Chatbots, or “conversational agents” are software applications that mimic written or spoken human speech for the purpose of simulating and interaction with a real person. Chatbots are most commonly used in the customer service space and are becoming more common partly due to the fact that they can provide round the clock accessibility and highly sophisticated human-like conversations.
Chatbots are becoming smarter and easier to install and use. We explored different kinds of chatbots to see what problems chatbots can solve and who should use them.
“Chatbots can reduce customer service costs by up to 30%.”
Types of chatbots
1. Problem-solving chatbots allow human chat agents to spend more time on difficult problems as opposed to handling inquiries that often can be answered by referencing guides on the website (FAQ). These chatbots provide:
- automated answers
- instant resolutions to clients
- 24/7 support to eliminate wait times and boost customer satisfaction
2. Chatbots that start a personalized conversation to understand the visitor’s intention and guide them to the best human resource for further assistance, like the Guide Bot. Chatbots can further:
- provide clients with triaged options
- connect visitors with the correct human resource
- support specific job functions, like help book more meetings or boost lead generation
3. 100% customizable chatbots, like the Chatbot API, allows teams to scale chat conversations without inflating a human team, keeping conversations personalized and meaningful. This “bring your own bot” approach can:
- automated answers
- instant resolutions to clients
- 24/7 support to eliminate wait times and boost customer satisfaction
4. Chatbots to build trust with site visitors by asking for only the information needed to fill an inquiry. They work to:
- greet site visitors
- gather contact information and needs (i.e. lead capture)
- eliminate lengthy website forms
Choosing the right chatbot
While chatbots are all the rage, research needs to be done to accurately choose the best chatbot for your team. Critically assess what your team needs and what technological resources you have. Don’t be afraid to ask the hard questions!
- Do your clients tend to ask easily answered questions or require more in-depth assistance?
- How important is the voice and tone of the chatbot?
- What resources are you prepared to put towards a chatbot solution?
Keep your site visitors and clients in mind throughout the vetting process so you can continue to deliver the best experience possible.
Growing with chatbots
Treat chatbots as a member of your team that needs continuous training to ensure continuous improvement. Research solutions fully and test when possible. Understand what your team needs from an internal standpoint so you can ask the right questions to chatbot providers.
We recommend keeping stats on both your chat agents and chatbots so you can compare customer satisfaction scores and see what clients are really asking your chatbot. Continue to refine your chatbot process. Chatbots are flexible and designed to fit different needs, use this to your advantage.
Chatbots + humans
Chatbots cannot be expected to perform the same duties as a real human. It is widely recommended that chatbots be used in conjecture with a human chat team. Doing this will allow your human team to focus on the important issues and increase your website conversion rate. Together, chatbots and humans can:
- Serve more clients than ever before
- Have more precise and meaningful conversations
- Focus on the important issues
- Drive conversion rates
- Improve customer satisfaction
Keep learning
Ask questions and be curious. Companies using chatbots effectively enjoy elevated customer service and automated business processes. What is right for your team today may not suit your business needs in the future. Continue to refine and rethink chatbots in the marketplace to make informed decisions. Ready to begin?