Innovation within the Artificial Intelligence sector doesn't surprise anymore; however, the impact such advancements have on human experience is of paramount importance. One such innovation is sufficing the interests of the customer service industry, and for all the right reasons.
Whenever customer service efficiency is considered, AI chat support finds itself in the thick of this discussion. Be it the thought of instant communication, a whole new level of customer engagement and customer retention, and most importantly, high-grade customer experience, AI chat support seems to be a viable option consistently knocking at the door of companies of all statures.
But the thing about AI chat support that makes it so revolutionary is the technology's ability to respond intelligently without the need for someone at the other end of an email or phone call — meaning you can literally get customer service 24/7. All you need is your smartphone and internet access — no more waiting on hold!
Notice the trends' consistency for the terms ai chatbot, customer support chatbot, and customer service chatbot over the past five years. The search around these phrases has absolutely gone into a frenzy — a great sign for those looking to improve customer engagement and experience.
In general, organizations focus on better customer interaction after ticketing has been initiated in order to improve the overall experience or avoid future tickets from being opened due to bad experiences. Chat support allows a better experience for customers from the onset, using AI to pull the appropriate data for each customer that passes through. This improves customer satisfaction by showing them that they are being recognized as an individual instead of just another ticket number.
In other words, AI chat support provides a way for customers to have conversations with customer support after the initial contact but before it becomes an official case, thus, enabling immediate communication instead of keeping the customers waiting 24-48 hours for a response and opening 2 tickets. This way, the technology ensures that users aren't bouncing between different systems just to seek the best possible way to connect.
And this is a massive step in how the customer support industry can and will improve in the days to come. For now, this article will attempt to emphasize the vitality of integrating AI Chat Support with customer service and further shed light on SupportGenie's innovative solutions to significantly improve the customer satisfaction score.
What is AI Chat Support?
AI Chat Support is a text-based chat interface that provides customer service through artificial intelligence. The system is designed to simulate conversations with sales reps, sales assistants, or other customer service representatives and offer automated responses to common queries. Once a user enters the AI Chat Support platform, they are presented with a chat window to type their questions and concerns (in small text messages).
The AI Chat Support system can be connected to multi-step sales pipelines, giving the intelligence behind it even greater power and potential for growth. As the system is integrated into more sales processes and applications, it can provide real-time chat support not just for customer s ervice but as part of real-time marketing campaigns.
In essence, using an AI Chat Support tool will:
—Assist your company in improving knowledge retention by automating self-learning processes and advancing accuracy through human interaction.
—Help your company accommodate the expansion and improvement of customer service by providing answers to both known and unknown questions, thus, creating a positive customer experience.
How Does AI Chat Support Address the Challenges With Human Customer Support Agents?
It must be noted that human support agents are integral to the customer service industry. While AI has made significant advancements in this industry, there's no denying that the human touch is essential for a profound combination of creativity and innovation.
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In other words, AI chat support shouldn't be considered as a replacement for human-to-human interactions. Instead, it should be viewed as a companion to help you work more efficiently and boost productivity. That being said, let's examine how AI chat support solves the common problems associated with a human workforce and how your business can better integrate both these facets for interminable growth.
1. Limited Knowledge
The biggest challenge with human customer support agents is that they are limited by the scope of their knowledge. They can only answer questions that have already been asked and cannot anticipate future inquiries unless they're prodigies. (We can't keep the exceptions out, can we?)
Here's how AI Chat Support Resolves this Problem
With AI Chat Support, agents do not need to possess expansive knowledge or extensive training, as long as there is communication between the chatbot and the customer service agent. The chatbot will be able to handle any common queries while also asking for help when it encounters a problematic question.
2. Stress
The second issue with human customer service reps is that they're subject to feeling overwhelmed in high-stress situations. It's possible that this could lead them to overcompensate by overstepping boundaries or neglecting certain customers altogether to focus on others whom they feel are more important — well, that's all human.
Here's how AI Chat Support Resolves this Problem
With AI Chat Support, no employee needs to feel stressed about handling heavy workloads. AI Chat Support will allow agents to focus on the customers who need them while also providing helpful information to all other customers. The chatbot will manage up to 80% of customer interactions by itself and send an alert when it encounters a situation it cannot resolve on its own. This will allow your agents to focus their energy on more pressing matters, such as retaining valuable customers and scaling sales efforts for high-value clients.
3. Persuasion and Redundancy
The third challenge with human customer service agents is that they might have to spend a lot of time and energy negotiating with customers to come up with satisfactory solutions for all involved. In some cases, the agent might need to repetitively explain the service features or sell a product to get it approved, leaving them feeling overwhelmed and overworked at the end of each day.
