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Though the phone channel is still the preferred mode of communication, the chatbot is the future. The conversational agent has become a channel in its own right. To ensure it is integrated in line with your customer relationship strategy, the key is to get the right support.
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The chatbot is the future – you hear that all the time. The global chatbot market is already estimated to be worth $250 million and this figure is expected to increase greatly as 44% of professionals plan to adopt chatbots by 2020. Even though it is difficult to find the right balance between self-service and assistance, one thing is certain the chatbot has become a channel in its own right!
A chatbot is a conversational program present on digital channels, such as websites, instant messengers, mobile applications, etc. Supported by the Internet and mass marketing giants who are doing everything they can to simplify developers’ lives, the conversational agent has come back to the forefront with the advent of a chatbot for Facebook Messenger. Since then, the number of interactions with it have been increasing!
The concept of chat is not new. Without going back to the 60s and Eliza, the very first chatbot, the early chatbots first appeared as avatars most often FAQs impersonating virtual agents. Disappointed by their ability to respond, some businesses turned to live chat with real agents who sometimes suggesting that they were virtual agents! Despite the confusion they have caused, these devices have prepared users for chat. The difference is that with advances in automatic natural language processing (NLP) and in the age of automation, a well-designed chatbot is now able to have a real conversation!
It should be remembered that cases of self-service use have existed for several decades on the telephone channel – think here of the banks’ interactive voice server (IVR). Nevertheless, they have gradually been neglected for web applications, available 24 hours a day, for simple and/or precise tasks.
However, according to a recent Zendesk study, the phone channel remains very popular, regardless of the age of the consumer. Cumulating 68% of interactions, it is by far the first channel used to contact customer services.
How can this popularity be explained? Beyond the historical attachment, it should be stressed that in terms of customer relations, the telephone channel makes it possible to give a more human dimension to interactions. It will always be preferred for critical requests, combining both urgency and emotions (stress, anger, etc.).
Certainly, a chatbot is able to respond precisely, immediately, and at any time. Nevertheless, in this type of situation, a client will prefer a real agent to a virtual agent, even one with a feeling analysis function. That’s why a chatbot should easily allow you to connect with an agent.
The idea that AI will replace humans remains a distant promise. More than 80% of customers who reported having had an interaction with a bot admit to having interacted with a human later. On the other hand, while almost three-quarters of clients say they prefer to interact with a human agent, about half say AI is useful for simple problems and 24-hour support.
Beyond the human dimension, certain interactions deserve humane treatment because:
That is where the chatbot can fully play one of its key roles: qualify the contact interaction. The interaction that will be presented to the agent needs to go through a fine and optimal qualification to find the most relevant competence to deal with it. Who is the user? Is he already a customer? What is the reason for his call? When were his previous interactions with the brand and on what topics? All this information allows the agent to process the request immediately and efficiently. Best of all, the user does not have to identify himself or herself or explain the reason for his call again, which irritates 22% of consumers.
Moreover, the reactivity offered by chatbots is a source of relief for the user. Especially if they receive a notification by SMS that the request has been taken into account, and are kept informed throughout the process.
Appreciated by instant messaging enthusiasts, chatbot has gradually spread over digital channels. The challenge for brands lies in the value that the chatbot will bring in addition to other devices and channels: immediacy, unpublished information, and ease of dealing with personal and sensitive subjects.
Thus, a customer having unfortunately lost his credit card will call the contact center to let them know, as it seems more reliable and faster. Others will give even more credit to the machine and its immediate consideration, preferring to use an application or a chatbot.
How can your contact center take advantage of a chatbot available on different interfaces to improve the customer experience? By capitalizing on this service approach and integrating it into a global user experience that takes into account an omnichannel customer journey, where:
The need to be supported can be all the more acute if it is necessary to consider and make converge different applications driven by different entities. Small or large, a company whose customer service department manages numerous flows on a daily basis will aim to offer the most fluid experience possible.
There is nothing more efficient than an end-to-end solution that ensures a seamless customer experience across channels while improving the agent experience. This is exactly what Odigo has to offer.
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