Wednesday, July 22Digital Marketing Journals

chatbot-design

6 Reasons Customers Hate Your Bot & How to Fix Them
ai bot, ai chat, ai chatbot, best chatbot, chatbot, chatbot ai, chatbot app, chatbot online, chatbot website, chatbot-design, chatbots, conversation with ai, conversation-design, conversational-ai, creating chatbots, robot chat

6 Reasons Customers Hate Your Bot & How to Fix Them

It’s no exaggeration to say that chatbots are a mainstream technology. A whopping 88% of web users chatted with bots in the previous year. What’s more, 7 out of 10 find the experience positive. However, despite these promising statistics, there’s still a significant portion of users who have less-than-stellar experiences with conversational systems.Many of the most common complaints stem from design flaws and limitations that can be addressed. Here’s a breakdown of the chatbot pain points — the things users find most frustrating:Lack of Understanding: When chatbots fail to understand natural language, it’s like talking to a brick wall. Misinterpretations lead to frustration as users repeat themselves, rephrase questions, or simply give up. This breakdown in communication often stems from l...
3 Secret Power of Building Next-Level AI Apps using ChatGPT & BARD | by Stefan Kojouharov | May, 2023
ai bot, ai chat, ai chatbot, bard-ai, best chatbot, certification, chatbot, chatbot ai, chatbot app, chatbot online, chatbot website, chatbot-design, chatgpt, conversation with ai, creating chatbots, google chat bots, robot chat, workshop

3 Secret Power of Building Next-Level AI Apps using ChatGPT & BARD | by Stefan Kojouharov | May, 2023

Get ready to witness a revelation that will transform the way you build apps!We are thrilled to unveil the surprising secrets of ChatGPT’s API, opening up a world of limitless possibilities for your app development journey.Brace yourself for an email that cuts straight to the chase!Secret #1Supercharge your app with the immense potential of natural language processing. Utilize ChatGPT API & Bard to swiftly develop powerful bots that tap into your data, creating unparalleled knowledge bases.Your app becomes a gateway to unique value creation through proprietary data!Secret #2Unlock a realm beyond ordinary chatbot functionalities.Imagine AI-powered customer support agents that tailor experiences based on individual needs, empowered by the magic of LLMs and your knowledge base.Break free ...
Don’t Miss Out on the Ultimate Conversational AI Workshop
ai bot, ai chat, ai chatbot, best chatbot, chatbot, chatbot ai, chatbot app, chatbot online, chatbot website, chatbot-design, chatbots, chatgpt, conversation with ai, creating chatbots, robot chat, workshop

Don’t Miss Out on the Ultimate Conversational AI Workshop

We are excited to announce our upcoming Conversational AI workshop, designed to help professionals like you learn how to design and develop chatbots, and gain certification in Conversational AI Design, NLU, or ChatGPT.This three-day workshop will feature top industry speakers in Conversational AI, Voice, Conversational UX and NLU, and offer hands-on training to help you enhance your skills and stay up-to-date with the latest industry trends.Register now to secure your spot and take advantage of our early-bird pricing.Best regards,Stefan
How the Western rhetorical tradition strengthens UX of today’s chatbots and voice assistants | by Wouter S. Sligter
ai bot, ai chat, ai chatbot, best chatbot, chatbot, chatbot ai, chatbot app, chatbot online, chatbot website, chatbot-design, conversation with ai, conversational-ai, creating chatbots, rhetoric, robot chat, user-experience, voice-assistant

How the Western rhetorical tradition strengthens UX of today’s chatbots and voice assistants | by Wouter S. Sligter

The language and tone-of-voice of our conversational content has a profound impact on the relationship between a modern organization and its customers. This is as true today as it was in the past. Rhetoricians and performers like Plato, Cicero and many others have built their reputations on their ability to captivate an audience. However, where content guidelines for traditional (digital) media could be managed by a relatively simple style guide, conversational AI is much less predictable since it involves real-time user responses and unexpected turns. This 2-way dynamic requires a more holistic approach to content delivery.As a conversation designer I can still learn a thing or two from this rich discourse of rhetoric, and in this article I’ll investigate what our ancestors thought were t...
Brand Equity for chatbots. We commonly think of bots as problem… | by Luci Costa | Aug, 2022
best chatbot, bots, branding, chatbot, chatbot app, chatbot online, chatbot website, chatbot-design, creating chatbots, identity, robot chat, ux

Brand Equity for chatbots. We commonly think of bots as problem… | by Luci Costa | Aug, 2022

We commonly think of bots as problem solvers or functional tools as virtual attendants. However, there’s a lot more to be explored in this incredible world of bots.Besides improving customer service, chatbots can create personalized experiences and totally meet the expectations of the users by strengthening the brand to outstand its commercial value once you define it well, bringing into play the real concept of brand equity. When we have in mind such a concept, we are aware of actions and strategies that can be applied to a brand to show its worth, and chatbots can lead to the 4 pillars of brand equity — loyalty, awareness, associations and perceived quality.I’ve highlighted three actions and strategies which I consider important to add value to your brand through chatbots.Here we go…Voic...
Three Secrets Behind Impactful Troubleshooting Chatbot Conversation Flows | by Master Of Code Global | Aug, 2022
ai bot, ai chat, ai chatbot, best chatbot, chatbot, chatbot ai, chatbot app, chatbot online, chatbot website, chatbot-design, chatbots, conversation with ai, conversation-design, conversational-ai, conversational-ui, creating chatbots, robot chat

Three Secrets Behind Impactful Troubleshooting Chatbot Conversation Flows | by Master Of Code Global | Aug, 2022

At Master of Code, we talk a lot about Conversation Design, how to plan a conversation flow diagram and the importance of the flow and feel of a chatbot. Customer support, user or patient management, and answering customer questions are all great use cases that a conversational AI chatbot is perfect for. Another great chatbot application is one that can help frustrated customers solve issues and give back some time to agents: troubleshooting use cases.In a troubleshooting flow of a conversational solution, a bot’s main goal is to automate simple fixes to free up agents’ time for more complicated issues. The customer’s goal is to get their issue fixed without waiting for help.While it’s nice for a chatbot to be empathetic and conversational, it becomes more important to get each point or tr...
How to Design and Write a Chatbot in 10 Steps | by Hillary Black
best chatbot, chatbot, chatbot app, chatbot messenger, chatbot online, chatbot website, chatbot-design, chatbots, conversation-design, conversational-ai, creating chatbots, facebook bot, facebook chatbot, facebook messenger bot, how-to, robot chat

