With the capabilities of AI becoming more diversified, it’s only natural for businesses to take an interest in how this seeming marvel of technology can benefit them. It’s a journey deserving of trepidation, as even with the amazing abilities these programs claim to be capable of, it can have a negative impact on how consumers view the company. So, when considering how best to utilize AI going forward, consider functions that benefit from its presence, such as customer service chatbots.
What is a Chatbot?
An AI chatbot is a widget designed to simulate human conversation through the use of NLP (natural language processing), especially over the Internet. It does this by learning human language patterns over time and responding with greater accuracy as the program is trained. It can be utilized as a conversational tool, such as the companion-oriented Replika app, or in a more customer-facing task, such as answering questions on a website in real time.
A chatbot functions best when it is provided with a data source to draw from (such as your website) and trained with real human interactions from staff and customers. In this way, it can help alleviate the need for more arduous customer service tasks such as answering e-mails and phone calls. This frees up employees to take on more productive and necessary work as opposed to spending hours on inessential tasks.
Practical Function
While the function of a Chatbot may seem fairly straightforward, it can also prove vital in acquiring user information and increasing website engagement. For example; to create a more productive flow of conversation, a Chatbot can be required to ask for the customer’s e-mail address during the chat to sign them up for the monthly newsletter. When a customer has a question that requires greater detail, the Chatbot will increase the website flow by providing them with steps by which to obtain what they want. For example; a customer asks the Chatbot about a company’s seasonal fragrance releases. After providing the requested info, the Chatbot might offer a discount code, prompting the customer to take immediate action and purchase the product.
Customization
Most customers indeed prefer a human-to-human interaction over a stilted AI conversation. A properly utilized chatbot can be highly customizable to better imitate the personality and tone of a staff member when speaking to a consumer. Think of this like creating a digital employee. You can provide them with a name, a personality, knowledge base, and even customize their icon and colors to better reflect your business.
Take a moment to visit Holly, our customized Ai Chatbot creation for Yuletide Village, to see what she is capable of!
On a more practical level, many of those who engage on a website will not have the time available to read the site in its entirety. This includes informative but lengthy, FAQs, About Us, and even addresses usually displayed on each page. A properly informed Chatbot can recall and provide this information readily without expending the customers valuable time. It can even keep a running dialogue of previous conversations, helping to personalize the customer’s engagement with the website.
How Does a Chatbot Benefit You?
When used effectively, a Chatbot can help streamline your workplace and customer engagement, helping to create a more productive and cost-effective strategy going forward. It allows for more work productivity, allowing employees to focus on tasks better suited to their skillset and expertise. A well-trained Chatbot is timely and responsive, providing fast, accurate answers to customers. Even if the Chat cannot provide the needed information, it can perform a human hand-off upon request, sending an e-mail or text to the necessary customer service representative so they can respond ASAP. This makes for a more cost-effective means of employee-to-consumer line of communication.
Looking Into a Chatbot for yourself? Lion & Panda is happy to oblige. If you would like to know more about what an interactive customer-facing Chatbot can do for your business, please contact us to learn more.
