Twitter is introducing customer service chatbots inside its direct messaging feature, in an effort to attract more brands to use it as a customer service platform.
Twitter's Chatbots
Twitter has announced the new chatbot features on its blog. According to The Verge, the social media company strives to convince more brands into using its site as a customer service platform. Customers who send a direct message to a brand will receive automated "welcome" messages that allow them choose from pre-written messages to complete common tasks.
The two new products will better help brands offer customer support and interact with users, according to Adweek. Twitter's new products will help address complains and answer basic questions. These Twitter features allow companies to partner with around a dozen third-party services in order to build automated-message systems or chatbots specific to each brand.
The first of the new products is called Welcome Messages and the second product is called Quick Replies. Among the first brands that are launching automated messaging services using Twitter's new products are included Airbnb, Spotify, Pizza Hut, Evernote, Norton and Tesco.
Rather than being entirely new to the Twitter platform, automated messaging and chatbots for tweets and direct messages are used since 2007. However, now Twitter marks the first large-scale launch in a fast emerging area that combines artificial intelligence and machine learning with user experience.
Twitter As Business Platform
The number of tweets from customers to brands' customer-service is increasing, according to Twitter, as well as direct messages across the platform. In the past year, the total unique direct messages were up around 50 percent.
Twitter allows companies to scale their customer support while still providing a personal touch. Direct messages can lead to serious business. Personalized and private conversations are the platform where consumers receive the most impactful help on Twitter. With this new automation tool, companies will be able to enhance that experience.
Among Twitter's partners that are working with social media's API in order to build branded chatbots are included Audiense, Assist, Conversocial, Conversable, Dexter, Lithium, Hobbynote, Promixa, Massively, Rozie, Sprinklr, Spredfast and Sprout Social. Through the support settings page on Twitter's dashboard, brands are now able to set up default welcome messages.
