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Just out of curiousity, how to y'all feel about using software bots? In particular the chatbots people seem to be pushing for customer service (in house). Would you rather use a chatbot to find out information, or just email the person that you know is responsible for the task?
TTFN - Kent
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Chat bots are usually far from being anything else than a complete waste of time...
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I've yet to find a service bot that was even in the slightest bit useful.
Emailing direct? Works like a charm. I've just finished an email session with a US company because a unit died inside it's two year warranty - a new one is on the way and (with luck and a following wind) will be here before Christmas. With a chatbot? I'd still be screaming at my screen in frustration as it dispenses more "solutions" to problems I don't have because it spotted a couple of keywords instead of reading the whole message history.
"I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
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OriginalGriff wrote: as it dispenses more "solutions" to problems I don't have because it spotted a couple of keywords instead of reading the whole message history
You've just described just about every Microsoft answer on the Microsoft Answers site, and I don't think they're bots. 
"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined."
- Homer
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Half the time, they don't even look for keywords; they just give a lengthy description on how to perform a clean boot -- which never achieves anything.
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
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Don't forget the instructions to run sfc /scannow and dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth, despite the fact that those commands have almost never solved a problem.
Followed by details of how to create a new user profile, or how to wipe your computer and start again.
The actual solution, which usually turns out to be a single option you need to tick/untick, tends to be a comment from another end user with the same problem, buried somewhere within 42 pages of useless "same problem here!" messages.
"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined."
- Homer
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Now that is customer service!
... According to microsoft's definition.
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
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You mean those things that ask you basic questions and then hit a wall in about 2 seconds, which then pass you on to a real human who asks you exactly the same questions?
A great way to lose customers from my experience.
cheers
Chris Maunder
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Still better than the ones that won't pass you on to a real human unless you answer a series of unanswerable questions correctly.
"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined."
- Homer
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And the (Phone) chatter that asks for info,
passes you to what (passes for these days) as a human,
who asks the same questions and passes you on to another a refinement of scope vocal entity that
asks the same questions . . .
is that the one?
| Ravings en masse^ |
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| "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein | | "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010 |
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That one's annoying, but at least you eventually get to speak to a person.
I was thinking of the bots that continually refuse to understand what you say, and rather than giving up and putting you through to a person, they tell you to call back and try again, then hang up on you.
I had that experience a few years back with a certain incompetent delivery company named for a type of singing that's fatal to Martians[^]. It was not fun.
"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined."
- Homer
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Dealing with chat bots is just a mess. The inner workings of bots for other applications, particularly gaming, is really fascinating though.
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I would prefer their website has all of the relevant information available so I don't have to ask a bot or anyone else for it. If I do have to ask for it then the site is deficient. I have no interest what so ever in asking a chatbot for anything.
"They have a consciousness, they have a life, they have a soul! Damn you! Let the rabbits wear glasses! Save our brothers! Can I get an amen?"
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Last time I had to interact with one, I figured I was either talking to a bot, or the most stupid individual on Bell Canada's payroll.
And I'm still not convinced it was a bot.
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For a paying service like my bank I prefer chatbots.
For a free service I would rather email the person, largely for their own sake. In that way they can gather information in their own time and not be a slave to the instant messenger hell of the chatbot universe.
“That which can be asserted without evidence, can be dismissed without evidence.”
― Christopher Hitchens
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My personal favorite is a (well-categorized) list of FAQs, information articles. Way superior to any chat bot.
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Please state your question again. End message.
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I always found that "Deck the halls" had a Dutch ring to it, and it turns out I was right 
It originates from the Dutch word "dekken" which means cover, see explanation here:
Deck the halls – Grammarist[^]
Fa la la la la la la la la 
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Because - if I worked for somebody else these days - I'd be damn tempted: book the 23rd, 2nd, and 3rd as holiday, and you got a 14 day break (since every company I've worked for shut down until the new year). 21st Dec through to the 6th Jan inclusive - that's a damn good break if you can swing it!
So how many of you are doing that?
"I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
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I came back after 5 weeks of shut down just a week ago, so no.
"It is easy to decipher extraterrestrial signals after deciphering Javascript and VB6 themselves.", ISanti[ ^]
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Not me, I don't get paid holidays any more. 
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Quote: I don't get paid holidays any more
Nor do I --- Oh! Wait! I am retired. 
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