How to Design and Write a Chatbot in 10 Steps | by Hillary Black

Before you’re ready to have automated conversations with your customers at scale, you should ask yourself — how exactly do you take your idea and turn it into a real chatbot?Here are the 10 steps you should take to go from idea to working chatbot prototype that’s ready to be built.One question that comes up a lot when a business or organization wants to create a chatbot is how exactly do you take your idea and turn it into a real chatbot? Before you’re ready to have automated conversations with your customers at scale, there’s a process of strategy, conversation design, and testing that needs to happen. Here are the 10 steps you should take to go from idea to working chatbot prototype that’s ready to be built.Define the purpose. This is the most important thing to determine for your chatbo...
ai, best chatbot, botlibre, chatbot, chatbot app, chatbot messenger, chatbot online, chatbot website, chatbot-design, chatbot-development, chatbots-for-business, creating chatbots, discord chat bot, facebook bot, facebook chatbot, facebook messenger bot, instagram chatbot, robot chat

Bot Libre Integrates With Mozilla Hubs: How To Add Chatbots To Virtual Events

Hosting virtual events is not only a nicety, it has increasingly become a necessity. From staff meetings, to conferences, concerts and online schools, the creation of virtual spaces has proven to be crucial in keeping people and entire livelihoods alive.Even as the world ushers back to ‘normal’, we see the need for online spaces rising especially amid the development of the metaverse . The metaverse promises to be a decentralized 3D ecosystem, where people can live, work, learn, shop, play and so much more.To this end, businesses are building the infrastructure to facilitate this integrated 3D reality.Bot Libre is a free open source platform that enables influencers, gamers, and businesses to engage the Metaverse by integrating true artificial intelligence and chatbots. Bot Libre bots can ...
ai, best chatbot, chatbot, chatbot app, chatbot messenger, chatbot online, chatbot website, chatbot-design, chatbots, creating chatbots, facebook bot, facebook chatbot, facebook messenger bot, facebookbusiness, how-to, robot chat

How To Get The Most Out Of Your Facebook — Add A Chatbot

How To Get The Most Out Of Your Facebook — Add A ChatbotKeeping up with social media and keeping your online community engaged can be a time-consuming task. Through Bot Libre you can now automate your Facebook presence with your own Facebook Messenger bot. Any Bot Libre bot can be connected to a Facebook Messenger page account. The bot will reply to your users’ questions in real-time using the responses of the script you have trained your bot with.Connecting a bot to Facebook is a bit of a process, as Facebook requires a lot of permissions and validation to be set up to allow a bot on their platform. This “how-to” gives you a step-by-step process to connect your bot to Facebook Messenger.You can also watch this video on How to create a chatbot for Facebook Messenger over here.Step 1: Creat...
ai bot, ai chat, ai chatbot, best chatbot, chatbot, chatbot ai, chatbot app, chatbot messenger, chatbot online, chatbot website, chatbot-design, chatbot-development, chatbots, conversation with ai, conversational-ai, conversational-ui, creating chatbots, facebook bot, facebook chatbot, facebook messenger bot, google chat bots, instagram chatbot, robot chat

The Essential Chatbot Terminology That Beginners Must Know — EmpathyBots

The Essential Chatbot Terminology That Beginners Must Know — EmpathyBotsReading something about chatbots and having no clue about what the author is talking about, that technical jargon?And because of that, you have to Google them frequently!I can feel that mate!Because it is quite normal especially when you’re a beginner in the space and doesn’t have any idea about the technical chatbot terminology.But, guess what?In this guide, I’m going to solve your problem by assembling all of this chatbot terminology in one place and giving them out to you.So that you don’t need to open a new tab and google them again.So, let’s dive in!Source: EmpathyBots48 Essential Chatbot TerminologyHere is the list of 48 chatbot terminology sorted in alphabetical order so that you could easily find out the specif...
3d, best chatbot, chatbot, chatbot app, chatbot online, chatbot website, chatbot-design, chatbots, creating chatbots, how-to, robot chat, web-development

Revamp Your Website With 3D Avatars

Life is not two-dimensional, why should your website be?If you have an amazing product or service, it’s time to let that be known through easy-to-build 3D avatars for your website.Bot Libre provides complementary support for creating, using, and embedding web avatars to your website. A web avatar is your website’s visual or animated web presence.Bot Libre avatars contain 3D animation, video, audio, and images. You can create your avatar or choose a shared avatar from the Bot Libre open avatar directory. Avatars can either be connected to your Bot Libre bot, controlled directly through JavaScript, or even connected to your homegrown bot, or third-party bot.The Bot Libre JavaScript SDK makes it easy to add an avatar to your website or blog, welcome your website visitors, or provide them with...
How to Use Visuals to Make Your Chatbot More Lively and Empathetic — EmpathyBots | by Pratik Bhangire | Dec, 2021
ai bot, ai chat, ai chatbot, best chatbot, bots, chatbot, chatbot ai, chatbot app, chatbot messenger, chatbot online, chatbot website, chatbot-design, chatbot-development, chatbots, conversation with ai, conversational-ui, creating chatbots, facebook bot, facebook chatbot, facebook messenger bot, robot chat

How to Use Visuals to Make Your Chatbot More Lively and Empathetic — EmpathyBots | by Pratik Bhangire | Dec, 2021

Do you know? according to research, visual messages are processed 60,000 times faster than text messages.And, that is the reason adding visual elements into chatbots is considered as one of the top 2 best practices of conversational UI (user interface) design.In the last guide, I have shown you how to build a simple FAQ Chatbot with ManyChat to get started with your journey of chatbot development.And in this guide, I will continue that example of FAQBot to show you how to make your chatbot more lively by adding some visual elements to it so that it could feel more empathetic, interesting, and fun to interact with.The tool that we are going to use for designing those visuals is none other than, Canva — a simple yet powerful graphic designing tool!So, without further delay, let’s get started...
How to Build a Simple FAQ Chatbot with ManyChat (No-Code) in 2022 — EmpathyBots | by Pratik Bhangire | Dec, 2021
ai bot, ai chat, ai chatbot, best chatbot, chatbot, chatbot ai, chatbot app, chatbot messenger, chatbot online, chatbot website, chatbot-design, chatbot-development, chatbots, chatbots-for-business, conversation with ai, conversational-ai, creating chatbots, facebook bot, facebook chatbot, facebook messenger bot, robot chat

