How I despatched Mark Zuckerberg vegetation using a fb Messenger bot
facebook has put Messenger as a universal app for getting things completed. are you able to really purchase flora thru it? yes, which you can.
these days at fb’s F8 conference, facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg pitched bots within Messenger as the new apps, a universal means people will be able to behavior transactions reminiscent of sending flora. to test this pitch, I made up our minds to send him a bouquet the use of Messenger’s new potential. And it labored!
in reality, it worked incredibly neatly. I positioned the order in about 5 minutes — no net, no app, just me interacting with a bot run by way of 1-800-flora. Zuckerberg had joked right through his F8 keynote nowadays that such bots imply we would possibly never want to dial 1-800-flora again. extra properly, it might be that in sure cases, we never want to kind of their URL and situation an order throughout the web again.
prepared for the tour? Let’s go.
companies on Messenger
It began by me adding 1-800-flowers as a contact in Messenger. That used to be perhaps probably the most difficult part. at the moment, it’s hit and miss on whether or not Messenger seems to suggest businesses. every now and then it seems to work; every so often no longer.
that is more likely to toughen rapidly. When it works, a easy search for “flowers” discovered 1-800-flora inside Messenger, along with other “Bots & companies,” as proven under:
the way in which I in fact brought them was the usage of one of the vital new Messenger scan codes, which businesses are in a position to share or show by the use of their fb pages and in alternative ways. fb surpassed out playing cards today with a couple of corporations with their codes. I scanned the 1-800-flowers code (sure, it’s blurry — it’s onerous to take a monitor shot earlier than the code if truth be told scans!):
That found the 1-800-flora account on Messenger, which was added to my contacts after prompting me to “Get started,” as shown below (I’ve shortened the true screen shot to get rid of some white area):
Ordering by using bot
Getting began brought up two prompts, certainly one of which was once to order plant life. I chosen that and used to be requested for an handle:
I knew the first line of facebook’s headquarters off the top of my head, but not the remainder. So, I handiest entered the street handle — “1 Hacker approach” — to look what would happen. To my surprise and aid, it discovered and advised the complete handle:
It also asked me when I needed to send them. at first, I went for the next day, but I later modified my mind, scrolled back up and chosen these days. C’mon — Mark’s value it, proper?
selections not precisely what wished, however nonetheless worked
subsequent, as you see above, I was once requested what class of plant life i wanted to ship. This was the first real problem I had. The categories (which it’s good to swipe through) had been thanks, Roses, Love & Romance, get well and Birthday. None was in point of fact acceptable for what i wished. actually, this used to be a failure that must have sent me to the site within the particular case — a “exhibit more options” option would be useful.
trying to press on, I decided to go for the “thanks” category of flora. That bought up numerous picks. i assumed the happy face arrangement gave the impression nice and picked it:
subsequent, I used to be requested for the title of who I was sending these to. Mark Zuckerberg, of course!
you will see that the bot certain me, “nice choice!” — a effort to have a human-like high quality. Then it needed Zuckerberg’s cellphone number. I informed the bot, “He didn’t provide me that,” which it didn’t like. “Whoops, that doesn’t look like a legitimate number. are trying again,” I was advised.
That despatched me off to Google, the place I did a seek for facebook’s corporate number and used that. of course, if this was any individual I knew well, I’d most certainly have their quantity at hand. So, no fault to the bot right here. really, the entire blame belongs to Mark for not giving me his number. And here I’m sending him plants, even!
including a be aware, saving my info
next, it requested me if i wished to ship a short 200-personality note. I jotted that I loved the keynote and regarded ahead to by no means calling 1-800-plants again:
The bot additionally asked me for my e-mail and contact number, then supplied to save lots of these for me for future use. It then asked for my billing deal with. similar to the fb HQ tackle, I didn’t comprehend our full firm deal with for marketing Land off-hand. I entered simply the first line that I did comprehend and as soon as once more, 1-800-plant life-Bot suggested the fitting full address. furthermore, it requested if i needed to save lots of that as a work address, as opposed to a home one. nice.
next, I bought the final value and used to be asked to add my bank card, to pay for this. That took me over to Stripe, a payments processor. This felt a bit disconcerting, as a result of I used to be jumped out of Messenger to do the fee:
nonetheless, it was lovely simple. I selected the “Pay with Card” option that the Stripe screen offered. I entered my card information, with my billing info not needed, as possibly that had been passed along already through the flowerbot. I bought a affirmation that I was all set and to “simply return to Messenger,” which caused me just a little confusion on get back. A notification of my fee had come in at the same time, overlaying the “again” link in the menu. however even my getting old mind at last figured it out.
flowers are go!
again in Messenger, I used to be advised my order was full, plus my order quantity was once proven, and that i was once informed an email affirmation can be despatched:
That e-mail confirmation did arrive:
From start to finish, the method took 10 minutes. About 1/2 of that was once me pausing to do display pictures. So fair to claim, this was once a horny painless five-minute course of.
Bots mean industry
In my years since the web emerged, I’ve been amazed that I might order simply online from my desktop. That gave approach to being amazed that I may order easily from my smartphone, both during the cell web or an app. I’m honestly amazed once once more that I may situation an order like this simply via messages.
For more about facebook’s information on how businesses can use Messenger and bots, see our different tales beneath:
- fb Messenger has new ways for manufacturers to meet its 900 million users
- fb’s Messenger Platform launched, allows companies to construct bots
- facebook Messenger placed as substitute for cellular web, apps & SMS
And Mark, in case you’re reading, i hope you actually did get the flowers. Share a picture of them on facebook, and it’ll make a really perfect postscript to this story.
Postscript: Wow, that used to be fast. The flora have but to reach, however Mark Zuckerberg already said thanks:
You’re welcome!
(Some photography used below license from Shutterstock.com.)
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