How Chatbots Can Improve Your Customers’ Experience
It’s happening: Robots are everywhere.
And although these robots look different from their more famous counterparts, such as Star Wars’ RD-D2 or Futurama’s Bender, their technology is equally as advanced. In fact, these bots are embedded in our mobile devices, our appliances, and can be used to assist us in our cars, homes, and offices.
Robots have proven themselves to be not only ideal for individual use, but also a powerful customer service tool, too. According to Forbes magazine, artificial intelligence (AI) is just one of many ways that business owners can improve their customer’s online experiences. While it may be some time before we see a digitized sales associate or a car that can fully drive itself, integrating a chatbot into your website is one way you can use robotic technology to make your life, and your customer’s lives, easier!
If integrating an online chatbot sounds complex to intimidating, we’re here to tell you that it’s actually a simple and effective way to improve customer retention and increase sales—no coding required!
Do Chatbots Actually Work?
As a seasoned salesperson or business owner, installing a chatbot to converse with your customers may seem impersonal. After all, can an internet robot really replace your knowledgeable staff? Live people are surely more capable of answering customer inquiries, right?
Well, despite the fact that almost 50% of users prefer to speak with a real life sales associate, recent chatbot statistics, published by Small Biz Genius, show a growing preference for AI among consumers:
- A whopping 64% of users like the 24/7 trouble shooting capabilities that chatbots provide them.
- 58% of consumers have said that chatbots have positively impacted their overall experience online and have influenced their expectations.
- Regardless of age, 40% of consumers have expressed a preference for chatbots!
Unsurprisingly, chatbots can also contribute to the success of your sales department, too. Because they have the potential to answer most common questions 24/7, chatbots can simultaneously increase engagement with customers and allow your team members to redirect their focus to internal issues without sacrificing user experience. The verdict? Chatbots can help establish solid connections with customers by offering them tailored solutions based on their questions, which saves customers, and your staff, time and frustration.
Remember: Chatbots are there to support your team, not to replace them!
Create a Chatbot Strategy that Puts Your Users First
Are you wondering if a chatbot is a smart move for your business strategy? If you want to provide customers with answers more quickly, give them a customized experience, increase sales, collect consumer data, and even reduce the amount of strain on your sales team, incorporating a chatbot can help you reach new, targeted goals.
Use the following steps to help guide you as you program your chatbot:
- Obtain a chatbot.
Chatbots are easy to find, and many are simply extensions that you can plug in to your website. Some CRM or sales tools will include chat builders for you to use. Not sure where to start? We can get you set up with a free CRM !
- Figure out what your chatbot will be used for.
Are you using it to answer simple questions? Are trying to get customers to sign up for a newsletter? Or do you want to measure customer satisfaction?
- Determine where your chatbot will appear.
Depending on the intended use of the bot, your homepage might be an ideal spot. If you’re just starting out, assign your chatbot to a page that gets lesser, more specific traffic, like your contact page or FAQ.
- Who should see the chatbot?
Generally, you want your chatbot to appear on any designated page that your user will land on .
- Create a flowchart!
To design a chatbot that is truly helpful, you want to outline specific set of rules for your bot to use. This means creating a series of questions, answers, and even helpful content links for visitors to view or download.
Outlining the purpose of your chatbot will ensure that your response matches the needs of your consumers and align with your business goals. It’s important to note that you also have several options for the type of chatbot you use, and that some versions may require a bit of human intervention to truly help your customers. Chatbots that are operated entirely by AI will rely on a clearly defined set of rules, which means they can’t answer questions that fall outside of the restrictions, while others can have users choose their industry / question to be directed to a live customer service agent.
We also recommend including additional resources or contact information if your chatbot is down, cannot locate information, or is unable to redirect the customer to a live agent. Your users will appreciate alternate suggestions or tools that will help them find answers to their questions, and solve their problems, as quickly as possible.
Are You Ready to Take the Leap into AI Territory?
In addition to alleviating the stress from your sales team, chatbots are a phenomenal tool for connecting with customers, collecting consumer data, and increasing customer satisfaction. If you want an employee that works hard, is easy to train, and that won’t drink the last of the morning coffee, connect with Symetric today to find your perfect robot.