People will not understand why their questions aren't being answered.

A chatbot is always adding to its knowledge base. It's perfectly possible that the bot will not have an answer to every question at the outset. It's important to avoid too ambitious a scope and to clearly define the limits of the bot's knowledge. Being transparent towards end users about its areas of expertise, in the welcome message for instance, manages their expectations and encourages them to ask more targeted questions.

If the chatbot still has no answer, it won't just say it doesn't understand the question. Instead, it will indicate where its knowledge does lie. You might even wish to gently hint to the end user that they are in fact talking to a bot, and that their questions contribute to the bot's learning process. Also, don't forget that a chatbot is available to answer questions 24/7, including outside regular business hours. Some of those questions wouldn't be getting answered without the bot either…

Interacting with a chatbot can leave people feeling confused or unfulfilled.

It is important to have a good 'exit strategy.' For example, hand over unanswered questions to a live agent, along with access to the conversation history, or give the questioner the option to call or send an email. This strategy can be useful in addressing actual bot errors as well. The bot is still a machine, and technical errors can still happen. Again, the trick is to efficiently guide the questioner towards an appropriate alternative.

A bot will start living a life of its own and take over my organization.

Simply put: no way! A chatbot's efficiency is entirely dependent on the humans behind it. The bot's answers are and always will be controlled by human beings. In practical terms, you can adjust them whenever you feel the need. It's you who determines the extent of the chatbot's knowledge, guiding its learning process like a good parent. Yes, Artificial Intelligence is increasingly part of our current reality, but the technology's primary aim is to help make our lives easier and support us. It's up to us to decide when and how. In brief, you are still in control and no, our bots will not be taking over the world!

Online visits are often brief and users are quick to leave. A chatbot won't be able to hold their interest.

A chatbot that initiates a conversation after a certain time during a website visit can actually help catch the user's attention. It offers a hint of the company's innovative character and boosts the customer or employee experience. To further enhance that experience, it can be nice to provide the bot with a bit of personality. Making the bot more human and programming it to cope with unexpected commands can also help maintain users' interest. Be sure not to overdo it, though, and make a solid foundation your first priority; no one wants a bot that's hilarious, but incapable of providing a useful answer.

Without personal interaction, I'll no longer be aware of my customers' concerns.

On the contrary. All your bot's conversations with customers are recorded in detail, so that you always know what's up. What questions do your customers have, what information do they require and where do they seek help? You can see it all in the administration portal and prepare a response immediately.

A chatbot is labor-intensive and expensive.

The information we use to feed the chatbot is drawn purely from existing sources initially. Your website probably contains quite a range of information already; integration with your website's content management system is likely to provide plenty of useful answers.

The use of a chatbot will lead to huge time savings for the people who were formerly the first port of call for any questions. They will now be free to take on tasks of greater added value and develop to their full potential.