They go by many names: call centers, contact centers, or business process outsourcers (BPOs). Regardless of the moniker, these businesses are an integral part of the modern enterprise landscape. 

They provide the manpower to handle frontline customer support, incremental revenue programs, and lead generation efforts that help their clients — large, sometimes multinational organizations — free up in-house resources to focus on more long-term, higher-value strategic activities. 

Yet in an era when every organization is looking to streamline, simplify, and optimize their operations to be more efficient and profitable, BPOs have come under threat from a new generation of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI)-powered chatbots and customer engagement tools. 

To many BPO leaders, these solutions could mean the end of their businesses, potentially replacing their qualified and well-trained human customer support and engagement teams with machines that will handle customer interactions — faster, in greater volume, and at a lower cost. 

But there’s a silver lining for BPOs worried about their future: they can adopt simpler, but still powerful, automation and chat technologies that blend seamlessly with their existing human-powered teams. The result is a human-machine hybrid organization capable of withstanding rapid and widespread change while positioning the BPO as an indispensable corporate partner now and for years to come.

Holding out hope

More companies are turning to AI-powered platforms to address the dizzying speed of industry changes and constantly shifting customer preferences. New challenges demand new approaches, and AI can fill that role well by achieving economies of scale and enabling 24/7 availability without adding resources to the payroll. 

But there are also downsides to AI. For one, the cost can be prohibitive — both for enterprises looking to implement AI solutions on their own as well as BPOs trying to keep up with the latest technology trends. 

Second, AI requires extensive technical knowledge and skill, exposing a drastic shortage of available talent across many organizations. Adding talent with the right skills only inflates costs, and even with a knowledgeable team on hand, the time it takes to develop and program AI platforms can significantly delay time to value.

Then there’s the fact that many customers are still looking for a human touch. The vast majority of customers recently surveyed prefer to talk to a human (86%), and are less likely to use a brand if it doesn’t have human representatives available (71%). And while bots occupy an ever-growing place in sales and customer service, they’re only as useful as what they’re programmed to do. Bots can’t address the more complex, nuanced, and personalized interactions that customers expect, and can even drive customers away. 

Still, this doesn’t have to be a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don’t situation. The business landscape is already oriented toward AI and automation, to be sure. But there are interim solutions that allow BPOs to optimize customer interactions and increase client profitability without the need for hefty AI investments that can be more work than they’re worth. 

A better option: humans and chatbots together

As a BPO leader, you’re much better off answering today’s challenges and securing a competitive advantage by starting out with simpler technologies that can eventually pave the way for future AI initiatives. 

By integrating smart, easily configurable chatbots into your existing live chat solutions and automating a variety of processes, you can unburden your customer service and engagement teams of common, repetitive interactions and use the bots to quickly point customer and prospect communications to the right agent. 

These tools can also help collect important customer information to help improve conversions and create more upsell and cross-sell opportunities. In effect, your teams are freed up to engage in the quality human interactions that customers want while also providing the value your corporate clients expect.

Simpler, customizable chatbots can be deployed in a matter of weeks instead of months without extensive coding or cost, and without the specialized skills that may not be immediately available to you. With faster deployment of chatbot technology, you can get a leg up on your competitors while also gaining foundational experience with automation that can evolve into more robust AI-powered tools down the road.  

Smart bots and custom automation solutions eliminate the barriers to entry that keep many BPOs away from advanced or emerging technology. When incorporated into your existing live chat systems and processes, your teams can deliver cost-effective service at scale through a hybrid human-chatbot environment that enables the best of both worlds: personalized, human interaction plus the speed and intelligence of chat technology. 

To learn more about how to thrive in the AI revolution with a hybrid human-chatbot solution, download our eBook “Co-existing.”

Open lines of communication are becoming the norm for businesses. Where most fall short is personalizing conversations so clients and prospects don’t feel like just a number. 

With more and more conversations happening online, personalization can get lost in the mix. This is a huge problem, considering that the #1 reason customers switch to a new brand is because they feel unappreciated. 

Dynamic data for live chat software provides a way to pass live data from your website into SnapEngage. This gives you the ability to display relevant and contextual information in proactive messages and with chatbots. 

These use cases show how to pull in dynamic data to treat every client like a VIP to start having more productive, meaningful conversations. 

Javascript variables as a sales team best friend

Javascript variables can work with Proactive chat
Personalized conversations are great, but personalizing a conversation before your human team is involved is even better. Create custom, proactive messages so that every visitor sees only a message pertaining to their behavior on your website. 

Javascript variables work well with chatbots 
Chatbots can serve many functions, from gathering information, answering questions, routing conversations, and more. While those might be the main goal, chatbots can do even more using dynamic data for live chat software. Chatbots can (and should) communicate with other platforms, like a CRM. Data gathered by a chatbot can be sent to a CRM the same as any other conversation would be logged. 

