There’s no denying that Johnny 5 was undoubtedly the hero we all needed. Remember how we all fell instantly in love with those sweet eyes and mechanical coos of WALL-E fame? Tell me that you wouldn’t give all of your leftovers to have Rosie help you get the kids ready in the morning, finish the laundry, and cook dinner.
Machines have improved the quality of our lives from their very inception… the Model T, the microwave, the wireless earbuds, and the online chatbot. The future of customer service is on the horizon, and your new secret weapon is a human chatbot that works around the clock as one of the most reliable features of your website.
What’s a chatbot anyway?
We’re not talking about that little paperclip with eyeballs, but a semi-human service representative that can demonstrate your company’s personality and interact with customers – all from your website's homepage. Developed with artificial intelligence and armed with significant customization options, these ‘bots’ help companies worldwide have more meaningful and real interactions with their customers.
Quext's Digital Human is around 24/7 to answer as many questions as possible. If it can't answer a specific question, the bot can collect the client's email and other important information so that an employee can get back to them as soon as possible.
How human should your chatbot be?
According to a recent study by Capgemini*, most consumers expect their online experience with a chatbot to include human-like features such as a realistic voice, emotional intelligence, and even a little humor sprinkled in. Putting a face to these conversations has shown to be beneficial and makes customers feel that a company is empathetic, compassionate, and has a distinct personality with which they can connect. Trust, transparency, and efficiency are on the top of the list for chatbot success, and users prefer that they seem human but acknowledge their mechanical origins.
What’s the benefit of using a human-like chatbot?
Customer service is a broad and vast industry that touches every aspect of doing business, and the companies that do it best have it down to a science. Using an AI-powered chatbot with those perfected human qualities enhances the user’s experience, while allowing the process to be repeatable. Customers can access quick and reliable answers at any time and even begin to develop trust with a company – all through the website.
Human-like chatbots provide an avenue for businesses to share their personality more creatively than ordinary text on a page. If a chatbot can tell a joke or two, customers may build rapport with a brand before even talking to a real human.
One of the biggest pains to customer support employees is having to answer the same question again and again. By having an AI-powered chatbot that can automatically respond to the same repeatable questions, you can free up your team’s time to focus on more unique inquiries that might need actual human attention.
An additional benefits from a company’s perspective includes the ability to interact with potential customers at any given time. When the rest of your staff is asleep, on the phone, or helping customers on-site, you can trust that your virtual employee is answering questions and nurturing leads.
Speaking of leads, your lead-to-lease conversion rate will thank you for using a 24/7 chatbot. Leads can move along faster because of your chatbot's ability to respond to inquiries and give virtual tours at any hour of the day. Even though you are less involved in the process, there is no sacrifice to customer experience.
Data from online interactions helps you better understand what users are looking for and how you can further tailor your customer service tactics. Not to mention, you look pretty cool if you have a ‘robot’ that can make appointments and deliver answers to all the most important questions.
Chatbots still have a ways to go in their ability to sketch out their dreams and philosophize like Sonny, but hey, they can definitely save the day when it comes to maintaining your excellent customer service, all R2-D2 style.
