Luke Sarabacha
Want to reduce your customer churn rate? Research from Salesforce found that 80% of customers say that the experience provided by a company is as important as its products and services. In this post, we break down how you can improve your customer engagement through the power of chatbots and virtual assistants.
Understanding Chatbots
Nowadays, most of us have interacted with chatbots and virtual assistants in some form or another. They are computer programs designed to simulate human conversation. Virtual assistants have emerged as phenomenal tools for answering questions rapidly or assisting users to complete tasks. Chatbots can be easily integrated into any kind of website, and they can be designed to collect valuable marketing data that can be used across your organization.
We’re now offering AI chatbot setup & optimization so your site engages visitors automatically. If you’re curious about what a customized AI-powered chatbot can do for your business, book a free call with Isaac here.
Why Service Is At The Heart of Customer Engagement
Customer service is often the first point of contact between a customer and a business. First impressions matter. Good service leads to better experiences, trust, and loyalty. One of the two key elements that ensure that customers keep coming back to your business is personalization and quick problem resolution.
Valuable personalization opportunities help the customer feel that they are being heard and that their unique needs are being targeted. Quick problem resolution enables your business to come in and solve a customer’s issue. Doing this quickly and effectively sets you apart from the competition and makes it more likely for customers to think of you when they need something next.
How Do Chatbots Improve Customer Engagement?
Chatbots can optimize your customer service in a variety of ways. These systems are powerful tools for customer service and can help you grow your business. This is why chatbots are increasingly being adopted across so many industries. Experts predict this market to reach nearly $1.25 billion by 2025.
24/7 Availability
Customers hate nothing worse than realizing they will have to wait to have their problem solved until a business re-opens. Chatbots can provide assistance around the clock, ensuring that your customers can get help whenever they need it. This can tremendously increase your customer satisfaction and encourage them to be loyal to your brand.
Personalization for Customer Engagement
Advanced artificial intelligence has reached a point where it can now analyze customer data to provide personalized recommendations and responses. This significantly enhances the customer experience. Instead of customers having to explain their problem’s history or their past purchases for the umpteenth time, chatbots can automatically collect all that information and provide suitable solutions.
Scalability
Another thing customers dislike about traditional forms of customer service is waiting for long hold times on a phone. When your support team is stretched thin, wait times can become ridiculous. This can, in turn, lead to nasty reviews and unhappy customers. Virtual assistants, by contrast, can consistently support multiple customer interactions simultaneously with absolutely zero wait times. This means that customers can get the solutions they need without waiting for them. It also means that you can support any size of customer base without having to go out and hire new agents.
Speed
Chatbots are incredibly fast – faster than human agents. They can instantly retrieve records, compile data, and develop solutions to a customer’s issue. Chatbots can also instantly complete simple tasks such as canceling an order, providing a tracking number, or helping customers reset their passwords.
Tips For Implementing Chatbots and Virtual Assistants
Implementing chatbots to increase customer engagement and customer satisfaction requires careful planning and execution. There are a number of practical tips to consider:
- Address Customer Pain Points: Design your chatbot to meet customers where they are.
- Create A Converational Flow: Ensure that your chatbot experience feels natural
- Personalize Interactions: Provide personal recommendations and ensure that each chatbot experience is tailored to each customer
- Integrate Chatbots With Your CRM System: Data from customer interactions can feed into your RM system and enable your business to respond more effectively
- Monitor Performance Metrics: Track engagement rates, resolution times, and customer satisfaction scores to evaluate the effectiveness of your chatbot and make adjustments
Another key tip with chatbots and virtual assistants is ensuring that you always offer a seamless handover to human agents. Ensure that you have clearly defined handover triggers that make it quick and simple for a customer to get to a human agent. These triggers might include complex questions or expressions of frustration. It’s important that the customer is aware that they are being transferred so that the interaction is as smooth as possible.
Looking For More Ways To Improve Customer Engagement?
Chatbots can help you improve the customer experience, and so can content. Whether it’s an FAQ list or a self-service knowledge base, the written word can be one of the fastest ways for customers to find answers to their questions. Many customers also prefer solving problems themselves before asking for help.
If you need help setting up an AI chatbot or building out your website’s content, schedule a call with us. Our experienced, talented writers are standing by to help you with whatever you need!