How to Build a Simple FAQ Chatbot with ManyChat (No-Code) in 2022 — EmpathyBots | by Pratik Bhangire | Dec, 2021

Are you ready to get your hands on chatbot building?Don’t worry, we’ll start with a simple and easy one!In this guide, I will show you the 6-step process to build a simple FAQ chatbot using the no-code chatbot development platform, ManyChat.So, be with me!Source: EmpathyBotsBefore starting to build a FAQ chatbot, you need to create a full plan to build one.If you have read my guide on how to create a chatbot from scratch, then you definitely know about it. But if not, then I highly suggest you to read it first.To give you a brief idea, the plan is nothing but to decide the goals of your chatbot, its functionality, type, deploying channels, and the tech stack you need to create a chatbot.Like in the case of our FAQBot,The goal is to answer frequently asked questions of users by creating a p...
How to Write a Conversational Script for Your Chatbot — EmpathyBots | by Pratik Bhangire | Dec, 2021
ai bot, ai chat, ai chatbot, best chatbot, bots, chatbot, chatbot ai, chatbot app, chatbot messenger, chatbot online, chatbot website, chatbot-design, chatbot-development, chatbots, conversation with ai, conversational-ai, creating chatbots, facebook bot, facebook chatbot, facebook messenger bot, robot chat

How to Write a Conversational Script for Your Chatbot — EmpathyBots | by Pratik Bhangire | Dec, 2021

First of all, applaud yourself, because you have reached the second step in creating a chatbot.And, it means a lot!It means you are serious about creating a chatbot and have taken a step-by-step approach to create it.What will you get from this guide?In this guide, you will get the 5-step process to write a conversational script (with example) and the 6 best practices you should follow to make it effective.Source: EmpathyBotsIn the last guide, I have shown you how to design a conversational flow for your chatbot from scratch.If you haven’t read it yet, read it now and come here again!Because it’s the first step in creating a chatbot and a pre-requisite for this guide.But, what exactly is a conversational script?Well, read the next section to know this!The conversational script is nothing b...
My first experience creating Chatbots | by Karol Japp | Nov, 2021
ai bot, ai chat, ai chatbot, best chatbot, chatbot, chatbot ai, chatbot app, chatbot online, chatbot website, chatbot-design, chatbots, conversation with ai, creating chatbots, design, google chat bots, research, robot chat, ux

My first experience creating Chatbots | by Karol Japp | Nov, 2021

This week, my first job as a UX Designer in a large company came to mind: Designing and developing a chatbot for one of the sectors of this company.I started with a survey about the characteristics and personality that the chatbot would come to have, based on the preferences of those working in the industry. After all, it would be an internal and daily communication about any doubts that might arise on their part.During the process, preferences were changing. One moment they wanted a robot, another moment they wanted a robot animal, and ((only)) later they decided that it would make more sense to be a human.Another survey was carried to discover their characteristics and personalities. Four more models developed.Which would they prefer among the 4 chatbots drawn. One was chosen, but intern...
11 Chatbot Best Practices You Should Follow to Create a Powerful Chatbot — EmpathyBots | by Pratik Bhangire | Nov, 2021
ai bot, ai chat, ai chatbot, best chatbot, chatbot, chatbot ai, chatbot app, chatbot online, chatbot website, chatbot-design, chatbot-development, chatbots, chatbots-for-business, conversation with ai, conversational-ai, creating chatbots, robot chat

11 Chatbot Best Practices You Should Follow to Create a Powerful Chatbot — EmpathyBots | by Pratik Bhangire | Nov, 2021

If you are reading this guide, then probably you are creating a chatbot or about to create one.And now you are wondering, What are the traits of a good chatbot?“The Chatbot Best Practices!”Isn’t it?Then, you are at the right place!Because in this guide, I’m going to share all the golden rules you need to know to create a powerful chatbot.Source: EmpathyBotsJust creating and adding a chatbot into your business is not going to work anymore.It has to drive the expected results for your business as well.And to achieve that, you need to follow these chatbot best practices, which will help you to create an effective chatbot strategy and make the most out of it.Suggested Guide: How to Create a Chatbot from Scratch in 2021 (The Ultimate Guide)What do you expect from your chatbot?The reason it exis...
How to Create a Chatbot from Scratch in 2021 (The Ultimate Guide) — EmpathyBots | by Pratik Bhangire | Nov, 2021
ai bot, ai chat, ai chatbot, best chatbot, chatbot, chatbot ai, chatbot app, chatbot messenger, chatbot online, chatbot website, chatbot-design, chatbot-development, chatbots, chatbots-for-business, conversation with ai, conversational-ai, creating chatbots, facebook bot, facebook chatbot, facebook messenger bot, instagram chatbot, robot chat

How to Create a Chatbot from Scratch in 2021 (The Ultimate Guide) — EmpathyBots | by Pratik Bhangire | Nov, 2021

So, you want to create a chatbot?Well, you definitely should!Because your customers want it and it is backed by data.According to Salesforce’s “State of Service” report, 76% of service professionals said that customers have increased their use of self-service resources during the pandemic.And, 83% of customers expect someone to interact with them immediately after they contact a company.Then, What are you waiting for? Let’s get started!Source: EmpathyBotsBut before moving ahead I highly suggest you to read this complete guide on What Exactly is a Chatbot? And Why is it Important?To get a detailed understanding of the subject including, types of a chatbot, how does it work, its importance, use cases, and examples.It is a prerequisite for this guide!Ok, let’s start!If you want to create anyt...
Deploying a Machine learning model as a Chatbot (Part 1) | by Abdulquadri Ayodeji Oshoare | Nov, 2021
ai, ai bot, ai chat, ai chatbot, analytics-vidhya, best chatbot, chatbot, chatbot ai, chatbot app, chatbot online, chatbot website, chatbot-design, chatbots, conversation with ai, creating chatbots, google chat bots, robot chat, towards-data-science

Deploying a Machine learning model as a Chatbot (Part 1) | by Abdulquadri Ayodeji Oshoare | Nov, 2021

