How to use chatbots to improve customer service? 

How to use chatbots to improve customer service?

Customers today have new demands for effective communication and accessibility, and all businesses know how crucial it is to provide customers with a service they can boast about, regardless of the channel the customer chooses to contact them through.

In today’s society, we are surrounded by a wide range of different technologies. Technology is, for most people, a part of our daily routines and often replaces interpersonal interactions. By using artificial intelligence to interact with customers, chatbots have evolved over time to become one of the most popular channels for customer service.

Many technologies require no human intervention to identify a problem, as they are configured to translate decisions into actions on their own. Designing flawless automated technologies based on machine learning can still be challenging, especially when these technologies are meant to replace human qualities. Because the algorithms are not smart enough to make independent decisions and lack human qualities, it is crucial that these instructions are precise so that the end result is as intended. The algorithms will then remember each search and continuously improve to provide the most accurate search results. However, it is not always the case that these automatic decisions go as planned. An example of this is when Microsoft launched the chatbot “Tay” in 2016. Tay’s lifespan was short-lived as it was quickly discovered that the robot behaved biased and made serious racist statements on Twitter.

Fortunately, developers can learn from such unfortunate situations, and in recent times, bots have learned to behave much better. In fact, chatbots have become so efficient that they can answer around 70-80% of simple questions that customer service representatives usually have to answer. As of now, chatbots also do not require a salary, meaning that they are a cost-effective tool in the long run, in addition to enabling 24/7-365 availability.

Chatbots in practice

In recent years, Ringsaker Kommune has undergone a digitalization process and wanted citizens to have the opportunity to contact them 24/7. Therefore, they chose an omnichannel contact center combined with a chatbot, all provided by Zisson.

How to integrate a chatbot into your customer service?

Although chatbots function as a tool that provides the content customers are looking for without having to be in direct contact with customer service, bots can also be combined with manual customer handling. Resources such as FAQs, knowledge banks, or support videos are all features that can be included in a chatbot. At Zisson, we also offer a hybrid bot that can easily be integrated into your solution, allowing you to offer customers a seamless transition between a virtual advisor and manual handling by customer service representatives.

If you are looking for ways to improve customer service by being more accessible to customers, it’s time to take a closer look at chatbots. When used correctly, statistics show that they are highly effective for increased engagement, improved customer experience, and providing customers with quick answers. How will you implement chatbots in your customer service strategy?