Purchasing on digital platforms continues to rise, placing a need on companies to provide an integrated experience where customers can buy quickly and comfortably. Chatbots are one of the ways you can do this, but how do they help you improve your customer experience?
1. Enhances the customer journey
Chatbots allow your customers to resolve issues without having to speak to an online agent, ask questions about your product and get support at every stage of their journey. For example, when a customer arrives on your website, a chatbot can ask qualifying questions like ‘what’s your name’, order number, etc and quickly direct them to the right page.
This also helps your agents if their request needs to be passed onto them, as they can see the information the customer has already given to your chatbot and jump straight into the conversation. These self-service offerings not only help you improve customer satisfaction but also build trust and boost retention.
2. Offers personalisation to your audience, and in real-time
Another way chatbots improve your customer experience is if someone wants to enquire with one of your customer service teams, they can do so within a few clicks. 64% of internet users say a 24-hour service is the best feature of chatbots as they make your customers feel important by being ready to answer their queries no matter the time.
Additionally, if someone asks for a specific webpage or product, chatbots can automate engaging conversations that still carry a personal touch e.g. greeting your customers by their first name.
Personalising your chatbots is a great way of standing out from your competition as it makes customers feel more valued by your brand. This can lead to further benefits such as repeat purchasing, increased time on your site and more. You can find out about how personalisation boosts sales and customer loyalty here.
3. Provides additional support by connecting your chatbot to knowledge bases
Customers in the digital landscape want an experience that offers variety, personalisation and knowledge about the goods they’re after. Connecting a chatbot towards your knowledge bases can do just this.
Recommendations based on products
If a customer views one of your product pages for a significant amount of time, chatbots can enhance their journey by suggesting them similar links. This helps your customers quickly view products relevant to them which increases your chances of completing a sale.
Ability to analyse consumers behaviour so you can improve your customer experience (e.g. FAQs or updates)
A key element of chatbots is the ability to automate responses to your customers based on keywords, allowing your agents and customer service teams to focus on and prioritise important tasks.
For example, for less serious queries regarding an item, by using keywords of the most common questions such as ‘when will this be back in stock’, you can introduce a pre-set selection of answers of when customers should expect this to be available.
4. You can build relationships with a chatbot they recognise
Even when a customer service agent is unavailable, companies have introduced a human-like way of communicating updates with customers via chatbots to build upon their customer experience. An example of this is through pizza company, Dominos, using an automated bot ‘Dom’ that automatically applies coupons and lets the customer know the best discount available depending on their order.
Offering the right coupon at the right time means your customers won’t have to browse and apply different codes, improving their experience by cutting down the time it takes to order from you. Additionally, customers who use a chatbot feel personally tended to, meaning that even though these interactions are automated, you don’t have to lose your personal touch.
5. Allows the customer to stay regularly updated about their order
Connecting your knowledge base to your chatbot allows them to provide updates regarding the process of customer orders. By relying on automation techniques from a chatbot, this provides efficiency towards your team, reducing their workload by drawing in external information as the first point of contact.
For additional assistance with their order, chatbots can then provide a seamless transition towards available agents to either clarify or resolve an issue, creating a fluid customer experience from autonomy to human interaction.
The ultimate guide to customer service and experience
Now we know the many benefits a chatbot has towards improving your customer experience, download our ultimate guide to customer service and experience so you can be present for your customer, at all times. You’ll learn:
- The difference between customer service and experience
- How the two link to each other
- How to improve customer service
- How to improve customer experience
Click below to get your guide today.
