What do these statistics and trends point towards? Rise of the “Chatbots”, yes, for sure plus something more. These proven statistics indicate that chatbots are surely the face of the future and more importantly, chatbots are turning out to be the most active and popular medium to enhance the customer experience. These bots can have actual conversations with the consumers and make their lives better.
It is the jet age today. Expectations of technology are higher than before. There is an increasing need for fast, real-time, on-demand, effective and simplistic information supply. Clients are bound to either get frustrated or lose trust if these parameters aren’t met. And that has given rise to chatbots getting closer to customers and offering them an appealing experience.
Chatbot responsiveness is on a high. Customers are wanting to interact more with chatbots and as a result, organizations are keen to embed chatbots in their business.
Before we plunge deeper into how chatbots are instrumental in offering an augmented client experience, let us glance through what chatbots are and their key features.
“Chatbots Will Be Indistinguishable from Humans by 2029” - Ray Kurzweil
Chatbots – The Face of the Future
There are chances you may have interacted with a chatbot, not realizing it was a chatbot and not a human figure. That is what is the magic of a good chatbot. As an application to perform basic tasks, answer customer queries, help clients in their tasks, etc., chatbots are majorly responsible for streamlining interactions between businesses and customers.
Artificial Intelligence Solutions is revolutionizing the business world and hence chatbots driven by AI are becoming the latest buzzword today. Especially from the point of view of a customer, an AI-driven chatbot offers an enduring and appealing experience, very similar to that of a human being.
Chatbots prove to be advantageous to both – the business owners by seamless and continuous interaction with customers and to the customers for having assistance as and when required. With the help of AI, chatbots are now all set to perform tasks that haven’t been seen before for e.g., helping customer do shopping, choose their preferences, plan a vacation, etc. Only time will tell!
The very first question that comes to our mind:
“Where Do Chatbots Reside?”
Chatbots reside on popular platforms such as Snapchat, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, etc. Their working is dependent upon a pre-described set of guidelines. Preliminary level of chatbots can perform just the commands that they have been programmed to work on. Advanced level of chatbots, along with the help of AI, can perceive the language as well as the commands. Chatbots can manage and monitor the different level of tasks such as simplifying a purchase, collaborate with clients, offer content level data, provide answers to queries, etc.
What Are the Key Benefits Offered by Chatbots For an Impeccable Experience to Customers?
- Round the Clock Support and Service
A service and support criteria very important for the customer is that it should be available any time of the day. Chatbots just do the same. They are never off work and hence can provide 24 * 7 support to clients. There are no chances of the customer having to face voicemails or email messages. Since chatbots can recognize a certain range of feelings, it becomes easier to satisfy the customer by relocating the call to the concerned, for a quicker and effective action.
- Least Waiting Period
Usually, customers find it very irritating to keep waiting for the next free person in communication. With chatbots, there is generally no wait time. Chatbots are available as soon as you connect to them. Chatbots possess a lot of customer information with them and hence can solve client queries almost immediately. This also creates a good impression with the customers and offering them the least wait time.
- Collate Customer Information and Customize Interactions
While interacting with clients, chatbots can collect a variety of information and provide it to the concerned departments for further analysis/action. This can help them tailor their interaction with the customers and offer them a pleasing experience.
- Enhances Brand Faithfulness and Customer Relationship
Organizations are keen to have a closer rapport with their customers and thereby build their brand image. Chatbots help them connect frequently with customers with different reasons like wishing them on their birthdays, offering them attractive schemes, asking for a product review, reminding them of the next purchase, etc. Such activities help businesses build up their brand image in front of customers and keeps the clients happily connected.
- Facilitates Live Chatting
With the aid of Natural Language Processing (NLP), most chatbots are well equipped to chat live with customers. They can understand, analyze and reply to customer queries, as well as human interaction would. Nowadays, chatbots are integrated into organizational websites or applications so that customers can instantly access the needed resources with the chatbot’s help.
- Better Version of IVR
Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems are the most common methodology to interact with customers but at times, it gets very frustrating for clients to keep patience while the IVR gets you to the right channel. Chatbots can be considered an enhanced version of IVR wherein they are almost as natural and receptive as humans. Customers are sure to get a feeling that they are being understood and heard instantly.
- Flexible Ways of Connecting with Customers
Be it text or voice, chatbots are effective. Be it through Facebook Messenger or any other website, chatbots can do it. Chatbots turn out to be flexible enough to connect with customers through disparate methods and channels and hence are more approachable.
- Brand Embodiment
Since chatbots have many faces that can be represented, many channels through which they can connect, it is easier for them to portray different facets of the business brands. They can easily engage with clients, keep them engrossed, raise their curiosity level and keep them glued to the business brand. Also, they can be leveraged to attract an increasing number of clients via different marketing activities.
- Faster Availability of Client Details
Customer finds filling in forms as a very boring task. They are always unenthusiastic to fill in n number of details and this could be the main reason they may not be further interested in exploring products. Chatbots turn out to be quite effective in getting basic client details from the client and storing that information in the desired manner.
- Lesser Resources Needed for Client Support
Chatbots are efficient and faster versions of human figures and hence can replace human resources to a large extent. The need for more resources automatically reduces and leads to big time-saving in cost-effectiveness. Of course, no one to replace human interference for some tasks, but surely, chatbots can be of great help in reducing the number of resources. It also plays an instrumental role in getting increased productivity and saving on person-hours of efforts put.
- Automation of Monotonous Activities
At certain times, there are numerous tasks that are repetitive in nature and yet important to perform. Chatbots can be of great help in getting those tasks done, even if it involves interacting with the customer and thereby, save a lot of energy, time and money.
- A Smoother Experience
While the client is navigating through websites or applications, chatbots can be fitted in appropriately to offer needed information to fasten the process. It can also be helpful in collecting data, offering suggestions, gathering feedback and tracking information.
- Reduced Anxiety to Customers
Usually, customers find it very tiresome to contact the support team because of many reasons like wait time, inadequate information, delay in getting solutions, communication gap, etc. Chatbots can be helpful in overcoming most of these irritations and offer customers a relaxed and positive experience. The entire customer service procedure would be streamlined, effective and fastened.
Some of the Popular Chatbots, Ruling the Globe
- Spotify
- Sephora
- CoverGirl
- Nodstrom
- Charity Water
- 1-800 Flowers
- Swelly
- eBay
- Lyft
- yes Sire
- Facebook Messenger
Top Chatbot Trends Ruling 2019
- Steady, Augmented and Broader Receiving of Chatbots
- Improved Human-like Feel of Chatbots
- AI-Driven Chatbots
- Improved Data Analytics, Pattern Recognition, and Detailed Insights
- Traditional App Interface Getting Replaced
- Chatbots in the Internet of Things
- Conversational Bots
- Developing Bots Done by Organizations Also
- Higher Security and Chatbot Regulations
- Multilingual Chatbots
- Voice Chatbots
- Interaction Between Bots
- Automated Call Centres
The Takeaway
"All that glitters is not gold". There are certain drawbacks of chatbots that the world may keep facing until they are solved. But, looking at the ratio of positives to negatives, the positives are much higher. Chatbots are surely having a bright future.
As technology advances, chatbots driven by AI will be extremely instrumental in offering the best of customer service and support. The major reason for such an explosion in acceptance of chatbots is the increase in usage of mobile messengers and involvement of AI in our lives. Business owners will have to rework on their communication processes to embed chatbots and thereby, satisfy their customers.
Let us await the wonders of the chatbot technology to be a part and parcel of our daily lives. What more magic could technology create!
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