Peter Jobson
October 19, 2021
•
5
min read
Chatbot, virtual assistant, and interactive agent are just a few names for this growing trend in automation. While the names differ, their purpose is the same: to answer common questions quickly.
It is tedious for human agents to answer the same questions repeatedly. Often, they just copy and paste approved answers.
Why automate with chatbots?
- They answer frequently asked questions at scale.
- They free up agent time.
- They save businesses money.
- They allow agents to focus on lead conversion and complex support.
Chatbots are growing in popularity and sophistication
In the past, many believed chatbots delivered a negative experience. However, technology and consumer behaviour have shifted.
The impact of the pandemic:
- Chatbots helped businesses manage overwhelming increases in enquiries.
- They allowed operations to continue when staff could not reach the office.
- Customers realised talking to a bot was actually quite helpful.
Key statistics:
- 74% of people prefer chatbots for quick communication (PSFK study).
- 50% of businesses already spend more on chatbots than mobile apps (Gartner).
- Chatbots can provide cost savings of 30%.
Customers are now satisfied with "self-care." They are happy to find information themselves if it is easy to find and simple to understand.
Benefits of chatbots
Chatbots are essential for delivering omnichannel support at scale. Creating a consistent journey across channels is difficult. You must ensure messaging, support standards, and data are unified.
By leveraging chatbots, businesses can:
- Build one knowledge base shared by all channels.
- Ensure a consistent tone of voice and service standard.
- Store all collected data in one interface.
Core benefits include:
- Improved Efficiency: Automate the most common questions.
- 24/7 Support: Ensure help is always available, even after hours.
- Faster Resolution: Shorten wait times and collect conversational insights.
- Lead Qualification: Identify prospects in real-time without using forms.
- Human Focus: Free up staff for high-value tasks like live video demos.
Best case practices for using chatbots
Chatbots are only as good as you make them. Here are tips to get started:
Address common customer frustrations
Focus your chatbot on solving these four main issues:
- Navigating websites: 34% of people find this frustrating.
- Finding simple answers: 31% struggle with this.
- Finding basic business details: 28% find this difficult.
- Slow service: 27% say it takes too long to get help.
Identify frequently asked questions to resolve with chatbots
Pinpoint the questions your customers always ask.
- For shipping queries, the bot can give a direct answer.
- It can also provide a link to your full shipping policy.
Be transparent
Don’t hide your automation.
- Use a specific name or icon to identify the bot.
- Ensure the bot can easily escalate to a human agent when requested.
Enable lead generation
Modern bots use natural language processing to communicate.
- They collect valuable data during the initial engagement.
- They classify enquiries so agents receive the most interested leads with full context.
Add content for on-boarding new users
Some customers will always struggle to find help. Use chatbots as a guide to remind users where to go and how to use your product.
Chatbots are not one size fits all
Chatbots can be industry-specific. A bot designed for tech onboarding may not suit an e-commerce platform. Shop around to find the partner that fits your unique strategy.
Don’t forget the human touch
Human interaction still holds high emotional value. Use bots to qualify leads, but support your VIP customers with real people.
Use a platform like CINNOX to:
• View the entire customer journey in a single view.
• Access sentiment and data for better context.
• Create engaging experiences like live video demos.
Set up omnichannel chatbots with CINNOX
CINNOX brings digital and telecom communications together in one unified platform.
With CINNOX, you can:
• Connect with customers globally on popular local channels.
• Orchestrate personalised customer experiences.
• Integrate chatbots for consistent automation on Live Chat and WhatsApp Business.
• Evaluate performance with rich insights and analysis.
If you've read this far, you're probably already working hard to make your customers happy! When you pair your efforts with a total experience platform like CINNOX together with the tips we shared above, they should help you onboard new customers, retain existing customers, and keep everyone coming back for more.
