Should Chatbots Be an Essential Component of Your Customer Service?
Chatbots, live chats, online support – call them what you will. Whatever name you give them, they have arguably transformed customer service and enhanced shopping experiences. How many times have you, as a consumer, had a question you’d like someone to answer before purchasing a product or service? We’re inquisitive people as humans, and sometimes we need to have the bigger picture before making a decision.
That must be why 50% of businesses plan to invest more in chatbot services than mobile apps. And, 55% of brands that utilise chatbot services generate more high-quality leads. Let’s explore in more detail how effective they actually are.
Why Chatbots Are So Effective
The first-ever chatbot was the creation of Joseph Weizenbaum in the 1960s, and he named it Eliza. The more sophisticated chatbots we know and love today started to come into use in the 2000s, with real strides made from 2010 onwards. Why are they so effective? Because consumers almost demand real-time communication to speed up their shopping experience. God forbid we have to wait 24-72 hours for an email response.
One study found that consumers expect a reply from brands on social media within 30 minutes and an email within 12, so you can understand why 68% of shoppers like chatbots because of the quick response times. Various industries recognise and harness the power of chatbots. From helping players playing blackjack Casino777 to photographers browsing Nikon – brands understand chatbots enhance the customer service experience.
The Ever-Demanding Consumer
The ever-growing demands of consumers are one of the reasons why chatbots should be an essential part of your customer service component. Every consumer using chatbots agrees that the number one reason for using them is the 24/7 access to customer support it provides. Even if that customer support is nothing more than a couple of automated messages, consumers still feel like the brand is doing more to improve their customer service experience.
Currently, the statistics by Backlinko suggest only 42% of B2C brands use chatbots, compared to 58% of B2B brands. Yet, chatbots can help businesses save up to 30% on their customer support expenses – especially ones using AI. If not to improve the customer service experience, you may be interested in investing in chatbot software to reduce business expenses.
Bots Vs Real People
Chatbots typically refer to technology that uses AI and data-driven responses from computer software. They are great but somewhat limited. Consumers will only have a specific and scripted response – no use for consumers who want responses to questions that the bot may not have the answers for. In comes live chats.
Live chats happen between a consumer and customer service agent, and they’re better if we’re talking about enhancing and improving a customers experience. Live chats are the number one choice for communication for many shoppers, and 73% of customers find live chats to be the best form of communication. This will require a dedicated team to manage, but it can pay dividends if it strengthens the business to consumer relationship.
If you haven’t done so already, chatbots or even live chats are an excellent investment for your business. They bridge the communication gap between brands and consumers, enhance the shopping experience, and potentially lead to more customer leads. Chatbots are much easier to manage than live chats, but both have their pros and cons.
