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Chatbots seem to have all the answers, but they don't get smart all on their own. Designing chatbots that are informative and persuasive means having a clear idea of what your virtual agent will convey to customers about your organization. Getting to that point takes time, patience and an understanding of the nuances of language. It also requires a close working relationship with a software developer. "It's a new medium. The answers are not obvious and it's not instant," said Beerud Sheth, CEO and co-founder of chatbot platform Gupshup. "You have to do some trial and error." No organization has yet rolled out a perfect chatbot. Like humans, chatbots misinterpret typed and spoken words -- and make mistakes. Being prepared for those inevitable setbacks is one of the first things your organization should realize when working with a virtual assistant developer. "We don't go for the moon. We don't encourage that," said Andy Peart, chief marketing and strategy officer for the natural language platform Artificial Solutions. Still, the ...