Here's how AI Chat Support Resolves this Problem
By employing AI Chat Support, your company will automatically reduce the number of escalation cases that arise. Agents will spend less time handling choppy customer interactions and more time communicating with customers who can be valuable assets to your company's long-term goals. In other words, AI Chat Support will create an environment where agents can interact directly with customers who know what they want without having to waste their valuable time explaining every word in technical jargon.
4. After-Sales Service
Another issue with human customer service agents is that they might not have the knowledge or resources at their disposal to resolve all issues with clients post-sale. It's possible that they might not identify unique problems to their client's industry or specific product. This can lead them to frustrating and extended conversations with frustrated clients who are angry that they weren't helped soon enough. Customer satisfaction would take a hit in that scenario.
Here's how AI Chat Support Resolves this Problem
With AI Chat Support, your company will provide after-sales services that your customers can trust. Agents will use multi-step sales pipelines to provide customers with 24/7 chat support. For instance, they will be able to offer automated responses to common queries and help with customer retention strategies. The chatbot will also integrate post-sales systems into its knowledge base, thus, creating an effective environment for resolving issues and keeping customers coming back for more.
5. Scalability Issues
Customer service is a crucial aspect of any business, but it's also a field that requires a lot of time, money, and effort to grow. To succeed in this field and improve productivity between agents, your company will continuously acquire new employees. The slow pace at which the job market grows means that new hires may not be effective enough to quickly ramp up productivity.
Here's how AI Chat Support Resolves this Problem
Using AI Chat Support, companies can quickly scale their customer service teams up and down according to changing needs. There will be no need for costly recruitment campaigns or hiring managers who have little knowledge of the intricacies of the customer service industry. Agents will be introduced to both old and new customers, which will provide the company with a more diverse pool of knowledge. Technologies like chatbots will be used to help agents learn how to interact with customers appropriately so that they can provide the best service possible.
6. Customer Experience Researcher
Researching your customers' needs is an essential step in improving their experience with your product or service. However, it's challenging for customer service reps because they aren't necessarily experienced in talking to end users about their needs. This can lead them to put forth difficult questions and ask too many questions at once, which will distract the customers.
Here's how AI Chat Support Resolves this Problem
By using AI Chat Support, your company will be able to research customer needs in a more streamlined manner. Agents will have access to the chatbot and its integrated knowledge base to quickly retrieve necessary information. Agents will then ask questions relevant to customers, which will assist them in making better decisions while also reducing their workload.
7. Personality Issues
Customer service agents often have difficulties identifying and understanding their clients' personalities when speaking with them on the phone or through email. This can lead agents to misunderstand clients and send out the wrong message, potentially causing them to lose customers.
Here's how AI Chat Support Resolves this Problem
With AI Chat Support, your company will have the means for providing an integrated experience that'll take advantage of the personable qualities of chatbots. If a client has a specific personality type, the chatbot will adjust its tone and respond appropriately to better connect with customers. The chatbot can also give agents recommendations on how they can better interact with clients based on their personality traits. Naturally, this will enable companies to create positive experiences for more customers while also improving productivity between agents.
8. Lengthy Conversations
This is perhaps an issue stemming from the lack of resources, problem-solving ability, and persuasive skills. At times, human agents have to look for answers that are not usually prevalent. The other times, human agents find themselves at the thick of heat, a heated discussion, or perhaps a conversation with a deadlock or, contrarily, with entirely open ends. This not sophisticates the engagement but also lengthens the conversations.
Here's how AI Chat Support Resolves this Problem
Because AI chatbots will understand clients in the same way humans do, conversations will no longer be as complicated. Customers will no longer need to read through long emails or attempt to decipher a message that is unclear. This is extremely valuable for companies with large call volumes because it frees up more time for them to take care of more creative tasks.
If a customer has specific needs, the chatbot will work with them to find personalized solutions. This will make it easier for customers to find answers and increase the likelihood that they will be happy with their purchase. It is also worth mentioning that chatbots can quickly design a program that is best suited for a specific customer, which again reduces the amount of time that companies need to spend on providing customer service.
Are AI Chatbots Reliable?
Nothing is 100% perfect, and this includes AI-powered chatbots driving AI chat support. You see, the data they are fed decides how and in what sense they would respond to the queries. So, it comes down to how well they are being managed and the quality of the database fetched for responses.
However, you must know that AI chatbots do not typically have the opportunity to make mistakes like humans do. If a mistake happens, there is no need to worry because AI chatbots will provide a list of possible questions or provide technical assistance to resolve the issue. All answers from the bot are helpful and valuable because they help customers jump-start their research process quickly.
With so many different people interacting with a chatbot, it is also vital to ensure that the conversation flows naturally and effectively. Having one of your representatives on standby if something goes wrong can mitigate any potential damage done by odd responses. A well-designed chatbot should be able to handle most situations without needing assistance while still providing a human touch with some carefully crafted responses helping customers feel like they are talking to someone instead of an algorithm.
