament to a new level outside of home life is a hotel in Las Vegas called The Cosmopolitan. Upon seeking a way to become more in tune with guests’ desires, the hotel developed a new chatbot called Rose, which would be installed in certain VIP suites.

To help paint a better picture of Rose’s personality and how The Cosmopolitan will put it into use, Hotel Business quoted The Cosmopolitan’s senior director of digital, social and eEommerce, Mamie Peers: “She offers quite a bit of opportunities for guests to engage in many different ways. Like any chatbot, you type in ‘Rose,’ and she can tell you what she does. An art tour is one of those things. There are several art tours, such as the Femme Fatale art tour for female-inspired art. Rose is an opt-in, and no guest is required to use her. She responds to guests when they engage with her. She’s playful. Once you text her, she’s quick-witted and savvy. Everything she says feels like The Cosmopolitan. She is intriguing and inspires you to want more. Our slogan is ‘just the right amount of wrong.’ We encourage discovery and surprise at our restaurant, and she is a reflection of that. She is the virtual VIP host and a reflection of everything we set out to be and to help people have a better time in Vegas.”

Is this the first taste in what’s to come in terms of experimenting with chatbot personalities outside of the home?

If being playful, quick-witted and savvy are the character traits being used in hotels, the possibilities for upgrading the personalties for chatbots outside of the home are endless. Consumers are constantly looking for more streamlined ways of engaging with various types of businesses. Examples of this can be found in various aspects of everyday life. From booking travel to finding a new restaurant or a new book, there’s an interactive chatbot available.

Everyday, there are more and more chatbot apps added to Google Play and Apple App Store that allow consumers to custom tailor their experiences wherever they go. What makes this possible is the artificial intelligence embedded in the software code that conforms to that person’s daily preferences and routine. As we become more sophisticated in the range of technologies used in everyday situations, AI will continue to be enhanced, thus impacting chatbot personalities. Who knows — we just might see replicas of our own personalities ingrained in future chatbots.