I've seen that OF agencies hire real people as chatters to chat with fans. I'm wondering why you are hiring real people instead of using AI chatbot? Can chatbot do the job or is there something special about human chatters?
AI chatbots are not even close to the level of a well trained high level chatter... Even an average human chatter is usually better than a chatbot for this kind of work. A good chatter can read the tone of a message, understand the context, and pick up on the fan’s emotional state in the moment. That is something AI still does very poorly. A trained chatter knows when to push, when to slow down, what to sell and how to make the sale without killing the vibe.
The biggest difference is that real chatters actually spend time inside the page. Most chatters work around 40 to 48 hours per week, sometimes more depending on the agency that employs them, so over time they learn the fanbase. They learn who the top spenders are, what each fan likes, how they usually behave, what makes them spend and what kind of approach works on them. They also write notes, remember details and understand the history behind conversations. A chatbot can generate replies, but it does not truly understand the page or the fanbase the same way a human who works there (almost) every day does.
For whales and top spenders, this matters even more. These are the people bringing the most money to the page, so they need a certain level of attention, care and caution. A high level chatter can notice when a top spender is emotionally off, jealous, upset, distant or starting to feel like the relationship with the creator is not the same anymore. If the chatter has spent enough time on that account, they can recognize that from tone and behavior very quickly. A good chatter understands the bigger picture and knows there is a relationship that needs to be maintained. In a situation where the top spender is pulling away, perhaps even feeling neglected by the creator, the chatter can adjust the tone, reassure them properly, make them feel seen, and if needed, even coordinate with the chatting / account manager for the creator to send something personal, like a short video made just for them. I've personally been involved in 100s of these kind of situations, where a high value relationship was saved using the right approach. This kind of tactical and emotionally aware handling is exactly where human chatters are far above AI.
A high level chatter should use AI as a tool (that is a whole separate topic on its own), sure, but using an AI chatbot as the actual replacement for a real chatter is a bad idea. It might look cheaper or easier short term, but long term it hurts revenue, retention and trust. Fans eventually notice when the conversation feels robotic or fake, and once that happens, it is not healthy for the page!
So yes, hiring real chatters takes more time, training, and money, but if they are good, it pays off much more in the long run. The real problem is that a lot of agencies and even some models do not know how to recognize a good chatter. Many agencies also do not test chatters properly. Some have no real test at all, and some tests are too basic to check the things that actually matter, like emotional intelligence, typing speed, sales ability, memory, tone reading and knowing how to handle different fan situations. When you actually have skilled chatters and a proper strategy behind the page, AI chatbots are nowhere near enough to replace them.
Sorry for the long rant, but I felt like I had to write this up when I saw the topic. I did not cover everything there is to say about this, but I think this explains the main reason why human chatters are leagues above AI chatbots...
