Publish date:

• 7th September, 2021

"Chatbots are important because you won’t feel stupid asking important questions. Sometimes talking to someone can be a bit intimidating. Talking to a chatbot makes that a lot easier! -  " Quote by Petter Bae Brandtzaeg, Why People Use Chatbots.

As a business owner or as a customer browsing a website,  you are more than likely to interact with a chatbot.  Just as messaging rates are increasing, so is the deployment of Artificial Intelligence and automated chatbots. Engagement with automated bots have risen by around 80% last year, with clients using chatbots for all forms of conversations such as yoga packages in resorts to toiletries for particular purposes. With all the buzz around chatbots gaining momentum, we thought a blog on this pertinent issue is needed. what is a chatbot? How do they operate? Will they take away our jobs? So many questions and we are here to answer them for you.

Do you know that the commonly used word "chatbot" is actually obtained from two words - chat robot.  It refers to a computer program that replicates human conversations, whether in the form of a verbal chat or text. Nowadays chatbots are becoming a common feature in our lives without us realising the same. They can be easily deployed over an instant messaging application or a channel. They are a channel of self-service that can be used by leads & clients to find quick answers & solve mundane issues.

How does it work? Chatbots use pre-structured conversation flows, natural language processing (NLP), and/or machine learning to analyse requests from leads & clients.  Over 55 % of clients prefer to resolve issues using a firm’s online resource. Chatbots can suggest the correct resources to answer FAQs external of a company's service centre, thus lowering the pressure & queues faced by the staff at such centres.

Chatbots can direct queries and offer suggestions & offers, thus evoking a better shopping online experience for your customers & leads. They help clients finish tasks and convert leads into clients from their interaction.  With wholesale data at their disposal, chatbots provide indivualised replies and automate cross-sell and upsell activities Let's look at some other benefits of chatbots.

Some of the benefits of using a chatbot are:

Reduced 'Pausing' Time-Clients detest waiting for their turn on calls to get their issues/problems addressed. The longer the wait time, the greater the odds of losing a customer. Chatbots come to the rescue and are able to solve many a query that would have ended up on telecalls.

Saves Times for Agents- Human agents in service centres can deal with more complex issues and calls that need their intervention plus focus their energy and time on more meaningful tasks & engagement.

Efficient sidetracks to client requests. These bots invite clients with an excellent hello, and furthermore divert them to the applicable specialists at whatever point they feel the requirement for the equivalent.

Intelligent Responses -  Chatbots are liable for speedy and savvy reactions to the clients' inquiries and let human specialists deal with perplexing work.

Chatbots are not here to replace humans or take away jobs. They work in a hybrid environment as they address some minor issues and the human agents the major ones. Both works in tandem to ensure a company retains clients & customer delight levels remain high.