Man vs. Chatbot: 5 Ways Chatbot Improves Customer Experience

The long debate of man v/s technology has existed since its advent. But instead of fretting that it would replace humans, it should be seen as an assistance which would just elevate user experience.The chatbot buzz is very strong in 2017 and with the kind of experience it offers to the customers, it seems that chatbots are here to stay. It’s appealing, easy to use and is accentuating customer experience ever since it entered the market.

Let us now focus on ways by which Chatbots are taking over Customer Success Management:

1. By Showcasing a Distinctive Personality

Chatbots are made in such a way that the user can simply not resist going back to it again. It is unique, distinctive and sometimes even amiable which imparts a sense of connection. For example, Poncho which was launched in April 2016 at Facebook’s F8 developer conference is known for its remarkable wit. It’s capable of sending personalized weather forecasts and astrological predictions. But that doesn’t make it big. What makes this “weather cat” stand out is the sassiness with which it reverts. Ask the cat whether “Is God Real?” and it will reply, “I don’t know, I am catnostic.”

2. By Being Constructive

When chatbots are designed keeping the target audience in mind it serves to be purposeful and functional. The commercial brands today are using chatbots to reflect the essence of their brand and guide the user to make a suitable purchase. Unlike a salesperson, a chatbot is not gimmicky or pushy, which would make the user disenchanted. For example, Tommy Hilfiger which is a major fashion brand experimented with chatbots to give a personalized experience to their customers and to bring traffic to their website. Their TMY.GRL asks a series of handful questions and helps you to get a new look depending on your taste and occasion. Targeting the millennials and the Gen Z, the bot engages in a friendly tone and makes you believe that someone ‘real’ trying to help you to make your fashion choices. Making the chatbot humanlike and functional is the key for engaging the users.

3. By Being a Relief for Customer Facing Industries

In industries like retail and e-commerce, chatbots with its Artificial Intelligence and Natural Language processing is gaining a momentum because of its ability to analyze the behavior and preferences of the customers on the basis of past data. Chatbots have an ability to dig into big data and bring out solutions which are personalized. Chatbots use messaging platforms with the customers which make the communication simpler. The preference of chatbots can be seen from the fact that 45.8% consumers would rather contact a business through messaging than email and 49.4% would rather contact a business through messaging than the phone. Chatbots allow the businesses to be available 24/7.

4. By Being Time and Money Saver

According to a survey, more than 4 minutes are saved per chatbot inquiry when compared to traditional call centers. No one wants to keep waiting for hours for a response. People want things to be done quickly. While it is not possible to handle thousands of queries one after another with accuracy, efficiency and same dedication to solving customer’s problem, chatbots are instantaneous. According to a new research by Juniper on Chatbots in the field of Retail, Healthcare and Banking (2017-22), it is forecasted that chatbots will be responsible for cost savings of over $8 billion per annum by 2022, up from $20 million this year.

5. By Imparting a Sense of Personalization

From being your personal assistant, doctor, doing your travel arrangements to being your dating advisor, fashion stylist and helping you to do your homework, chatbots provide personalization when customer-focused marketing is at its zenith. Recently, a New Zealand startup Soul Machines launched a chatbot Nadia, which has an “Emotional Intelligence” along with Artificial Intelligence. It can read your emotions, facial expressions and understand your tone. Just like any other chatbot, it gets better with every interaction. The main purpose behind designing this chatbot is to provide disabled people an access to the National Disability Insurance Schemes (NDIS) without facing any complications. By infusing an emotional element, this startup has taken chatbot service to another level, making it more human and personal.

Chatbots are the future of customer experience. Not only does it target the audience intelligently but also provides a great deal of personalization along with being instantaneous and productive. While it’s a necessity to stay connected and interact with the consumers, do you know 50% customers of financial institutions, 62% customers of Retail and 75% of Travel and Hospitality still don’t get any SMSs? A chatbot is the present as well as future and thus to increase the potential of your business it is necessary to explore this technology to the fullest. Instead man vs. chatbot, the concern should be how "Man and Chatbot" can prove to be beneficial for people.

We at NewGenApps have an expertise in technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Natural Language Processing, and Machine Learning. Let our experts guide you on the development of Chatbots and how it would be lucrative for your business.