It’s also vitally important to be grammatically correct. It may seem like a small detail, but ungrammatical responses create an instant reaction in the user that something is wrong with the voice assistant. It could be that they think the voice assistant lacks intelligence, is less than human, or is poorly designed. Either way, hearing something simple like “I have two orders of french fry for you” takes them out of the moment of interaction, and the user may be skeptical about the voice assistant’s capabilities while forming a subconscious dislike for it. 

Another factor to consider is the level of intelligence your brand wants to convey to the user. Voice assistants are a complex technology capable of calculating, personalizing, and cross-referencing information at a speed most humans aren’t capable of. Some users are comfortable with their voice assistant being smarter than them. Others feel ill at ease at the prospect of technology being more intelligent. Brands should evaluate their users’ wants, needs, and expectations and even incorporate this question into user testing to determine what the right level is for their audience. 

Finally, there’s the length of responses. Too short of responses can make users feel uncomfortable with the abruptness, while too long of a response can make them feel annoyed at the delay. Either way, the negative feelings remove the connection between the user and the voice assistant. 

According to a study by Apple researchers, 70% of people prefer more conversational responses to terse answers. People who identified as chatty preferred chatty responses, while those who identified as non-chatty preferred short responses. This signifies the importance of user testing and knowing your audience to determine the length of responses that will make the best connection between the user and the voice assistant. 

2. Infuse personality into your voice assistant

One of the fastest ways to get users to like and relate to a voice assistant is to have them connect with the voice AI’s personality. A personality connection forms a deep bond between the user and voice assistant where the user attributes human-like qualities to the voice assistant and considers them more of a friend than just an AI, which will lead to increased usage. Brands will need to create a voice persona, identifying who will be using the voice assistant, what their needs are, and where they will be using it. 

Here are 4 elements to consider for creating a voice assistant with personality: 

1. Voice
2. Tone
3. Word choice
4. Humor

A great starting point is with the actual sound of the voice assistant’s TTS response. This is what the user will be hearing and interacting with, sometimes many times a day. The user will make either conscious or subconscious decisions about how they feel about the voice assistant based on the gender, pitch, and tone selected. It’s a good practice to spend a lot of your user testing on the voice to gather what appeals to your audience and what doesn’t. You’ll also want to consider what your users’ geographic locations and cultures are. Certain areas are more sensitive to tone, and levels of respect and formalities will vary by culture. 

Phrases and word choice are also key elements when creating a likable and relatable voice assistant, and it largely depends on the purpose of the voice assistant—if it’s for fun or functionality. Tasks such as setting a timer, sending an email, turning on the air, or checking the weather are things people want to do quickly, efficiently, and accurately with no room for small talk. Other queries like telling a joke, telling a story, or random questions leave more room to delight the users with unexpected responses or even humor.

Humor is one aspect that brands need to be especially careful with, though. What some people may find funny, others may not appreciate. User testing comes into play again here with finding a good balance between super cheeky and boring responses. The sweet spot is usually somewhere in the middle. When appropriate, humor can be a great asset for marketing and to form a strong connection with the user. 

However, if the voice assistant is for healthcare, business, or education, there may never be a time when humor is appropriate, which is why evaluating the purpose of the voice assistant is vital. If the user base is mostly children, then the more humor, the better. If it’s for surgery, then humor should probably be avoided. 

It’s also important to note that personality should be unique and based on what works best for the brand. Not all voice assistants have to be the same, and in fact, brands should be encouraged to explore different styles. Just as humans have a variety of personalities, so should voice assistants, as it makes for a more interesting ecosystem and user experience. A personality that truly represents the brand’s tone and values can be a differentiator in the quickly expanding voice market. 

Developing a personality also takes time. It’s a challenge, and you may not get it right the first time. User testing is essential to see how users respond to tone, voice, and humor and if it matches their expectations. A voice assistant’s personality can be iterated over time and fine-tuned into one that users will form connections with.

3. Incorporate empathy into the voice experience

Empathy is one of the most human-like qualities out there and a great way to gain a user’s trust and respect. Nothing makes a user more frustrated than getting an inappropriate or inaccurate response from a voice interface. However, if that response reflects empathy and understanding, the user may be more forgiving—as they might be with a human agent. In the near future, as voice AI advances and natural language understanding (NLU) evolves, voice assistants will be able to adjust responses based on the tone and mood of the user. For now, developers must rely on some common situational parameters to design the best voice experience possible.