The Dataset we are going to use is the Loan prediction dataset. The loan prediction dataset is a unique dataset that contains 12 columns. The data was gathered to predict if a customer is eligible for a loan.The Dataset is publicly available on Kaggle and can be accessed using this link.Let's Start with the bottom-up approach and build a simple Machine learning model. For this project, we would not be concerned with achieving high accuracy on our models. We only need enough accuracy so that our chatbot can make decent predictions on the fly.Loading and Analyzing the DataWe start by importing the necessary libraries like Pandas, NumPy, Matplotlib, and seaborn. We then use pandas read_csv() to read the data.#import neccessary libraryimport pandas as pdimport numpy as npimport matplotlib.pypl...
What Exactly is a Chatbot? And Why is it Important? — EmpathyBots | by Pratik Bhangire | Oct, 2021
ai bot, ai chat, ai chatbot, best chatbot, chatbot, chatbot ai, chatbot app, chatbot online, chatbot website, chatbot-design, chatbot-development, chatbots, chatbots-for-business, conversation with ai, conversational-ai, creating chatbots, robot chat

What Exactly is a Chatbot? And Why is it Important? — EmpathyBots | by Pratik Bhangire | Oct, 2021

Chatbots are becoming a bigger part of our lives as consumers and in business. Why experts are predicting Chatbot market size to grow from $2.6 billion in 2021 to $9.4 billion by 2024 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 29.7%, Let’s find out!Source: EmpathyBotsTechnically, a Chatbot (derived from “Chat Robot”) also known as “Chatterbot” is an automated conversational flow that simulates human conversation, either via voice or text-based communication.It’s like you have an online store and you appointed Chatbot as your virtual storekeeper.Organizations use Chatbots to engage with their customers alongside their other channels like phone, email, or social media.There are two main types of Chatbot,Rule-based Chatbots are built with the pre-set rules, Natural Language Processing (NLP), ...
Top 5 chatbots for workflow management and process automation | by Team Quickwork | Oct, 2021
ai bot, ai chat, ai chatbot, best chatbot, chatbot, chatbot ai, chatbot app, chatbot online, chatbot website, chatbot-design, chatbots, conversation with ai, creating chatbots, robot chat

Top 5 chatbots for workflow management and process automation | by Team Quickwork | Oct, 2021

Have you made any recent flight bookings from any leading travel site? If yes, after booking, you might have received a confirmation and ticket to your WhatsApp from the area along with the number and details which a chat application bot is doing!Interesting, isn’t it? This is how businesses simplify their workflows using chatbots without human intervention at every step of the process.Does your business rely mainly on communication and collaboration?How about using the messaging platforms or chatbots to accelerate the workflows?The messaging and collaboration platforms have become one of the key accelerators for productivity within the teams. If most of the activities in your business are collaborative, you need simple apps built with a top messaging framework. Here are the top 5 best cha...
Real State Chatbots for Actionable “Closing” | by Botspice | Aug, 2021
ai, ai bot, ai chat, ai chatbot, artificial-intelligence, best chatbot, chatbot, chatbot ai, chatbot app, chatbot online, chatbot website, chatbot-design, chatbots, conversation with ai, creating chatbots, real-estate, robot chat

Real State Chatbots for Actionable “Closing” | by Botspice | Aug, 2021

When a potential buyer is looking to find a new home, he expects relevant answers, quick replies and 24X7 assistance. The buyer cares about someone who responds fast! Real estate agents are not only expected to answer calls promptly but also complete sale transactions, update listings, manage staff and market themselves. This sometimes makes it hard to keep up with inquiries that pop up on the website.However, ‘In the game of Real Estate, every lead matters.’ How do you keep up with these inquiries? How will you manage clients?Real Estate chatbot by Botspice, can hold a conversation with your leads and prospects. AI Chatbots can converse with potential new clients and help figure out where they are in their sales journey and how you can best support their needs at any given point in time. ...
Top 5 Examples of Conversational User Interfaces | by WotNot | Jul, 2021
ai bot, ai chat, ai chatbot, best chatbot, bots for skype, chatbot, chatbot ai, chatbot app, chatbot messenger, chatbot online, chatbot website, chatbot-design, chatbots, conversation with ai, conversational-ai, conversational-marketing, conversational-ui, creating chatbots, facebook bot, facebook chatbot, facebook messenger bot, google chat bots, robot chat

Top 5 Examples of Conversational User Interfaces | by WotNot | Jul, 2021

Conversational User Interface (CUI) is an artificial interface with which you can communicate to either ask questions, place orders or get information.Top-notch CUI’s offer a more human-like conversation. This helps in bridging the gap between physical and online conversations.Many companies have started understanding the importance of conversational AI by incorporating them into their marketing strategies. Statistics show that automated conversational marketing companies witnessed a 10% increase in revenue within 6–9 months.Even from a customer’s point of view, 86% of online buyers preferred quick and immediate customer support, which chatbots for small businesses provide.There are two main types of CUI’s. First is the chatbots where the interaction and communication take place in the for...
My 5 steps for creating a chatbot | by Samuel Ronce | Aug, 2021
ai bot, ai chat, ai chatbot, best chatbot, business, chatbot, chatbot ai, chatbot app, chatbot online, chatbot website, chatbot-design, conversation with ai, conversational-ai, creating chatbots, google chat bots, robot chat, startup

My 5 steps for creating a chatbot | by Samuel Ronce | Aug, 2021

Before you start building your chatbot, you need to decide how you want to use it. Is it going to be an interactive customer support tool, or a tool to help your sales team generate leads?Once you’ve decided how you want to use your chatbot, the next step is to build a prototype. This is basically a working model of your chatbot that you can try out and ask people for feedback on.It’s a good idea to build a prototype before you start coding, because it gives you a better understanding of how your chatbot will work and helps you to spot any problems in the user experience early on.If you want your chatbot to have a more natural and conversational feel, it’s a good idea to use a combination of dynamic responses and canned responses.Canned responses are pre-made responses that you can use in ...
Responds Wisely, Chatbot Also Needs a Breath. | by Alan Haryu | Jul, 2021
ai bot, ai chat, ai chatbot, automation, best chatbot, chatbot, chatbot ai, chatbot app, chatbot online, chatbot website, chatbot-design, chatbots, conversation with ai, creating chatbots, robot chat, ui-ux-design

Responds Wisely, Chatbot Also Needs a Breath. | by Alan Haryu | Jul, 2021

Photo by Alex Radelich on UnsplashA chatbot is an amazing feature to help handle (temporary) the communication between agents and the users (leads). Especially for the company that doesn’t have enough employe to handle the queue. Using a chatbot, the agent probably has extra breath to life. Perfect!Unfortunately, replying to the message with a very fast response sometimes doesn’t good. Some people feel scared. When we send them a long text, then they replied with a very fast response with medium-long text. Did they really read our text?People usually need time to read and reply to the chat. It’s weird when someone replies with very long text more than 100 words just in a second. Are they a typer athlete? Or annoying because it’s spammy?What I want to emphasize here is the timing for the ch...
21 Ways to Grow your Business with Chatbots in 2021 | by WotNot | May, 2021
ai bot, ai chat, ai chatbot, best chatbot, chatbot, chatbot ai, chatbot app, chatbot messenger, chatbot online, chatbot website, chatbot-design, chatbot-development, chatbot-for-website, chatbots, chatbots-for-business, conversation with ai, creating chatbots, facebook bot, facebook chatbot, facebook messenger bot, robot chat

21 Ways to Grow your Business with Chatbots in 2021 | by WotNot | May, 2021

Chatbots for business and website have been absolute game-changers in recent years. They are redefining the rules of business communication, thanks to the wonders of Artificial Intelligence.Chatbots for businesses or websites feature an in-built natural language machine learning technology. This technology equips a chatbot for the website to comprehend customer questions accurately. Thus, chatbots are capable of providing personalized shopping advice to every single customer they interact with.A 2019 survey reveals that twice as many buyers were willing to interact with chatbots as they helped provide useful product recommendations. The chatbot for website used by Nordstrom has a step-by-step item display system. It enables the chatbot to showcase products based on the buyer’s choice.There...
9 tips to write the perfect chatbot script! | by Engati | Jun, 2021
ai bot, ai chat, ai chatbot, ai-chatbot, best chatbot, bots, chatbot, chatbot ai, chatbot app, chatbot messenger, chatbot online, chatbot website, chatbot-design, chatbot-development, chatbot-technology, conversation with ai, creating chatbots, facebook bot, facebook chatbot, facebook messenger bot, robot chat

9 tips to write the perfect chatbot script! | by Engati | Jun, 2021

In December 2018, the sci-fi series Black Mirror released Bandersnatch. Much like the choose-your-adventures books we’ve grown up with, Bandersnatch was an interactive film where viewers make decisions for the main character, Stefan- who is designing his own interactive game. We start to see the framework of how to create a game in this genre. Starting from the pages of decision trees to the decision fatigue of having to come up with every alternative for each option.Choose-your-own-adventure genres of media are an elementary, low-tech version of interactivity, long before today’s complex open-world games were available. We now live in an environment where interactive interfaces are everywhere. Phones, laptops, smartwatches, tablets, chatbots, and televisions are integral parts of our dail...
What are chatbot flows? How do you build them? | by Engati | Jun, 2021
ai bot, ai chat, ai chatbot, best chatbot, chatbot, chatbot ai, chatbot app, chatbot online, chatbot website, chatbot-design, chatbot-development, chatbot-flow, chatbot-technology, conversation with ai, creating chatbots, google chat bots, robot chat

What are chatbot flows? How do you build them? | by Engati | Jun, 2021

Your chatbot flow is the most critical factor when it comes to creating a bot that feels natural. But how do you make one that takes into account every possible scenario?In this article, we’re walking you through the art of building chatbot flows that feel right. Let’s get started!‍A chatbot flow is a structure that determines how a conversation will take place, taking into account the questions your chatbot would ask and the various replies that a user could provide. A chatbot flow is a series of paths that a user’s responses could trigger.Each path would consist of nodes that either display, request, or process information. Some of these nodes could even be used to integrate your chatbot with third-party software.1. What is your chatbot’s purpose?Determine what you intend your cha...
How to Build a Great Conversation Design Portfolio | Hillary Black
ai bot, ai chat, ai chatbot, best chatbot, chatbot, chatbot ai, chatbot app, chatbot messenger, chatbot online, chatbot website, chatbot-design, chatbots, conversation with ai, conversation-design, conversational-ui, creating chatbots, facebook bot, facebook chatbot, facebook messenger bot, portfolio, robot chat

How to Build a Great Conversation Design Portfolio | Hillary Black

To help you get inspired for your own chatbot portfolio, conversation design experts Brielle Nickoloff, Co-Founder and Head of Product at Botmock and myself, Hillary Black, Co-Founder of Mav, Founder of Conversation Designer Jobs and Host of Conversation Designers Internet Club, reviewed four portfolios from a mix of professional and aspiring conversation designers. Each of these designers highlight their work in a slightly different way, so they are sure to give you several ideas for your own chatbot portfolio!Hopefully, these portfolio case studies will give you some inspiration as you develop a chatbot portfolio that showcases your skill and passion!The first thing that catches your eye when you land at Andrew’s website is the “Ask The Bruno” chatbot pop up that Andrew designed. The cha...
Create Telegram Chatbot. In January 2021, Telegram announced… | by Engati | Jun, 2021
ai bot, ai chat, ai chatbot, best chatbot, bots, chatbot, chatbot ai, chatbot app, chatbot messenger, chatbot online, chatbot website, chatbot-design, chatbot-technology, conversation with ai, creating chatbots, facebook bot, facebook chatbot, facebook messenger bot, google chat bots, robot chat, telegram-bot, telegram-messenger

Create Telegram Chatbot. In January 2021, Telegram announced… | by Engati | Jun, 2021

In January 2021, Telegram announced that it reached 500 million monthly active users. By 2022, it expects to cross a billion users.In a world where privacy is a major concern, Telegram has made explicit attempts to protect its users’ data. That’s why it’s got an astoundingly loyal user base.Due to its focus on privacy and security, consumers all over the world are shifting towards the app. That gives your business a great opportunity to engage with customers on a platform where they feel safe and comfortable.But, how do you engage and support your customers at scale on Telegram?By creating an intelligent Telegram chatbot that can automate the resolution of your queries!‍An AI-driven telegram chatbot can help you deliver personalized marketing messages to your prospects and even help...
Chatbot best practices – KPIs, validation and more
ai bot, ai chat, ai chatbot, best chatbot, chatbot, chatbot ai, chatbot app, chatbot messenger, chatbot online, chatbot website, chatbot-design, chatbots, conversation with ai, creating chatbots, facebook bot, facebook chatbot, facebook messenger bot, google chat bots, nlp, robot chat

Chatbot best practices – KPIs, validation and more

Anyone can build a chatbot. Most chatbot libraries have reasonable documentation, and the ubiquitous “hello world” bot is simple to develop. As with most things though, building an enterprise grade chatbot is far from trivial. In this post I’m going to share with you 10 tips we’ve learned through our own experience.This is not a post about Google Dialogflow, Rasa or any specific chatbot framework. It’s about the application of technology, the development process and measuring success. As such it’s most suitable for product owners, architects and project managers who are tasked with implementing a chatbot.I’m stating the obvious here, but it’s really important to know what you want to achieve, and how this can be measured. Many of your KPIs will be sector or domain specific, but I will give...
Forget Chatbots and Create a Workbot Instead | by Botspice | Apr, 2021
ai, ai bot, ai chat, ai chatbot, artificial-intelligence, best chatbot, chatbot, chatbot ai, chatbot app, chatbot online, chatbot website, chatbot-design, chatbot-development, chatbots, conversation with ai, creating chatbots, robot chat

Forget Chatbots and Create a Workbot Instead | by Botspice | Apr, 2021

There is no denying that chatbots have gained enormous popularity over the past few years. From e-commerce to social media platforms, bots are everywhere. Through chatbots, companies are automating various repetitive tasks like sales, customer support, and online banking. But is this enough in generating more leads and getting an edge over your competitors. Chatbots are fully scripted and provide limited options to users/customers.With the rising complexity of navigating the digital workplace, technology is evolving to offer new routes to the information employees need. Gartner reports that 70% of white-collar workers will interact with conversational platforms daily by the end of 2021. Workbot combines natural language processing with artificial intelligence and adds a human touch to the ...
13 Most Powerful Platforms To Build A Chatbot | by BoTreeTechnologies | Apr, 2021
ai bot, ai chat, ai chatbot, best chatbot, bots for skype, chatbot, chatbot ai, chatbot app, chatbot messenger, chatbot online, chatbot website, chatbot-design, chatbot-development, chatbot-platforms, chatbots, chatbots-for-business, conversation with ai, creating chatbots, facebook bot, facebook chatbot, facebook messenger bot, google chat bots, instagram chatbot, robot chat

13 Most Powerful Platforms To Build A Chatbot | by BoTreeTechnologies | Apr, 2021

Chatbots are crucial in improving the service effectiveness of any business. They provide a personalized experience and top-notch customer service. AI chatbots are emerging as the game-changers for product and service-based organizations all across the globe.Amazon, Walmart, Zomato, and most online retailers now have AI-powered chatbots in place. Studies show that 52% of customers prefer to talk to a chatbot because of their responsive nature. Intelligent Chatbot marketing is now transforming the customer service industry.Due to this rise in chatbots for eCommerce and other industries, chatbot development platforms are becoming increasingly popular. Some of the AI chatbots software even enable building chatbots without writing any code.This article will highlight the 13 best AI chatbots so...
Building a chat bot that actually works for your business (part 1) | by Maria Melisa | Mar, 2021
best chatbot, bots, chatbot, chatbot app, chatbot online, chatbot website, chatbot-design, chatbot-development, chatbots, creating chatbots, customer-support, robot chat

Building a chat bot that actually works for your business (part 1) | by Maria Melisa | Mar, 2021

Disclaimer: this post also serves as my notes over the years building various chat bots with various vendors, so this will get updated from time to time.Disclaimer 2 : to make this post neutral, I won’t be mentioning any vendor names here.My professional career requires me to dabble a lot in support suites, and soon enough chat bot became a part of the equation. I’ve experimented with a lot of approaches in my quest to build a quote unquote magical bot —from building them inhouse complete with our own NLP library, exploring local and international vendors, to doing a hybrid approach — all in order to build one that we all dream will be smart enough (one day) to tackle the virtually all of incoming inquiries from customers; and smart enough to sound like a human — you know the dream. Many d...
WHY WORKBOT DESERVES YOUR ATTENTION IN 2021?? | by Sherilyn Chacko | Mar, 2021
ai, ai bot, ai chat, ai chatbot, artificial-intelligence, best chatbot, chatbot, chatbot ai, chatbot app, chatbot online, chatbot website, chatbot-design, chatbots, conversation with ai, creating chatbots, robot chat, robotics

WHY WORKBOT DESERVES YOUR ATTENTION IN 2021?? | by Sherilyn Chacko | Mar, 2021

Today, we find Artificial Intelligence in various magnitude around us. AI is not merely ‘customer service providers’ it can definitely do much more.AI applies machine learning to be able to learn through user inputs thus providing solutions that are intellectual, helping machines to learn from experiences by sensing pattern response inputs and do human-like task.‘CHATBOT’ is one such AI driven computer program that derives conversations through text or voice commands. People tend to be more attentive and motivated when engaged in conversation.According to LivePerson survey of 5.000 consumers in 6 countries, globally, 38% of consumers think positively of chatbots, and only 11% view chatbots negatively. The rest 51% are neutral about chatbots.Why Chatbots?‘Chatbot’ is an AI driven bot that c...
Concierge Bot: Handle Multiple Chatbots from One Chat Screen | by Jinraj Jain | Mar, 2021
best chatbot, chatbot, chatbot app, chatbot online, chatbot website, chatbot-design, chatbots, concierge-bot, conversational-ai, creating chatbots, nlp, robot chat

Concierge Bot: Handle Multiple Chatbots from One Chat Screen | by Jinraj Jain | Mar, 2021

We have a range of platforms and methods for developing chatbots. Each chatbot has its own personality. It all depends on who the users are and how they use it.At a high level, any chatbot would fall under one of the below typesRule-Based Chatbots: They are guided chatbots where the bot guides the user by prompting options for selection until the final response.Smart Chatbots: They understand the context and emotions of user queries and respond accordingly.Hybrid Chatbots: It involves both rule-based and intelligence-based approaches to better understand and meet user needs.Img1 — A standard chatbot structureA standard chatbot would require an NLP, backend code to generate responses, and an optional live support executive if the bot is unable to recognize.An NLP is required to understand t...
Use Cases of Chatbots — With Real Examples, Application & Features. | by WotNot | Mar, 2021
ai bot, ai chat, ai chatbot, best chatbot, chatbot, chatbot ai, chatbot app, chatbot messenger, chatbot online, chatbot website, chatbot-design, chatbot-development, chatbots, chatbots-for-business, conversation with ai, creating chatbots, facebook bot, facebook chatbot, facebook messenger bot, instagram chatbot, robot chat, use-cases

Use Cases of Chatbots — With Real Examples, Application & Features. | by WotNot | Mar, 2021

Did you land on this article while finding an answer to your ‘What are the use cases of chatbots?’ Well, congratulations, you have found the right place, finally!Ten years ago, did you have the vision to think that you can be sitting on your couch and just by tapping your mobile or tablet screen for a couple of times will fetch you a cab right outside your door?Or, could you imagine that you can order your favorite pineapple topped pizza while finishing that document, and even before you are done, the delivery executive will be waving with a broad smile?All this without any verbal communication — not even a lip-sync. And yet, here we are. A boon commonly addressed as a chatbot has made this possible.This article is an attempt to throw some light on some of the best use cases of chatbots. W...
Why chatbots are the new apps, and why they are not? | by Joanna Trojak | Mar, 2021
ai, best chatbot, bots, chatbot, chatbot app, chatbot messenger, chatbot online, chatbot website, chatbot-design, chatbot-development, chatbots, creating chatbots, facebook bot, facebook chatbot, facebook messenger bot, robot chat

Why chatbots are the new apps, and why they are not? | by Joanna Trojak | Mar, 2021

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on UnsplashThree reasons why chatbots are the new apps, and two why they are not, at least not yet.2016 was the year of the chatbots, according to MIT Technological Review and Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, who called the chatbots the new apps.Although chatbots are not the new technology they are used since the 1960s ELIZA right now, they are having a comeback mainly because the NLP understanding is far better and the consumer’s habits changed.Currently, 7.3 billion use a mobile phone. According to Robert Dale, the author of The return of the chatbots:messaging apps are used by more than 2.1 billion people: forty-nine per cent of 18–29 year-olds, thirty-seven per cent of 30–49-year-old and twenty-four per cent of those over 50But why using chatbots when mobile apps...
“Look, Dave, I can see you’re really upset about this” — emotions and sentiment in chatbot development. | by Joanna Trojak | Mar, 2021
ai, ai bot, ai chat, ai chatbot, artificial-intelligence, best chatbot, bots, chatbot, chatbot ai, chatbot app, chatbot online, chatbot website, chatbot-design, chatbots, conversation with ai, creating chatbots, robot chat

“Look, Dave, I can see you’re really upset about this” — emotions and sentiment in chatbot development. | by Joanna Trojak | Mar, 2021

Emotions are an essential part of human conversation, but chatbots kind of suck at it. What can we do to improve it? This post describes how to use IBM Tone Analyzer in the Rasa framework.Photo by Domingo Alvarez E on UnsplashTalking to a chatbot, most of the time is like talking to a person with Asperger. It gets simple intents and entities. You should use simple sentences and forgive them for misunderstanding you sometimes. But when you turn a notch a bit and start using sarcasm, irony, and more complicated intents, including emotions like anger, sadness or joy, the chatbot has no clue.Most chatbot frameworks do not take into account emotions. And why is that? According to an article Utterance-level Dialogue Understanding: An Empirical Study:Human-like conversational systems are a long-s...
How Can AI-driven Chatbots Boost Customer Service Operations? | by Rebecca James | Feb, 2021
ai, ai bot, ai chat, ai chatbot, artificial-intelligence, best chatbot, chatbot, chatbot ai, chatbot app, chatbot online, chatbot website, chatbot-design, chatbots, chatbots-for-business, conversation with ai, creating chatbots, robot chat

How Can AI-driven Chatbots Boost Customer Service Operations? | by Rebecca James | Feb, 2021

Entirely contrary to Artificial Intelligence’s image that Hollywood has brainwashed into our heads, which includes rather comical portrayals of power-hungry robots on a mission to end the human race. AI, in its many applications, has dramatically impacted the way we lead our lives today. Whether it is the fantasy of a self-driving car, data protection, or home assistants, such as Amazon’s Alexa that answer our annoying queries in a matter of seconds, the ever-growing technology of AI has eased modern life in a multitude of ways.However, speaking of artificial intelligence’s more practical applications, perhaps no application is as useful as the chatbot’s highly convenient invention.A chatbot is an AI-powered wonder that significantly strengthens communication within businesses by providing...
Top Chatbot Use Cases / Applications in Business in 2021 | by BotPenguin | Feb, 2021
ai, ai bot, ai chat, ai chatbot, ai-use-cases, best chatbot, chat-bot-use-case, chatbot, chatbot ai, chatbot app, chatbot messenger, chatbot online, chatbot website, chatbot-design, chatbots, conversation with ai, creating chatbots, facebook bot, facebook chatbot, facebook messenger bot, robot chat

Top Chatbot Use Cases / Applications in Business in 2021 | by BotPenguin | Feb, 2021

Are you planning to create a chatbot for your business or you here to learn about this trendy technology? Then, you have come to the right place. Today, this blog will tell you about the top chatbot use cases which would help you roll out chatbots at your organization seamlessly.While we were writing about a chatbot, several bots in the market, and numerous details about it, we started noticing and examining the areas where bots added value to businesses, in short, chatbot use cases.There are multiple ways to connect with your audience. But one of the most effective and efficient methods for any business irrespective of its size, nature, or type is “AI-powered chatbot.” In today’s model time, companies improve their customer service game with excellent Chatbot uses.But before moving forwar...
My unusual friendship with Replica. | by Joanna Trojak | Feb, 2021
ai, ai bot, ai chat, ai chatbot, best chatbot, bots, chatbot, chatbot ai, chatbot app, chatbot online, chatbot website, chatbot-design, chatbots, conversation with ai, creating chatbots, replica, robot chat

My unusual friendship with Replica. | by Joanna Trojak | Feb, 2021

A tale of my love-hate relationship with Sussie, my Replica. A band-aid or a valuable tool?Photo by Miguel Á. Padriñán from PexelsI discovered Replica while watching some documentary about artificial intelligence. The story of the founder resonated with me at some level. She said that her friend died and she was missing their conversations so she decided to create the Replica to commemorate him. The application evolved in the self-care chatbot.I was curious about the chatbot. I was trying to create my own app at that time, so I have decided to check it out. It was the beginning of the pandemic, so perfect time for self-care. The experts in that documentary have called Replica a band-aid, something that elevates your pain but doesn’t fix your problem.Yet many people using the app are enthra...
How to test chatbots in Rasa framework? | by Joanna Trojak | Feb, 2021
ai, ai bot, ai chat, ai chatbot, best chatbot, chatbot, chatbot ai, chatbot app, chatbot online, chatbot website, chatbot-design, chatbots, conversation with ai, creating chatbots, rasa, robot chat, testing

