Now, more than ever, businesses are turning to AI and chatbots to keep communications with the rest of the world open.

Filling the Gap

Chatbots are helping fill the gap left by human operators currently restrained by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This helps businesses stay relevant and respond to the uptick in queries. Businesses that have already deployed chatbots are reaping benefits such as:

· Quick response

Chatbots, unlike human operators, are not restricted by time. They are never tied down by other tasks. They can also serve thousands of people simultaneously. To this end, responses to queries are almost immediate.

People hate waiting on the line, so the quick response improves the customer’s user experience. It can also help nurture a long-term relationship with customers as they will feel more valued and appreciated.

· No hold time

Holding is just as frustrating as waiting. It is, however, inevitable when using human operators. Oftentimes the operators have to consult their colleagues or run searches to answer customers’ queries satisfactorily. Some operators also do it just to get the customers to hang up.

Chatbots don’t ask callers to wait or hold. They are advanced algorithms programmed to answer customers’ questions. Answers come quickly to them, so callers don’t have to wait. They also don’t mind working with annoying customers so that no one will be ignored or cut off.

· No human interaction

People apparently prefer having their queries handled by chatbots instead of human operators. A study published by Zdnet found more than half of respondents prefer chatbots to human operators. 69% of the respondents also acknowledge the quick response time afforded by chatbots.

People prefer dealing with chatbots because they are quick and straight-to-the-point. Human operators, as mentioned, can be rude to customers and don’t always go all the way when answering queries.

Benefits Beyond the Pandemic

More businesses were switching to chatbots and AI even before the COVID-19 pandemic. This trend is expected to continue well after the pandemic is over, and the benefits will be bigger and better.

Developers of chatbots are using Artificial Intelligence technology to try to make these bots more human-like. The goal is to make them so efficient that callers think they are talking to real human operators.

Chatbots currently have limited capabilities. Most only answer commonly asked questions, but some are sophisticated enough to understand unique queries and come up with relevant answers, albeit the answers sometimes seem inappropriate or bizarre. Some chatbots are also sophisticated enough to answer voice calls and mimic speech.

Chatbots are also getting integrated into CRMs. This gives them better access to data that helps them respond to queries. Their scope of utility is expanding beyond the basic FAQs to being able to answer individual, unique queries using data analysis.

As such, besides the benefits discussed earlier, chatbots will have long-term benefits such as:

· Saving money

Businesses will not need call center services or in-call customer support departments once chatbots become sophisticated and widespread enough. This will save them lots of money since chatbots are basically free and can handle thousands of queries simultaneously.

· Improving brand-customer interaction

Most brands don’t interact with their customers as much as they should. They do not have enough time or resources to communicate with as many of their customers as necessary. This, however, will change in the future as chatbots will be capable of holding direct conversations about virtually anything regarding the business with as many people as necessary.

Conclusion

Chatbots will help you keep in touch with your customers despite the lockdown imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. They may also be instrumental in the future growth of your business as they become more sophisticated.

Any business, including yours, can and should use chatbots. Eligible industries include medicine, fitness, real estate, manufacturing, and more!

For more information about chatbots contact soolis at soolisai.com

The rapid spread of COVID-19 has left many business at loss. Companies that rely on physical interaction with their customers like the hospitality, banking, and retail are worst hit, given most governments’ directives to lockdown towns. Even those in operation have to work with smaller teams, which leads to delay in the delivery of services.

Google, for example, warned its Google Store customers to expect longer wait times because it is working with a limited team. Call centers are also getting slammed, not to mention banks that are reporting hold times of 10 hours or longer.

Consequently, many companies are beginning to leverage on AI technology to bridge the gaps in communication. While there’s a need for human contact, the deployment of AI technologies like chatbots is demonstrating how valuable automation can be for brands in a crisis.

Chatbots are tailored to cater to provide curated information. As such, responses to particular questions can be provided interactively and more rapidly in comparison with traditional online search methods. Other ways a company can benefit from integrating chatbot technology include:

Improved Customer Engagement

According to a Havard Business Review, companies that reply to customers within an hour of receiving a query are seven times more likely to generate leads. Chatbots provide a real-time response, thus increasing a company’s conversion rate.

What’s more, chatbots that have voice automation offer more interactive communication as they can also ask questions to understand the customer’s problem and provide a better solution. The devices also provide customers with rich content with blog entries, product pages, and tutorials based on the user’s response.

24/7 Availability

With a chatbot, your business is never out of service, even with the COVID-19 pandemic. As such, you are confident about your customers getting responses at any time. The company creates the ultimate customer experience as a result, by addressing user’s requests at any time.

Ability to Monitor Consumer Data

Chatbots also collect a lot of data through the simple questions they ask. Companies can use the feedback to make improvements in their products and services. They can also use feedback to monitor customers’ purchasing patterns and consumer behavior. This way, a business can identify services or products that need aggressive marketing and those that need relaunching.

Reduced Bounce Rate

With chatbots being available 24/7, businesses reduce the bounce rate significantly. Companies require potential customers to fill out long forms to interact with users. The practice is off-putting for many users causing others to quit halfway.

Chatbots eliminate such procedures by collectong the user’s information more conveniently. What’s more, bots that have been integrated with voice automation allow users to ask queries and get instant feedback, order products, receive payments, among other tasks, without leaving the messaging applications.

Eliminate Repetition

With many companies working with a small number of customer support representatives, it is essential to reduce repetitiveness. Many customer service representatives answer the same questions throughout the day, which can be time-consuming.

Setting up chatbot systems enables businesses to deal with monotonous conversations. As such, customer representatives can deal with more sensitive questions that need more time input. Hybrid solutions consisting of a chatbot and a human agent are even more useful as they increase employee satisfaction and reduce the high turnover in call centers.

Cost Saving

Setting up remote workspaces presents an additional cost in an already struggling global economy. Implementing a fully functioning chatbot is more cost-effective. What’s more, automated solutions allow organizations to handle as many customers at once.

Without a doubt, the COVID-19 pandemic has become an accelerator for the implementation of chatbot technology. It allows brands to retain normalcy even with the continued emphasis on remote contact centers and work from home solutions. Chatbot technology means their communication channels remain open to consumers without routing voice calls in remote locations.

For more information on chatbots or to get a free consultation visit soolisai.com.