NLP gets it’s superpower: invisibility!
NLP (also known as Natural Language Processing) is used in several ways in the multifamily industry. When BetterBot began, we built the largest NLP engine in the multifamily sector. However, after much research, we found this ultimately wasn’t always the best user experience regarding automation technology.
However, NLP can come in handy in different circumstances. There are certainly best practices when it comes to utilizing NLP within the prospect’s experience. Contrary to popular belief, BetterBot uses a form of natural language processing called iNLP (invisible natural language processing).
Understanding NLP
Unlike guided conversation, “AI” utilizes natural language processing (NLP) to guide users through human-like conversations. Instead of giving users a predefined set of options, NLP analyzes user queries for keywords and phrases and then answers accordingly. This type of automation requires a long training period before it can be active and must be constantly updated and maintained. According to Forbes, this method succeeds 50% of the time…which also means it fails 50% of the time. They can often be masked as a live human, which may upset the end-user and leave them feeling bamboozled by bots.
What is iNLP?
iNLP stands for invisible natural language processing. It’s exactly what it sounds like. It’s invisible to the user; however, constantly working in the background to parse out traffic and leads appropriately. It helps present users with choices based on their inquiries but does so in a way that is most likely to keep users engaged.
How does BetterBot use iNLP and Guided Conversation Together?
BetterBot uses guided conversation when working with prospects directly. Guided Conversation leads users through scenarios, offering them predetermined options to choose to help them complete simple service requests and get information. It is a fast and effective way to communicate with prospects. With Guided Conversation, responses are immediate, which results in a productive conversation. BetterBot uses Guided Conversation to provide a seamless experience for prospective renters and share information quickly so that users’ attention is never lost. In addition, you can see exactly what conversations are happening and how effective they are through our reporting dashboard.
BetterBot pairs guided conversation with iNLP to provide a seamless experience. iNLP is used in the backend to nurture leads via email. Email isn’t always the best user experience for many reasons: spam filters, overloaded inboxes, interest decay, and more. We break it down in our article about why teams must stop depending on emails. However, we also know that many individuals still use this as a method of communication, and we use email to redirect them in a way that will foster the most engagement.
When someone responds to an email from BetterBot, they are greeted with a response that uses iNLP to determine what the user is looking for. For example, if someone responds by saying, “I’d like to schedule a tour to look at your two bedrooms,” the automation will figure out the best way to respond so that the options presented to support their inquiry. They will get a response with options to “Schedule a Tour” and “View Floorplans” that take the user out of the email response and into a real-time conversation with BetterBot. We don’t use NLP just for the sake of it. We want to provide the best user experience, which is why we use iNLP to accomplish this. Our founder, Robert Turnbull, speaks about the entire digital leasing experience on the Multifamily Podcast. You can catch the full episode here.
AI can be a great tool in many cases; which is why we’ve paired it with Guided Conversation to formulate a superior product after testing different technologies in the multifamily space. We are constantly looking at technology to see where it has advanced and what pieces we can bring to our bot. For more information on the differences in bot types, CLICK HERE.
