Chatbots are a growing trend in AI and customer service. With a chatbot, a company can save tons of time and money by filtering frequently asked questions as well as informing potential customers about services you offer. In our previous post, we have discussed about the 4 best language learning chatbots. Of course, chatbots can offer far more than just customer service, even though customer service is what often first comes to mind when chatbots are brought up. In addition, chatbots can be integrated into apps for web browsers, Facebook, and smart phones to create intuitive user experiences. In this blog we will explore some of the best chatbot apps on the market right now.
Duolingo is a language learning platform that is widely popular with millions of people using it daily. The app allows people to learn a new language by connecting with others through the internet and having brief conversations and participating in different activities. Recently, Duolingo joined the chatbot revolution by rolling out a feature that allows users to practice their chosen language with a bot—sort of a virtual tutor—so that users could practice without the pressure of performing well for another person. As users chat with them, the bots will improve, so get to practicing!
Want to learn more? Schedule a free consultation with one of our ServiceNow experts here.
Uber isn’t a new app—the ride share app has been around since 2009! Though it has really taken off in recent years as its expanded outside of huge cities such as LA and New York. Uber is constantly trying to improve user experience by creating innovative new ways for riders and drivers to use the app. In 2015, Uber rolled out a bot powered by its API that runs through Facebook Messenger. If a user sends another user an address, they can tap it and order an Uber straight through the Messenger app without ever having to leave. The bot also helps users track payment and ride history, as well as share rides with their friends.
Planning an event with a large group of people can be a hassle—especially if not everyone is on the same platform. However, users can download Luka for free in the App Store, add their friends to their group, and the bot will help the groups plan weekend outings, dinner, update them on the news, and even allow them to play games or take quizzes. Luka is constantly being improved upon as well.
Sticking to an exercise plan is hard, and keeping track of all of the exercises, weights, and reps that must be done during that workout is even harder! You could bring a pen and paper to the gym and struggle through doing the math yourself. However, with Gymbot (a bot used through Facebook Messenger,) you can track your training. All you have to do is open Messenger and send Gymbot your data! It will maintain an ongoing training journal for you as you continue to update it.
Everyone has probably wished they had a personal shopper at one point or another. With Mona, you can have a personal shopper uploaded right to your phone. Developed by former Amazon employees, Mona can be sent on a “mission” to find you the perfect item from a particular set of criteria such as product type, style, and price. The bot works with over 300 different stores and online retailers, a number that is only growing, and gives users discounts for using the app.
With another Messenger app, PayPal—one of the most trusted payment apps and websites—has recently forayed into the bot business. Users can track their purchases through the PayPal bot as well as make or receive payments. According to TechCrunch’s article on the 2016 roll out, “Still, gaining a foothold in Messenger is a big step for PayPal, which could benefit from its exposure to Messenger’s sizable user base. PayPal has 192 million users worldwide, the company says. Meanwhile, Messenger reached a billion users earlier this year, and reports claim that about 40% of U.S. mobile users are now on Facebook’s messaging platform.”
Dinner Ideas is a bot that runs through—you guessed it—Facebook Messenger. When a user wants a suggestion for a healthy meal to cook at home, they simply tell it at least one grocery item and the bot searches its massive database of recipes to find something that fits the user’s needs.
These apps are all fun and useful tools for personal life as well as business. However, if you want to really step up your company’s game, creating your own chatbot app is a great way to do so. Luckily, with technology advancing at such a rapid rate when it comes to AI, it is easy and cost-effective to create a chatbot catered to your own personal needs that can run through a platform such as Slack. For more information on creating a chatbot or developing a mobile app—or both—contact one of our experts: