"Fake" agents...

[Johnathan]

Isn't it funny... when a company wants to cut costs SO bad... they don't even bother outsourcing to places like India any more? :P (kind of tongue in cheek though, I know that is not what is happening in this case)...

What do you guys think of the "fake" chats with "fake" agents, that "lie" and say they are "real" agents.

I.e., it's just a marketing message, if you navigate away from the page, it says "Hey wait! I'm a pretty girl! Look at my pretty picture! Don't you want to talk to me before navigating away?"

So then you are like, hmm. Well, I do need a date... so... what the heck. And then you type in the word "bot", it responds "hee hee! I'm a real live agent!". So you type in the word "bot" 5-10 more times, it responds with the exact same message. You swear, it says "Don't be RUDE!". But then you ask a simple question... "What is 1+1?" And... it can't answer it... then you realize that pretty girl you thought was a pretty girl is just designed to be a marketing tactic to get you to sign up... (so no internet dating this time :P)

Now... being more serious:

The software does this:

1. Looks for certain keywords ("bot", any swear word, etc) and has canned responses (I.e., "I'm real!" or "Don't be rude!").

2. If it doesn't recognize any canned responses, it goes through a 5-10 line/paragraph marketing script.

3. It tries to fool you into thinking it is a "real" person by saying things like "Mary is typing a message..." (just like MSN, etc).

4. If you are "inactive", has another canned response (say after 5 seconds), again to try to 'fool' you into believing it is a real person. Like "Oh my! Have you left? Well, if you have, how about checking out product XYZ..."

My question:

What do you think of stuff like this? There is nothing wrong with "making" money -- but when you try to use deceptive tactics to "dupe" people into believing it is real, or dupe them into purchasing, do you think it is right? Kind of along the lines of fake blogs ("flogs"), etc, etc.? It basically assumes people are dumb, and attempts to "trick" them into doing something.

Would you do it?

[Project-Octagon]

Honestly, I am on the fence. I might start there in hopes of making more money as fast as I can, then get rid of it and hire a real agent which will be more productive anyways if you pay them a commission for the sales they close. A disclaimer to the effect that this is not a real live human but only a tool to help answer your questions, may be appropriate too.

[Tyrus Antas]

I'd rather have someone real or nobody at all. People aren't really stupid... Wait, maybe they are

Tyrus

[summerm]

i've seen this (on paypal i think?), and i thought it was great. seriously. i asked questions and i got instant, useful responses with references and everything. better than waiting for some slow person who misunderstands your questions and wastes your time (recent chat on HP). i don't think they tried misleading me, though-- it was obvious it was a virtual agent.

[Johnathan]

Originally Posted by summerm

i've seen this (on paypal i think?), and i thought it was great. seriously. i asked questions and i got instant, useful responses with references and everything. better than waiting for some slow person who misunderstands your questions and wastes your time (recent chat on HP). i don't think they tried misleading me, though-- it was obvious it was a virtual agent.

Hi -- you know what I mean by 'virtual' agent, right? Not an FAQ with natural language parsing -- I'm talking about a "computer" program that is designed to "look" like a real person, but in reality isn't, and it is just a script designed to sell you something -- but make you "believe" you are getting a personal touch, i.e., like someone actually "cares" about you vs your pocketbook (essentially you are 'talking' to yourself)

[CDarklock]

Originally Posted by Johnathan

Would you do it?

Never. As a prospective customer, it offends me, because I feel like the vendor thinks I'm retarded.

As a vendor, I don't see the point. If my ad copy couldn't sell the product, what the hell would make me think an automated script could sell it? That script is not as smart as I am. I already wasn't smart enough to sell the prospect on the offer. Clearly, the script isn't, either - so why would I use it? I mean, I'd have to be too stupid to understand that, wouldn't I?

So when that pops up on the page I just bookmarked, so I could come back and buy later, I start to reconsider whether I want to pay for anything this moron produced. Even though I am sold, and will buy, the agent script makes me wonder immediately whether I've been suckered.

After all, you're lying to me right there. This isn't chat! This isn't a real person! This is you betting that I'm stupid! Screw you! Screw you, right in the ear!

[scole954387]

Personally I can't stand them, but I try not to judge them. I would rather see actual results of using them compared to now using them.

Dan Raine from the Immediate Edge recently posted his results (inside the edge) of trying these live agents and showed through his tracking that they do actually work and helped increase his conversions and total sales.

So, best thing is to try them and see if your market response well to them or hate them as well. If the results are promising, keep them, if not ditch them.

Shannon

[FasTrack-Eddie]

Nothings Fake in the Digital Milinium - lol

>wink<