Discussion about Messenger- & Chatbot solutions

The Shift/CX is known for bringing together different experts and practitioners for cross-functional exchange. The starting point for Shift 2021 was the kick-off event on 16 December. One topic lead the discussusion: The future of Messenger- & chatbot solutions:

Conversational User Interfaces” – i.e. messengers, chatbots & voice interfaces – are increasingly gaining importance and weight as user-centred dialogue and interaction concepts with a low entry threshold in the customer’s choice of customer contact point. Where the website offers too difficult an information path, is not mobile or interactive enough and the “Conversational UI” offers an alternative, the customer – not only in the younger target groups – swings to this path. In 2021, it is therefore important to develop a clear understanding of the requirements for the design and introduction of these solutions in marketing and customer service.

At the opening event of SHIFT 2021 we discussed the following questions:

1. Where do companies stand in the use of Conversational UI in Marketing & Service – along the maturity levels: (a) pilot test, (b) productive use for individual use cases, (c) operation of a cross-scenario solution approach?
2. What are the major current challenges of the projects? What needs to be solved?
3. Conversational interfaces are the new UI – Will the conversational UI substitute other customer touchpoints?
4. What is the path to a cross-scenario solution approach (chatbots serving different use case patterns) – will it be the one big AI-supported meta-bot – or a network of specialist bots?
5. What other topics and trends will be driving conversational UI projects in 2021?

Some of the Confirmed Panelist were Hans van Dam, Co-Founder Conversation Design Institute, Johannes Fries, Digital Innoation Manager Savencia, Marcel Böhl, Head of CRM Strategy & Service at Ergo Direct, Sascha Poggemann, COO at Cognity, Harald Huber, CEO at Unimyra USU, Sarah Haider, CX & Digital Services Expert at Salzburg AG