The future of technology means computers taking on more and more tasks that traditionally only humans could do. And one of the most significant breakthroughs in recent years has been the development of natural language processing (NLP).
With NLP, computers can understand and produce natural speech. It can learn words, tone, inflection, and figurative meanings. This technology is becoming more common in our daily lives. In fact, you are using this technology every time you use the predictive text on your phone.
But why is NLP important, and what can it do for us? Here are some examples of how people are using NLP now.
1. Chatbots and Virtual Assistants
In an attempt to cut costs and reduce employees’ time with customer interaction, almost every business now has a chatbot. You know when you go to a website, and a text box greets you, asking if you need assistance? That’s an NLP solution in action.
With NLP, even long-tail requests can be handled by a chatbot. This can help improve customer service and the way you find solutions to customer issues. While the bot works to discover the extent of the problem, employees are able to spend more time searching for solutions.
2. Improve FAQ Searches
Companies work hard to put information about their services and products on their website. But what good is that information if people don’t find it?
Now when people search a website, the NLP software can better handle their queries and direct them to the correct page. Potential customers grow frustrated with extensive searches, but NLP software can lead them to their answers immediately. NLP drastically improves the user experience of your website, which results in higher conversions.
3. Better Search Results
Sometimes it seems that people need to be keyword experts and search engine wizards just to get the information they’re looking for. That’s because most search engines understand each word literally. But NLP is improving search engine results for everyone.
By understanding intent and natural speech, NLP is able to deliver better results to people, no matter how adept they are in searching the internet.
4. No-Click Searches
With billions of digital voice assistants around the world, this form of interacting with the internet is now becoming commonplace. But how many people stop to wonder how a little box can understand their speech and quickly respond with requests? That’s right: natural language processing.
So when you ask Siri or Alexa how long to grill a steak or who won the game this weekend, you’re using NLP. And that technology is only getting better and better. This leads many to wonder if no-click searches will become the standard. Only time will tell!
5. Digital Phone Calls
Business is often conducted online nowadays, but phone calls still make up an important side of customer service. That’s because the phone calls that do occur are personal and immediate, making them perhaps even more meaningful to customers.
This is where NLP can step in to ensure the phone calls that a business has with customers provides a positive experience.
NLP records and analyzes data in real-time. So if a call is going poorly, it can notify the higher-ups who can step in. It can provide data on why customers call, reveal customer sentiments, and capture action items to refer back to. This technology can completely revolutionize the customer service industry.
Can NLP Solutions Help You?
Natural language processing technology is already a part of our daily lives. But the potential of this technology could completely change how we interact with the digital world and each other. It’s an exciting time to see how NLP solutions can help you and your business.
