In a world that is seemingly becoming more automated by the second, it should come as no surprise that business owners are now able to automate interaction with their website visitors. By using chatbots, you can be available 24/7 to your current and potential customers. However, you need to know how to correctly use them to gain the optimal results. Here’s some more information on chatbots and how you can put them in place to improve your customer service!
What Are Chatbots?
Chatbots are basically automated customer service reps. With the simple installation of a plug-in on your website or business Facebook page, your chatbot will automatically engage with users who message your business—even if you are not available to respond. Depending on the keywords used by the customer (such as: What hours are you open?), the chatbot can generate an appropriate response and answer questions at any time of the day or night.
Why Consumers Like Chatbots
Consumers have become used to having their questions answered immediately. They no longer have the patience to wait for you to call or email them back when you’re in the office. Many consumers also appreciate the ability to multitask during their workday. Instead of calling customer service or waiting on hold, they’d much rather interact with a chat bot while eating lunch or surfing the web. In short, chatbots are the quick and convenient choice your customers are mostly likely to appreciate.
Why You Should Consider Using Chatbots
We’ve already covered why your customers (and potential customers) want you to have chatbots, but there are also plenty of perks for your team as well. You can save yourself and your employees time and money by automating the response to frequently asked questions. You can also provide 24/7 support to those who visit your site, which is a competitive advantage. Even if the response is ‘thank you for the inquiry, one of our customers service reps will call you within 24 hours’, you’re still providing immediate assistance and buying yourself some valuable time to research the customer’s issue.
With the sophistication of today’s chatbots, you can create a customized and interactive experience for your customers and they’ll never feel like they talked to a ‘machine’. Your customers will feel appreciate and valued and will be much more likely to give you a good review or encourage their friends and family to use your services or buy your products.
Where Should You Use Chatbots?
Via plug-ins, chatbots can be installed on most types of websites. They can also be installed on your business Facebook page. If you’re not sure how to install these plug-ins or need help learning how to use them correctly, our team is always available to help!
What to Keep in Mind When Using Chatbots
Of course, there is a right and wrong way to use everything—especially technology! If you’re going to install chatbots, you need to know how to use them properly so your customers never feel like they are being pushed off to a robot. You need to personalize the response by learning what questions are frequently asked, researching proper keywords, and improving your chatbot services on a regular basis. As your interaction with the chatbot evolves, your responses should be more intuitive and provide a better customer service experience to your clients.
The biggest thing to remember is to get help. If you’re not a techy person and you aren’t sure how to use chatbots, you need to either hire a marketing company to handle it for you or hire them to train you how to use chatbots in your business. Just like any other technology-based solution, chatbots can backfire if not used correctly!
54% of people are more likely to show with businesses they can message and 56% of people would rather message than call customer service! These powerful statistics show that most consumers not only like chatbots, but they actually expect and prefer them as part of their customer service experience. Don’t lose out to your competition that is already using this technology. Get in touch with us today so we can help you learn how to use chatbots in your business!
