5 Best AI-Powered Chatbots for Customer Support System of Your Business
Any business must focus on the quality of customer service. It’s no secret that satisfying existing customers’ needs brings companies much more value than constantly searching for new customers.
Rapid technology growth leads to new digital solutions and programs that improve customer interaction, optimize business processes, increase operational efficiency, and ensure decent results.
The most sensational and popular tools are AI chatbots and IVR technology. They are becoming increasingly in demand, and customer service with their help becomes easy and efficient.
AI-powered chatbots respond to customer requests promptly, analyze the received data, automate tasks, and help support specialists perform their duties effectively, provided that the company selects and integrates a suitable chatbot for customer support into its business processes.
In this article, we will discuss the following:
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In addition to these questions, we will explore the five most popular chatbots for customer support.
Chatbots for Customer Service: Concept and Working Principles
Chatbots are innovative IT solutions designed to automate user interactions via text or voice messages.
AI-based chatbots do not require the intervention of company employees. They can respond to customers and clarify all the necessary information independently. Their work is based on several important algorithms, thanks to which bots can understand and process language and learn. Machine learning algorithms allow AI to learn on its own. There is no need to constantly enter new phrases, expressions, and their interpretations into the database.
The AI processes and generates speech using the NLP algorithm, which stands for Natural Language Processing. It allows a chatbot to distinguish when a person is asking something and when they are calling for action or making an assertion. Also, NLP for chatbots can highlight the main entities present in the user’s speech.
A chatbot with AI compares favorably to its less advanced counterparts in that it has a wider set of functions, and no programmers or linguists are required to run and configure it. Moreover, you can participate in its training and maintain full control over the system if necessary.
Benefits of Chatbots in Customer Service
Chatbots are an incredibly powerful and in-demand tool crucial to developing and enhancing customer service. Every year, more and more companies use them to create personalized user experiences and provide automated customer service.
- Fortune Business Insights states that the global chatbot market was valued at $396.2 million in 2019. Projections indicate that by 2027, this figure will increase to $1,953.3 million.
Companies using chatbots for customer service can gain an edge and leverage the numerous advantages they offer. The most significant ones are:
Providing 24/7 Support
When support is available 24/7, customers don’t have to wait until the start of the business day to get a response to their query; the chatbot automatically responds at any moment. In the event of a serious issue that requires staff intervention, the AI lets you know when you can reach a specialist.
Simplified Order Placement
AI-powered chatbots can take orders directly within the chat or guide the customer to the order placement page to complete the purchase process. This significantly reduces the time and effort a potential customer needs to make to place an order. As a result, they enjoy an enhanced user experience, leading to increased loyalty and the likelihood of repeat purchases.
Reduced Waiting Time
There’s no denying that waiting for an operator’s response results in customer frustration. Savvy consumers no longer have the time or patience to hang around for the sake of getting unsatisfactory feedback. They need to resolve their issues quickly, and AI chatbots have the capacity to deal with all things customer service. They can respond instantly to any inquiry, from answering simple and frequent questions to transferring the conversation to a specialist when necessary.
Multilingual Support
AI chatbots are available in many languages. This is another crucial advantage for customers. No matter what language your customer speaks, they will get expert assistance. You can program the bots for any number of languages the provider offers.
Personalized Approach
As an advanced tool, AI chatbots can enhance the user experience by tailoring personalized greetings and helping brands build lasting customer relationships. On top of that, AI chatbots can recommend products or services to consumers, answer their questions, and offer instructions based on their goals while also guiding them through the sales funnel.
Naturally, building chatbots powered by AI offers many advantages and yet requires careful planning, a good understanding of user needs, and quality development. That’s the only way to develop a scalable bot framework and ensure it yields the desired results.
The Concept of Conversational AI IVR
Interactive Voice Response (IVR) is another innovative solution for enhancing customer service. The system routes incoming calls to various departments and operators using pre-recorded voice messages.
Conversational IVR operates on a simple principle. Pre-recorded voice messages and automated standard responses (business hours, service prices, etc.) are set up for different menu options. For responses where the text is unknown in advance (e.g., an account balance announcement), the text is composed of individual words and phrases or synthesized into speech.
The system configures the algorithm to launch menu options, connect databases, retrieve information, transfer calls to specific operators, and more. Callers dial a number linked to conversational IVR software, listen to voice prompts, and press the desired keypad button. A tone signal travels to the system, interpreting it to determine the button pressed. Following the algorithm, it triggers sub-menu voice prompts, reads information, transfers the call to an operator, and so on.
A significant aspect of IVR menus is their ability to organize an electronic queue from incoming calls directed to the same department. Callers receive a message indicating that all employees are busy, providing an estimated wait time, and when an operator becomes available, the system forwards the caller in order.
Conversational IVR Benefits
IVR technology, much like chatbots, offers numerous advantages for quality customer service.
- Time-saving for staff: Agents or sales reps don’t need to repeatedly ascertain the reasons behind the calls, determine which department to route the incoming call to, and manually connect callers to the right departments or specialists. IVR provides automatic routing, and if all employees are currently occupied, there’s no need to ask the client to call back — the system places the call in a queue.
- Convenience for customers: It’s no secret that service quality and speed increase with IVR implementation. Callers don’t have to wait long for a response; the auto-attendant immediately transfers them to a competent specialist.
- Reduced conversion losses: This advantage stems from the previous point. It’s easy to understand that many potential buyers may turn to competitors offering better service if they don’t receive a satisfactory solution to their problem. A well-organized voice menu helps retain customers and efficiently generates leads by providing quality service.
- Continuous service provision: Unlike live operators, a voice menu operates around the clock, without breaks or weekends. IVR comes to the rescue if a customer needs an answer during non-business hours, provided the problem doesn’t require specialist intervention. Round-the-clock information support contributes to increased loyalty.
- Reduction in phone service errors: Even experienced call center employees sometimes make mistakes, especially when dealing with a high volume of calls. They might connect callers to the wrong specialist, provide incorrect information, or inaccurately record outcomes. Automation through IVR eliminates the human factor and enhances data accuracy.
Best Customer Service Chatbots
The widespread use of customer service chatbots spans across various industries, making them versatile and adaptable to different business needs. We’ve curated a short list of popular chatbot examples that can fit into your conversational strategy.
| Chatbot | Advantages | Integration | Features |
| Salesforce Einstein |
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With CRM and Salesforce products |
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| HubSpot WordPress chatbot |
|
With CRM systems and WordPress websites |
|
| JustCall SMS Bot |
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With SMS platforms and messengers |
|
| Zendesk Answer Bot |
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With various messengers and support systems |
|
| Ultimate |
|
With CRM and ERP systems |
|
So, what does it take to choose a suitable chatbot for customer support? First of all, it takes time. But that’s the only investment you’ll have to make to find the one that meets your business needs.
AI Chatbots for Customer Service and Experience
Building AI-powered chatbots can be a daunting task for the majority of small businesses. But when it comes to medium-sized companies and enterprises, investing in tech advancements and machine learning for chatbot deployment makes a lot of sense. That’s where lesser-known platforms like SendPulse step in. Small businesses and mid-sized businesses can use their chatbot builder to create GPT-powered chatbots for a preferred channel, be it Facebook, Instagram, or WhatsApp.
The future of AI chatbots in business is promising. With advancements in machine learning and natural language processing, brands can now have more control over their interactions. As the architecture of AI chatbots and conversational IVR software continues to develop, interactive AI will become the norm in customer service for all industries.
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