So, let’s be clear about what Live Chat is and what Chatbots are?

Live chat is online software that is added to a company’s website which allows two parties to communicate with each other in order to support customer questions and queries.

Chatbots are computer programs which are powered by rules and sometimes artificial intelligence, which allows people to interact with it through a chat interface.

What do we mean by a Customer Service Chatbot?

Customer service chatbots can work with various business’s live chat software and attempt to answer the customer's queries and questions, without the need to wait for a live agent. User cases can vary but in the main, when a customer interacts with a business website, a live chat session can automatically pop up and provide customers with access to a chatbot.

Chatbots are programmed to be on the website when the customer is, whether they’re looking for a product to buy or seeking assistance. They tap into knowledge databases to answer customer's questions quickly and enable customers to get answers to commonly asked questions at their own convenience. 

Supporting the customer journey!

Chatbots are a fantastic way to ‘up’ your customer service strategy and processes.  For instance, they can begin to gather relevant customer information at the start of a conversation before transferring them to a live agent. The agent will then spend their time helping the customer with the ‘value-add’ elements of the inquiry, which will enhance the relationship with the customer.

An example of a customer journey could be that a customer reaches out to your company by interacting with your website's live chat software and asks a question to your customer service chatbot. Based on the initiated conversation, the bot will decide whether it can resolve the issue. If it can, then using its knowledge database it will respond appropriately, but if it can’t, it will redirect the conversation to the next available agent along with all the relevant information the bot had previously collected.

Another example is that Chatbots could be used to automate responses to common questions such as:

·        How long does it take for an order to be delivered?

·        Are you open on bank holidays?

·        What is your return policy?

Depending on how advanced the chatbot technology is, it may be able to answer more complex questions that begin with, ‘does it’ or ‘can I’. However, if a chatbot isn’t programmed to do this specific type of questioning, the agent would then be brought into the conversation in order to help the customer with their specific inquiry.

They’re bots so they don’t need to sleep or eat or…

One of the best things about chatbots is that they can be available 24x7 to help customers, whether that be at 4 in the morning or 4 in the afternoon. Customers are now demanding support when they require it and chatbots are an example of how your business can achieve it.

Chatbots aren’t going to stop the need for live agents, they’re just going to make their jobs more efficient and easier. In addition to this, they will help improve elements of the customer’s journey and increase the efficiency of the business.