Conversational Government: The New Voice of the People
Chatbots are taking the world by storm, not only in the realms of customer service and e-commerce but in industries like banking and tourism as well. What if we told you that bots could be just as useful and prevalent in government?
In fact, some government institutions have already begun to employ chatbots to be the intermediary between the organization and the people. As more use cases emerge, it’s becoming clear that a multitude of exciting innovations awaits intelligent bots in government.
Power to the People, with Chatbots
Because chatbots use natural language processing to converse with a user as easily as with another person, bots are able to engage in conversations that are personal and instant. We call this “conversational government,” which is the notion of strengthening the interaction between a legislative body and its citizens using chatbots.
For example, let’s say that a resident wants to know how to report a pothole in a city street. Ordinarily, they would first have to navigate a website, then call an office and most likely leave a voicemail, and then wait for a return call.
With a bot, they could simply send a text message to the local government’s chatbot via her preferred channel. The chatbot would immediately and accurately reply, using context to recognize the request and pass the information on to the necessary resource.
Download BrochureMore than Just Q&A
Most people that haven’t engaged with a modern chatbot might believe they are simple question-and-answer programs, but they’re actually far more advanced and capable than you may realize.
Here are a few ways that chatbots can be innovatively applied in government:
- Keeping citizens informed of their rights.
- Notifying people of potential changes in policies.
- Answering tax-related inquiries.
- Allowing access to public records, such as property surveys, marriage.
- Licenses and birth certificates.
- Informing people about potential public health concerns.
- Directing citizens to resources pertaining to eligibility for housing, grants, and subsidies.
- And much more!
Engaging with Citizens
In simple terms, chatbots turn what might ordinarily be a one-way interaction into a two-way conversation. Not only do they accomplish this quickly and efficiently, but bots also present the people with a self-service option. On the opposite end, it alleviates stress on government employees by reducing their workload and allowing them to focus on other tasks.
By bringing each citizen into focus and supplying them a voice—one that will be heard—governments can expect to see (and in some cases, already see) a stronger bond between leadership and citizens. Visit SnatchBot today to discover how you can build and deploy bots across multiple channels in minutes.
The Freedom of Choice
Chatbots can be applied to any number of channels, from messaging platforms like Skype, Slack, or Facebook Messenger to outlets like web, email, or SMS, giving citizens the freedom of choice in channel.
Being channel-agnostic allows bots to be where the people want to communicate, regardless of location or device. This added value fosters trusting relationships and helps to create advocates.
