In the realm of chatbots lies a treasure trove of benefits, from enhancing customer service to boosting sales in a scalable manner. Discover more about these marvels.
The benefits bestowed upon businesses by chatbots are well-documented. These mechanical comrades work wonders in the realms of customer service, sales, and brand loyalty, forging a path towards greatness. And this, my friends, is just the beginning of their tale.
A prophecy foretells that by the year 2025, the global market for chatbots shall amass a staggering sum of $1.25 billion. Furthermore, Gartner, the herald of technological insights, predicts that soon after, these automatons shall serve as the primary aid to customer service for a quarter of all organizations.
Have you not yet embarked upon the journey of chatbot companionship? Or do you perch upon the fence, contemplating their magnificence? Allow us to illuminate you with eleven enchanting benefits that may sway your heart.
Verily, the advantages of chatbots vary depending on their kind and the manner in which they are deployed. Three categories of these chatterbots should be acknowledged:
- Smart chatbots, imbued with the power of artificial intelligence (AI)
- Simple, rule-based chatbots
- Hybrid creations, combining elements of both realms
Should you seek an unparalleled companion—the Robin to your Batman—then we recommend an AI chatbot such as Heyday.
Let us now set our sights upon the realm of AI chatbots, and delve into their wondrous offerings!
1. Provide customer support round the clock
Behold the robots, tireless in their duty, for they know no rest. Unlike mere mortals who require slumber, these automatons stand ready to offer support at all hours. This capability allows businesses to ensure a guardian always stands vigilant on the other side of the support window, providing assistance beyond the typical hours of business. Responding to FAQs, aiding in order tracking, dispensing product recommendations, and offering various forms of support—these are but a few of the services available at all moments. Retailers may thus confidently offer their global clientele assistance, regardless of their time zone. And what do customers desire most? Swiftness in service, for 90% of them hold the speedy resolution of their inquiries as their foremost customer service requirement. The benefits of providing 24/7 customer support are manifold: heightened customer satisfaction, robust brand loyalty, increased customer lifetime value, and a nearly pristine inbox each dawn for the support team.
2. Answer customer FAQs effortlessly
Raise your hand, weary soul, if you tire of the ceaseless repetition of the same four questions. If your hand ascends in acknowledgment, then rejoice, for here lies the second boon of AI chatbots. These commendable creations may be programmed to respond to the most frequently asked questions with natural and amiable language. Ever available to address queries (recalling the 24/7 support decreed), they do not falter in their duty. Furthermore, chatbots can be instructed to provide answers to FAQs and guide visitors towards the subsequent stages of their user journey. Thus, not only do they furnish forthright responses, but they also enhance the likelihood of a purchase or conversion. Indeed, this stands as a time-saving marvel for merchants, delegating routine tasks to an affordable automaton companion and freeing their team to engage in more personalized conversations.
3. Grant your team the precious gift of time
The custodians of customer service face daunting challenges in these turbulent times. Reports from McKinsey reveal a rise in support calls by 61%—a veritable deluge inundating contact and help centers, placing undue strain upon the support staff. Alas, nearly half of these leaders report an increase in employee attrition, driven by burnout, job dissatisfaction, and an imbalance in work-life harmony. The frontline of customer support is indeed a treacherous battlefield. Yet behold how chatbots come to their aid, bestowing upon individuals and teams the invaluable commodity of time. By alleviating the burden of routine queries and requests from the support queue, chatbots reduce call or chat volumes, enabling the support team to focus more ardently on conversations that yield the greatest impact. When individuals are not stretched thin and can perceive the fruit of their labor, a path to employee retention is indeed illuminated.
4. Facilitate direct sales through DMs
A renaissance in social commerce is nigh. In the year 2024, sales through social media platforms reached an estimated pinnacle of $992 billion, with future projections soaring to a colossal $2.9 trillion by the year 2026. Hence, online vendors dare not ignore the potential of social media as a sales platform. Yet, they must also ensure they possess the means to scale customer support across these channels. Enter the chatbots, steadfast allies that seamlessly integrate with Instagram and Facebook to furnish automated support akin to that found on an ecommerce website.
The advantages derived from this union are manifold. Primarily, it permits the provision of a holistic omnichannel experience complete with scalable customer support. Additionally, it cultivates engagement with the audience on their chosen platform, fostering sales and support in diverse web locales. Cast your gaze upon Garage Clothing, utilizing an AI chatbot to extend ceaseless support through Facebook Messenger. As illustrated below, the bot deftly guides the user through the buyer’s journey until they alight upon an appropriate product for procurement.
