According to research done by Forrester, messaging/chatting is the number one customer service channel preferred by buyers in the US, South Korea, India, and Singapore. So it comes as no surprise that a significant number of businesses, both large and small, are incorporating some form of chatbot functionality into their systems.
Some of the benefits that chatbots offer are:
24/7 Customer Service
AI-powered chatbots can provide round-the-clock customer service to many people without the need for an actual employee. Because of this, companies are increasingly using chatbots as the front-line customer support agents.
Instant Response
With the fast-paced world of online information processing, users always expect immediate responses without having to wait for their queries to be addressed. A study on chatbot user experience states that it doesn’t matter to 40 percent of people whether they get help from a human or a chatbot, given that they get quick support for their queries.
Improved Customer Satisfaction
AI-powered chatbots can proactively start communicating with customers, provide relevant information, and help address the queries throughout the customer support lifecycle. This enables customers to get the help they need whenever they want it, without having to put it on hold for an employee to become available. This eventually leads to better customer satisfaction and improved time to resolution.
Increased Productivity
In addition to answering and resolving queries, chatbots can also transfer a consumer to a customer support agent if human help is inevitable. This leads to increased productivity and lets the customer support agents focus on more complex cases instead of dealing with basic and readily answered questions.