Chatbots are dramatically changing the customer experience as more and more companies are leveraging them as a viable customer service channel.  With a well-designed chatbot, customers cannot tell whether they are communicating with a human or a computer.  And, according to surveys, most don’t care, as long as they quickly get to the customer service resolution they are seeking.

​

Chatbots are software programs developed to interact with consumers to provide automate customer support or some other type of service request.  For customer service use, the chatbot will greet the customer, gain an understanding of their issue or request, and guide them to a proper resolution, often without any human intervention at all.

​

While chatbots are not meant to replace 100% of your customer service team, they are designed to handle the majority of frequently-asked-questions that the team encounters.  This frees up your (human) agents to handle more complex issues and strategic initiatives that can benefit your team and organization over the long-term.

​

The Benefits of Chatbots in Customer Service

​

Some of the primary benefits your customer service team can expect to see from chatbots include:

​

Persistent Availability

​

Today, many consumers have an expectation that they will be able to communicate with their favorite brands, even after hours.  Chatbots enable this by offering guided chat-based support on a 24/7 basis.

​

Immediate Access

​

There is an increasing expectation among consumers that they should not have to wait in queue to speak or chat with a live agent in order to get their questions answered or issue resolved.  Chatbots eliminate this concern by offering immediate access.  A single chatbot can manage multiple one-on-one customer service interactions simultaneously.

​

Data Collection

​

Every chatbot interaction can be tracked in order to collect valuable information regarding customer questions and requests.  This information can then be incorporated into your chatbot and overall customer service strategy in order to provide even greater levels of support in the future.

​

Decreased Costs

​

Having chatbots manage the majority of your repetitive and predictable requests allows you to provide excellent customer service with minimal staff, thus driving down your labor costs.