There is a lot of power in the human voice that digital marketing efforts can’t always replace. However, automation as a part of modern digital marketing does have a place. Let’s be honest, you can’t always be available to answer the phone 24/7 and help your customers with every need at every moment. Chatbots have been gaining popularity in recent years as a means of helping businesses large and small better serve their customers. The question is, how can chatbots benefit your brand?
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What are Chatbots?
Chatbots are, as the name suggests, simple artificial intelligence (AI) systems integrated into your online platforms that interact with customers via text. Most chatbots offer straightforward interactions between customers and brands, such as answering simple questions like “what is your business address?” or “what are your Saturday hours?”
Why are Chatbots so Popular?
According to statistics from Gartner, by 2020 nearly 85% of interactions between customers and brands will be handled by bots rather than individuals. The rising popularity of chatbots has a lot to do with streamlined interactions that save time for customers and companies. Rather than waiting on hold for a representative to get an answer to a simple question, that duty can be handled by chatbots.
The company saves time by directly serving over the phone those individuals with more complex issues, and customers save time waiting when all they need is a simple answer. On top of that, chatbots can answer several questions from various consumers at the same time. Customer service reps on the phone or even on chat services can only handle questions from one customer at a time. However, there are far more benefits your band will find when adopting chatbots.
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4 Benefits of Chatbots for Your Brand
Chatbots are the most well-known form of AI in use at the moment. Your business can benefit from their use by saving time, as mentioned above, but also save effort and money as well. Here is a list of four benefits chatbots can deliver for your brand:
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Improve customer service: As mentioned earlier in this piece, you cannot always be there to answer the phone when your customers call. You may be closed, out of the office, or already speaking with another customer. Chatbots fill a much-needed gap by answering questions for customers in real-time with no time limits on their working hours and no limitations on how many customers they can help at one time.
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Cost savings: Chatbots don’t require a salary, benefits, and vacation pay. If the choice comes down to hiring more people or using chatbots to handle some of the more mundane tasks of assisting customers, the latter is both cheaper and faster. You can setup chatbot services much faster than you can find, hire, and train new employees.
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Collect data on customer insights: At the same time that a chatbot is assisting a customer, it can be collecting valuable insight into the customer experience. It can monitor data during the call and collect insights afterward through customer feedback. That data can be used to deliver valuable information on improving your products and services.
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Automate repetitive tasks: Chatbots will never fully replace employees, but they do serve as a great substitute when it comes to repetitive tasks. Rather than having employees field phone calls about store locations, store hours, or account balance questions, chatbots can be deployed to handle the repetitive tasks while your employees focus on providing top-notch customer service to callers. Not only do chatbots benefit the business by automating repetitive tasks and freeing up employees, but they also cut down on the potential for human error in data recording.
Chatbots are here to stay, and companies of all sizes are catching on. If you think any of the above points are beneficial for your business, it might be time to test drive chatbots with your brand.