Proactive messages can link directly to a chatbot, meaning that a chatbot can proactively reach site visitors with a contextual prompt, and then send that or store that information.

Javascript variables do not keep secrets from human team members
By this, we mean that any and all variables captured will be displayed in the live chat to the chat agent. That way, they don’t have to re-ask questions that might already be answered. 

For example, if the proactive message with dynamic messaging asked the visitor, “I see you are looking for shoes. Can I tell you about our current footwear deals?”, it would make no sense for the chat agent to respond by asking “What product are you interested in?”. 

Capitalize on visitor responses. Have more concise conversations after visitors have expressed interest and responded to your proactive, personalized outreach. Go further by pairing dynamic data for live chat software with Agent Links. Agent Links offer a way to embed unique content to chat agents directly in the Hub. 

1. Agent Links can be used to showcase a clients’ order history. Each client has a different order that the agent can view without firing up multiple tabs. 
2. Use Agent Links to display a discounts list or script to be used on every chat.

Dynamic messaging use cases as part of your sales process

One of the best things about dynamic data for live chat software is the customization. A few key uses cases are outlined below, but know that options are limitless. Figure out your chat strategy before diving in and you will see much more refined results and higher engagement. 

Identify and influence purchase decisions

A person browsing on your site that continually clicks on one specific product line most likely has an idea of what they’re looking for. If you sell cell phones, and browser clicks and scrolls through only Apple products, you can know that they are probably in the market for an iPhone. 

Choose in-depth product pages to place a relevant, proactive message. For example:

• I see you are looking at {iphones}, would you like to see our latest {apple} deals? 
• The {iphone} ships globally. Would you like to find a store nearest you to take one for a test drive? 

By sending a targeted message, you are more likely to get a response. More responses equal more conversations, and ultimately lead to a better understanding of what prospects are searching for.  

Provide timely information based on visitor behavior

Some prospects have no interest in chatting with your sales team. They don’t want to provide an email, have a chat, or especially hop on the phone. However, you don’t need to leave these prospects to their own devices. You can still communicate valuable information to them to stay top of mind in their research. 

Providing positive experiences, regardless of outcome, will stick in a prospect’s mind. 

• Hi there! Our in-person store is open {hoursofoperation} and we are available online anytime. 
• Our medical staff is available until {endofday}. Can we help with new-patient forms? 

To a returning prospect who has yet to speak with you.

• Welcome back! We are offering complimentary spending sessions until {sessiondate}. Are you interested in scheduling a 15-minute meeting? 

• Hello again! Have you seen our latest study on {clientsurveyresults}? 

Ask open-ended questions. Prospects will respond when they are ready. During this time, it’s important to be proactive without being pushy. 

Dynamic messaging use cases as part of your ongoing client success process 

If there’s one thing clients hate, it’s having to re-introduce themselves every time they talk with you. In a world where 69% of clients feel treated like a ticket rather than a person, you have the chance to stand out. 

Welcome clients by name 

A client that takes the time to login to a customer portal or app has already gone the extra mile. They didn’t have to become members. Since they have gone through the trouble and are logged in, treat them to a VIP experience and recognize them by name. 

• Welcome, {clientname}! How can we help you today? 
• It’s been {timesincelastvisit} since we last chatted, how have you been, {clientname}? 

Both examples show that you know your customers. In turn, they will feel more appreciated and comfortable interacting with you. 

Communicate account information, including outstanding balances, account number, or upcoming payment dates.

Customer portals and logins often serve a specific purpose and outside of that purpose, are not often used by the customer. Consider a healthcare provider login. You may only login to schedule an upcoming appointment. When this is the case, it is even more important to communicate quickly with clients with pertinent information. 

• Hello {clientname}, it’s great to see you! Your next appointment is scheduled for {appointmentdate}. Would you like to confirm or reschedule your appointment? 
• Welcome back {clientname}. You have a current balance of {accountbalance}, would you like to pay this off? 
• Your account will expire on {expirationdate}, can I help you update your payment information? 
• The {product} you had in your cart is still available. Would you like to see it in other colors? 

These examples are concise and to the point. Clients who respond know exactly where the conversation will go, and so do your chat agents.

Drive better conversations with dynamic messaging

The above examples are only a small sliver of how dynamic messaging can work for you. There are some cases where it’s a “one size fits all”, but we recommend making dynamic messaging a part of your overall strategy. 

Start small and test with a few pages on your site. A page with a specific, high-intent product line or a scheduling page are a great place to begin. Watch the conversations triggered on these pages carefully, and be sure to check analytics for accurate numbers and survey scores. This allows you to tweak messaging as needed.