Chatbots In Business
Chatbots can be described as a software with unique programming that allows conversations and other customer-related activities. These are considered virtual advisors, consultants or assistants. They can also conduct conversations without human involvement. Therefore, it has become a handy tool used by businesses for their online customer service that can be available 24/7.
How do chatbots function? What is their purpose? While there is no answer to that question, since chatbots are not assigned to a particular function and procedure, their main objective is very simple: to stay in contact with both potential and current customers.
In spite of that very objective, how companies use chatbots can be very diverse. Product consultation, customer service, content marketing, product orders and purchasing are only a few on the list.
TYPES OF CHATBOTS
Chatbots are divided into two groups depending on their programming:
Simple Chatbots. This type of chatbots work according to pre-programmed commands. Simple chatbots have individually coded commands using expressions or other string analysis methods. If a customer typed in a question or response and none of the pre-programmed keywords are detected, the bot will automatically respond with certain messages like “sorry, I did not understand” or sending the customer service hotline number as it tells the user to call the hotline number instead.
Smart Chatbots. While simple chatbots rely on what’s been pre-programmed in it, smart chatbots depend more on artificial intelligence. The chatbots responds with suggestions on the topics, and registers what keywords the users have typed in for future processing.
Basically, simple chatbots stay with what commands they specifically know, while smart chatbots learn from the experience with the users they encounter.
ADVANTAGES OF HAVING CHATBOTS
Chatbots are online tools. Hence, compared to applications, chatbots do not take up much space in your device. All you need to do is send a message in a text application.
In marketing, chatbots give retailers numerous advantages. One of the advantages is its ability to draw in new customers who spend a considerable amount of time on the web using their mobile phones or computers. It also brings a positive impact to sales growth by finalizing customer purchases from the comforts of their homes.
Lastly, the most obvious and the one advantage worth mentioning is having a faster automated customer service, and at the same time, reducing the expenses of having enough a number of employees in that department. Consultants only need to deal with unusual issues because the chatbots can manage the commonly encountered problems.
ARE CHATBOTS THE RIGHT TOOL FOR YOU?
Chatbots is all about communication. We have to take into consideration that individuals express themselves in different ways. The way people communicate is based on where they live, their lifestyle and more.
Chatbots are very useful. However, the main challenge one must consider first before getting a chatbot is the problem of language. A chatbot needs to be trained and developed to understand what the users type in, and this requires a lot of time and effort.