<story><title>Chatbots were the next big thing: what happened?</title><url>https://blog.growthbot.org/chatbots-were-the-next-big-thing-what-happened</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>degenerate</author><text>The audio interfaces are so bad I resort to one-word answers to every question, to get me to a human as fast as possible.&lt;p&gt;&lt;i&gt;&amp;quot;Hi, in a few words, what can I help you with today?&amp;quot;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;gt; &amp;quot;billing&amp;quot;&lt;p&gt;&lt;i&gt;&amp;quot;It sounds like you have a question about your bill. I can help you with that! If you can give a few words to describe the reason you are calling, I can help you with your bill.&amp;quot;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;gt; &amp;quot;billing&amp;quot;&lt;p&gt;&lt;i&gt;&amp;quot;OK, let me get you to a representative who can help!&amp;quot;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;p&gt;... instead of spending 10 minutes wrangling with the vapid AI, I can actually move on with my day after speaking to a human. Was this the future we envisioned in the 90s? I think not. Some systems let you spam 0 (zero) and it transfers to a human, but more and more are requiring you to interface with the system in some way, even if disabled or impaired.</text></item><item><author>dchuk</author><text>It’s just like why all voice interfaces are shitty: no one has any idea what the thing can or cannot do. They have a hidden user experience but the interface makes it feel like you’re talking to a human, but it’s so far from being a human.&lt;p&gt;These interfaces are almost like a dark pattern because of how bad they are.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>delbel</author><text>&amp;quot;Please enter you account number&amp;quot;&lt;p&gt;&amp;gt; one two three etc&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Please hold&amp;quot;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Hello this is agent a, Can I verify your X&amp;quot;&lt;p&gt;&amp;gt; It&amp;#x27;s XXXX&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Looks like you have &amp;lt;totally unrelated subject to what you called&amp;quot;&lt;p&gt;&amp;gt; Yeah but, I called for Y&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Oh ok&amp;quot;&lt;p&gt;&amp;gt; Y this, Y that, I need Y to do Z&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Let me forward you to an agent that can help you&amp;quot;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Hello this is Agent Q&amp;quot;&lt;p&gt;&amp;gt; I need to do Y! damn it I&amp;#x27;ve been on hold and transfering for 20 minutes&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;I can help you with Y, but first, I need your account info&lt;p&gt;&amp;gt; FREAKING A 1234&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Can you verify XYZW?&amp;quot;&lt;p&gt;&amp;gt; YES GOD DAMN IT YYYY&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Ok sir, I&amp;#x27;ll need you to &lt;i&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;i&gt;FAX&lt;/i&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;/i&gt; it in&amp;quot;&lt;p&gt;&amp;gt; What, that&amp;#x27;s technologies from the 1920s&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;I&amp;#x27;m sorry sir, is there ANYTHING ELSE I can help you out with &amp;lt;condescending voice&amp;gt;&amp;quot;&lt;p&gt;&amp;gt; PLEASE KILL ME NOW&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Would you like to take a survey?&amp;quot;&lt;p&gt;a week later, 7pm you get a robo call&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;You had a call with Agent X how did that call go&amp;quot;</text></comment>
<story><title>Chatbots were the next big thing: what happened?</title><url>https://blog.growthbot.org/chatbots-were-the-next-big-thing-what-happened</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>degenerate</author><text>The audio interfaces are so bad I resort to one-word answers to every question, to get me to a human as fast as possible.&lt;p&gt;&lt;i&gt;&amp;quot;Hi, in a few words, what can I help you with today?&amp;quot;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;gt; &amp;quot;billing&amp;quot;&lt;p&gt;&lt;i&gt;&amp;quot;It sounds like you have a question about your bill. I can help you with that! If you can give a few words to describe the reason you are calling, I can help you with your bill.&amp;quot;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;gt; &amp;quot;billing&amp;quot;&lt;p&gt;&lt;i&gt;&amp;quot;OK, let me get you to a representative who can help!&amp;quot;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;p&gt;... instead of spending 10 minutes wrangling with the vapid AI, I can actually move on with my day after speaking to a human. Was this the future we envisioned in the 90s? I think not. Some systems let you spam 0 (zero) and it transfers to a human, but more and more are requiring you to interface with the system in some way, even if disabled or impaired.</text></item><item><author>dchuk</author><text>It’s just like why all voice interfaces are shitty: no one has any idea what the thing can or cannot do. They have a hidden user experience but the interface makes it feel like you’re talking to a human, but it’s so far from being a human.&lt;p&gt;These interfaces are almost like a dark pattern because of how bad they are.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>lostcolony</author><text>&amp;#x27;Agent&amp;#x27; or &amp;#x27;representiative&amp;#x27; will usually do it faster.&lt;p&gt;But I hear you. I recently wanted to change the ownership of my cellphone account. &amp;quot;Change ownership&amp;quot;, &amp;quot;It sounds like you want to change cellphone plans, is that correct?&amp;quot;, &amp;quot;Agent&amp;quot;, &amp;quot;Okay, let me get you to a representative&amp;quot;.&lt;p&gt;The only tasks these things are equipped to do, are the tasks that I can do via the company&amp;#x27;s online portal, and in a much less frustrating manner. I wonder who is actually using these things.</text></comment>