So, How Can Your Business Actually Benefit From AI Chat Support?
1. Multi-Channel Support
Amidst the highly competitive business environment, companies need to make sure they have website, email, and phone lines available to reach every client. However, there will always be customers who are more comfortable conversing with customer service agents through text messages or chatbots. With AI Chat Support, companies can provide multi-channel support and help customers find suitable solutions during their busiest hours.
2. Remote Working
One of the biggest headaches for companies is finding qualified chat support agents. It takes time and money to acquire new employees and train them on how to provide convenient customer service. These resources could be wasted if the certified employees are not available when needed most. However, AI Chat Support allows for agents to be used remotely. This means that companies can have customer support agents working from any location with a reliable Internet connection so that they can start their shifts without missing a beat.
3. Word Count Reduction
The common question that comes up when it comes to talking to humans is how many words they can say in a minute. How do you explain the idea of a service that can reduce the word count? These chatbots are already programmed to facilitate optimized conversations. Once customers reach out to them, they will have questions and the associated precise answers ready. This allows companies to save money and time while also making their customer service agents more efficient.
4. Increased Customer Satisfaction
Human agents are often unavailable during their busiest hours, and this means that clients end up waiting for long periods before speaking to them. When a chatbot is available 24/7, clients will have the means to quickly reach out to customer service reps and receive personalized responses. This means that companies can increase the satisfaction levels among their customers while also improving the productivity of their customer service team. Customers will be more likely to share their positive experiences with others if they feel like they have been treated fairly by the company's support team.
5. Improved Customer Retention
Providing customers with 24/7 customer support will improve engagement and lower the number of clients who leave your business. AI Chat Support tools will allow you to scale your customer service operations without having to increase employment. Using AI chatbots will further make it possible for your agents to spend more time on high-value clients and provide a better experience for everyone.
6. Customer Service Requirements' Reduction
By using AI Chat Support services, companies will be able to focus on higher-value customers and provide them with more personalized service. This is because AI chatbots can handle 400 to 500 conversations per hour. In fact, these bots are nearly as accurate as human agents and can provide appropriate responses to common questions or queries. What's even better is that these AI-powered ML bots improve their responses over time.
7. Improved Recommendations
With the use of chatbots and AI chat support services, companies can manage their customer service needs more efficiently. These tools can identify potential customers based on what they have purchased and provide them with recommendations for other products. These recommendations can be based on what the customer has already purchased or talked to your team about specific marketing campaigns that they have run.
8. Improved Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
The biggest challenge that companies face today is SEO. Since customers are now accessing content online, it is crucial to make sure that you appear at the top of Google searches. By using AI Chat Support tools and chat agents, businesses can easily reach out to potential customers who are searching for answers about their products and services. As soon as they begin talking, these bots' recordings will be indexed by Google so that customers will see them at the top of their search results page.
9. Lower Costs of Customer Service
The cost of customer service is a major concern for companies across the world. The basic CRM software costs are as high as $200/month per agent, excluding the cost of data storage and live chat services. At the same time, consumers are looking for low-cost options for their customer service needs. AI Chat Support tools can help companies reduce costs by providing self-service chatbots that answer common questions and provide accurate information while also reducing the amount of time they spend on training their staff. This means that businesses will have more free time to work on other tasks or projects and save money along the way.
Know This: Do You Really Want an AI Chat Support Service?
Anyone who wants to improve customer service and generate more authentic conversations with their customers must bring in technology to their benefit. Using chatbots and AI chat support services will ensure that exchanges will be more personal, and you will be able to provide your customers with the best possible service you can. From small business owners looking to streamline their business processes to well-known companies looking for ways to increase productivity, these services can help you accomplish everything your business needs.
AI Chat Support: Takeaways
Most companies are consistently required to hire human customer service agents because the real-time nature of the job makes it more challenging for organizations to provide personalized support. However, AI chatbot technology is a viable option for issues such as high call volumes, repeated queries, and helping customers better navigate your website.
Discover a Smarter Way to Provide Customer Service with SupportGenie's AI Chatbots
Our chatbots make it possible to engage customers in a productive and friendly conversation by leveraging sophisticated machine learning models. This means that you'll be able to provide your customers with better customer service through the most natural interaction possible.
Besides, our AI is capable of having both one-on-one and group conversations with your customer using an interface that is responsive to their needs. SupportGenie was purpose-built for businesses who want a better way of providing their customers with quality tech support services. We offer an all-inclusive, affordable price that eliminates the need for you to invest in multiple software solutions.
Get started with SupportGenie and discover how our AI chatbots can boost customer satisfaction and increase customer retention rates. Call us to learn more about these intelligent chatbots and take the first step to advance your customer support game.
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