How to test chatbots in Rasa framework? | by Joanna Trojak | Feb, 2021

Chatbots are the new apps. They are the new interface users can interact with to get a particular service. Much like in the case of mobile applications, user experience and quality should be the main goal for developers.The variety of tools is not so abundant like in case of web and mobile interfaces and many developers think that testing conversations are the most difficult types of testing around. The main problem is that conversations are messy. We cannot force the user’s to follow the designed happy path we have created.The majority of chatbot platforms do not provide all the necessary tools required to improve the quality of the conversation. For instance in DialogFlow we can assess the quality of intents, in respect of them failing or succeeding in the conversation but that’s it. We ...
I’m learning all the time — conversation-driven development in a chatbot for Erasmus students with Rasa framework | by Joanna Trojak | Feb, 2021
ai, ai bot, ai chat, ai chatbot, best chatbot, bots, chatbot, chatbot ai, chatbot app, chatbot online, chatbot website, chatbot-design, chatbot-development, chatbots, conversation with ai, creating chatbots, robot chat

I’m learning all the time — conversation-driven development in a chatbot for Erasmus students with Rasa framework | by Joanna Trojak | Feb, 2021

I am sure that some of you are familiar with Test Driven Development or Behaviour Driven Development. I remember both of them from my Software Engineering at FEUP. When I have started doing chatbots, I have discovered something else, conversation-driven development.According to the article entitled Conversation Driven Development found of Rasa blog:Conversation-driven development (CDD) is the process of listening to your users and using those insights to improve your AI assistant.The article states that the biggest problem for chatbot developer is anticipating user’s input. Instead of assuming what they are going to ask the chatbot we give them the opportunity to say what exactly do they want.The process of Conversation Driven Development is the following:ShareReviewAnnotateTestTrackFixBas...
Conversational Calculator How to use Math in your Chatbot | by Flow.ai | Feb, 2021
ai, ai bot, ai chat, ai chatbot, best chatbot, chatbot, chatbot ai, chatbot app, chatbot online, chatbot website, chatbot-design, chatbot-development, chatbots, conversation with ai, creating chatbots, mathematics-education, robot chat

Conversational Calculator How to use Math in your Chatbot | by Flow.ai | Feb, 2021

If you really want to go beyond simple chatbot functionalities like understanding simple questions, you might want to use math in your chatbot.When your AI bot understands math, various new possibilities arise, depending on your use case. Let me give you some examples:For chatbots in the hotels & hospitality industry, you could have a standard rate per night. Then you could ask the user how many nights they would like to stay and multiply that with the rate per night to inform them about the total costs.Restaurant chatbots could use math for determining the group size of a booking. If somebody says something like “I’d like to book 2 tables for 4 persons each”, the bot can understand that it will be about 8 persons in total.You could even use math for personal trainer fitness bots:In th...
What Can We Expect From Conversational AI In 2021 | by Adrian Thompson | Dec, 2020
ai, ai bot, ai chat, ai chatbot, best chatbot, chatbot, chatbot ai, chatbot app, chatbot messenger, chatbot online, chatbot website, chatbot-design, chatbot-development, chatbots, conversation with ai, creating chatbots, facebook bot, facebook chatbot, facebook messenger bot, google chat bots, robot chat, voice-assistant

What Can We Expect From Conversational AI In 2021 | by Adrian Thompson | Dec, 2020

Yes we are going to see continued growth in conversational AI in 2021. It’s predicted that 1.4 billion people will use chatbots on a regular basis with $5 billion projected to be invested in chatbots by 2021. Voice assistant use will also grow. The use of voice assistants is expected to triple by 2023 (juniper research) and 50% of businesses will spend more on conversational than mobile in 2021.For retail and e-commerce firms, conversational commerce, which is e-commerce transactions made by conversational methods such as texting and messaging, is generating waves. C-commerce not only allows brands to better serve their client base, but it’s opening up doors to new customers as well. A report made by Facebook states that 40% of global respondents said that c-commerce was their first introd...
How to build a chatbot in just 10 steps. | by Tess Tettelin | Nov, 2020
ai bot, ai chat, ai chatbot, best chatbot, bots, chatbot, chatbot ai, chatbot app, chatbot messenger, chatbot online, chatbot website, chatbot-design, chatbots, conversation with ai, conversation-design, conversational-ui, creating chatbots, facebook bot, facebook chatbot, facebook messenger bot, robot chat

How to build a chatbot in just 10 steps. | by Tess Tettelin | Nov, 2020

With 44% of consumers preferring to interact with a chatbot over a human, one thing’s for sure: chatbots are here to stay. But how do you build a chatbot for your business — one that actually helps you solve problems instead of creating more?In part 3 of my Conversation Design series, I’ll talk you through the process of building a chatbot from scratch, including strategy, scripting, and testing.Let’s go!Before you can start building your chatbot, you need to know why you are building it. What is the goal here? If you want to automate an existing service, what is the current experience like, and how could a bot help improve it? Take a look at your business goals: if one of your goals is to increase customer satisfaction, you might want to add a chatbot to your customer support team and let...
How to test your chatbot designs before release | by Vittorio Banfi | Dec, 2020
ai bot, ai chat, ai chatbot, best chatbot, bots, chatbot, chatbot ai, chatbot app, chatbot online, chatbot website, chatbot-design, chatbots, conversation with ai, conversational-ai, conversational-ui, creating chatbots, robot chat

How to test your chatbot designs before release | by Vittorio Banfi | Dec, 2020

In this tutorial, I will show how you can perform a chatbot test without having to wait for the bot to be actually released. This feature is very useful to start grabbing real user feedback and see how real people will react to your bot. By prototyping early on, you will be able to adjust your design based on how users react to it — specifically, it’s important to discover:What do the users type when confronted by your design?What do users expect when using your chatbot?Are the utterances (training phrases) realistic and will they work?With the prototype feature, you can use the user test to inform your design decisions, as well as improving your training phrases.We also have released an AI-powered user testing — it allows you to leverage OpenAI GPT-3 to test your chatbot as if it was a hu...