In a modern business world, customers and clients have high expectations. To a degree, this is understandable. Now we exist in an era where communication is instant and needs are easily met, and it’s natural for people to want a speedy response from any customer service representative.
Does the idea that you need to satisfy customers and clients around the clock seem daunting to you? If so, you may want to consider this: chatbots can now fill in the gap that some human customer service representatives leave. In the space of just a few years, they’ve improved tremendously in understanding user intent and no longer generate responses like a “cut and paste” job. And as chatbots gain experience within your company, their responses become even more human. If you’re still not convinced, here are some reasons why your business really needs a chatbot.
Chatbots reduce your clients' frustrations
Traditional approaches to supporting your clients can leave them feeling frustrated. This is especially the case when they try to contract you outside of regular hours or if they’re based in other parts of the world. When they don’t get a timely response and they need to wait for your customer service team to work through their inbox, they’re left feeling frustrated and neglected.
AI-enabled chatbots are intuitive enough to provide responses that are not only instant, but also relevant. Conversational chatbots can understand the nuances of your business. Using your information input and lessons learned from previous customer service interactions, AI-powered chatbots can respond to a client with a high level of accuracy. As a result, more often than not, clients get a satisfying response. Should further information be needed, they can also opt for a human interaction.
Customer service wait times are reduced
No matter what industry you’re in, if a customer is reaching out to you it’s because they want support. And whether that’s because a product isn’t working or they need an update on a service you’re providing, time is of the essence. Why? Because your clients feel some degree of urgency. And, when you can’t meet that urgency in some way, their sense of anxiety heightens. Unless you want to associate your brand with feelings of anxiousness, it makes sense to acquire a customer service tool that reduces wait times.
Did you know that 68% of customers are willing to pay more for a product or service when they experience great customer service? As such, when you’re investing in a better customer service experience, you’re making your product more profitable. Chatbots that shorten wait times contribute towards making your customer service better. If you develop one that fine-tunes its approach to the types of queries your customers regularly make, you’ll also find that it eases the burden on your human agents.
Human agents have time for qualitative tasks
Chatbots are excellent for helping customers and clients with very specific tasks. For example, let’s say a customer has booked a flight and they want to know how they can reserve specific seats. A chatbot can direct them to the website page where they reserve those seats and offer some guidance. As a result, your customer can complete the task quickly without having to wait to speak to a human agent. While this type of information is important to a customer, there’s no denying it’s repetitive information to give out when you’re a human. Therefore, their presence does not bring added value.
Instead, your human customer service agents are better placed dealing with more complex inquiries. And those complex inquiries are likely going to be the ones that generate the most frustrations from your customers. If those customers have to wait while human agents are dishing out repetitive information to other customers, there’s a risk you’ll lose their future business. But when you use a chatbot to free humans up to give the personal touch where it’s truly needed, your customer service team’s reputation will continue to shine.
Employees become more effective
Sometimes, it isn’t just customers who need to grab repetitive information quickly. Your employees may need to do the same — particularly if they’re customer-facing employees who may get questions that aren’t directly related to their department.
Let’s say your employee works in ticket sales at a theatre, but they have no control over seat upgrades. As a ticket salesperson, it still wouldn’t be unusual for them to face queries about upgrading seats. If a customer does approach them, they may then find themselves hopping between apps to find the right resolution. Hopping between apps can result in customer frustration, and it wastes your employee’s time when they could be helping someone else.
In contrast, if your employee can type certain words and phrases into a chatbot and receive an instant answer, they can help the customer in front of them quickly. Over time, you can program your AI-enabled chatbot to recognize certain phrases and questions that may be associated with an app your employee can use. As a result, they’ll be able to handle more queries each day and leave your customers feeling satisfied.
Your brand identity improves
When you’re working in an industry that’s heavily saturated, you need to appeal to customers on a large scale. Customers and clients often love convenience. This should not come as a surprise considering that many of them are living busy lives where they juggle multiple plates. When your brand develops a reputation for delivering quick answers, you’re bringing a lot of value to a customer’s life. You’re a convenient solution that delivers excellence.
Now that bots are less likely to produce errors, they have the necessary skills to embellish your brand’s customer experience. If you can proudly advertise that you have low wait times and you’re delivering useful solutions, you’ll stand out against your competitors and attract more customers. If those customers are waiting for a response from your competitor and you get there first, you’re highly likely to capture and keep their attention. As chatbots don’t require consistent human input, maintaining your customers’ attention during seasonal spikes will be feasible.
From easing the burden on your human agents to enhancing your brand identity, there are lots of reasons to add a chatbot to your business’ website. By seeking out a bespoke tool, you’ll find a solution that delights your customers and makes your product more enticing overall.