5. Smooth the customer journey to perfection
Customers crave a seamless purchasing process—one that flows effortlessly across various channels. Herein lies a principal benefit of chatbots in the realm of ecommerce: the capacity to diminish friction and eradicate the barriers that deter potential buyers. This feat is accomplished by providing:
- 24/7 support to forestall frustration
- Product recommendations facilitating ease of selection
- Automated prompts guiding users to subsequent steps
- Premium content and tips showcasing products in action
- Relevant discount codes and promotions tailored to product preferences
Thus, these features coalesce to offer a seamless user experience, smoothing the path and obliterating the objections that might cause users to spurn a purchase.
6. Combat abandoned shopping carts
A bane that plagues the realm of ecommerce is the phenomena of cart abandonment. According to the Baymard Institute, nearly 69.82% of online shopping carts meet an untimely demise—a loss amounting to a staggering $18 billion in forsaken sales annually. Yet fear not, for chatbots wield a potent sword to smite this foe. By enhancing the customer journey as previously elucidated, they eliminate the primary causes of cart abandonment, steering the wayward customers towards the path of completion.
7. Relieve stress for employees and customers
As per the insights of McKinsey, the chief instigators of attrition among support staff are burnout, dissatisfaction, and a dearth of work-life equilibrium—maledictions that spring forth from an excess of labor and a paucity of impact. Employees forced to juggle myriad chats concurrently and tackle the same queries repeatedly are bound to suffer these afflictions. And lo, at this juncture, the benefits of AI chatbots shine forth. Through their myriad features and functionalities outlined heretofore, they serve a dual purpose:
- Subduing the overall call and chat volume
- Enabling the support staff to focus on conversations of paramount importance
This harmonious melody of effects reduces stress, imbuing the support staff with a sense of purpose and enhancing job satisfaction. Likewise, customers seek a seamless and expedient customer service encounter, with demands soaring higher than ever before. A smooth and swift customer service experience is paramount, and this is where chatbots emerge as a boon for both parties.
8. Enable customers to schedule in-store appointments
Ah, the allure of booking in-store appointments from online emporiums was rampant in the year 2024. According to the revelations of Shopify’s Future of Commerce report, 50% of consumers expressed an interest in this shopping experience. Furthermore, 34% displayed a likelihood of engaging in appointment shopping presently and hereafter. Chatbots rise to the occasion, facilitating the management of appointment requests at scale. Many among them allow users to solicit and secure in-store appointments directly within the chat interface. Thus commences the grand tapestry of omnichannel shopping, wherein users peruse products online, set appointments via computer or mobile device, and finally, engage in the tactile purchasing experience within the physical store—all orchestrated through interactions with a chatbot.
9. Amplify your brand’s voice
Omnichannel commerce stands as an imperative in the modern landscape. Per Shopify’s research, half of consumers prefer to shop online and transact in-store, while the other half favors the converse. It is here that chatbots manifest as a primary advantage. With these guardians of conversation, you may set forth and propagate your brand’s voice and unique style across a multitude of online touchpoints. Shoppers shall savor a consistent brand experience and support, be it on your website or social media platforms. Behold Decathlon UK, resonant with a distinctive messaging flair that mirrors their business persona. Through the medium of an AI chatbot, they disseminate this persona via Facebook Messenger, as depicted below and on their website.
10. Bestow multilingual customer support
The ceaseless support ordained earlier is rendered hollow if one cannot converse with customers in their native tongue. Chatbots graciously remedy this predicament, offering support in multiple languages. This globalizes your reach with confidence, assuring the provision of uniform support irrespective of language. Behold within this conversation with Merci Handy, seamless support provided in both English and French, a testament to the diversity chatbots bring.
11. Diminish costs of support teams
Lastly, AI chatbots present scalability at a fraction of the cost incurred by traditional customer support teams. To maintain round-the-clock support with actual staff necessitates full- or part-time wages for multiple employees laboring incessantly, whereas chatbots achieve this feat for a modest monthly subscription fee.
Truly, as with all things, chatbots are not without their flaws. Herein lie four of the most impactful advantages and disadvantages:
Advantage: Bid farewell to the endless cycle of repetitive questions, for chatbots respond swiftly and automatically to frequently asked queries, shouldering the burden of high-volume tasks so that support may address complex and high-priority matters.
Disadvantage: Alas, programming AI chatbots demands time and effort to gather and refine answers to FAQs—a perpetual and iterative process necessitating internal resources for monitoring, audit, and adaptation.
Advantage: Embrace conversational marketing and effortless navigation, as chatbots offer users a dynamic and interactive path to discover new information and products—an engagement that captivates attention and optimizes sales.
Disadvantage: Though personalized, AI chatbots may lack the warmth of personable interaction. Designed to mimic human speech and respond to inputs, they fall short on the emotional front and hold a risk of misapprehension. Ideally, they function as a support tool in tandem with human personnel to ensure a seamless transition between AI chat and real-person support.
In conclusion, imbue your social commerce endeavors with the power of Heyday, a dedicated conversational AI chatbot, transforming customer dialogues into sales. Deliver 5-star customer experiences on a grand scale, and watch as your successes blossom like flowers in a blooming garden.
