Several businesses are adopting AI-driven chatbots and virtual assistants as there are proven benefits of their use in customer service. These services function 24x7 and are highly cost-effective. Since they are AI-driven, they offer personalisation options as well and can thus prove to be more effective and engaging. There are reports of certain customers who find AI chatbots highly frustrating to use for complex problems and prefer human customer service. Yet, for a majority of businesses, the plethora of benefits outweigh the few negatives. The various benefits are as follows:
1. Scalable and cost-effective - AI chatbots can handle multiple queries simultaneously, reducing wait time and managing spikes in customer demand. This efficiency and scalability reduce customer frustration while dealing with certain predefined, routine tasks.
2. Enhanced customer service and experience - unlike legacy chatbot, AI assistants and chatbots provide customised support in real-time 24x7. This prompt query resolution can lead to higher customer satisfaction.
3. Reduction in human error and enhanced accuracy - chatbots integrated with CRMs and knowledge bases, providing accurate information about their customers and business products and services. Making them an excellent choice for routine queries and FAQs.
4. Multilingual support - AI chatbots and assistants are trained on a vast dataset of multiple languages. NLP (natural language processing) algorithms can convert text from one language to another enabling them to assist a broad base of customers.
5. Flexibility - These bots can be integrated into multiple platforms such as websites, apps, social media enabling them to assist customers any and everywhere.
As mentioned above, most businesses deploy AI chatbots for personalization. However, at times they fail to deliver the level of personalization they were deployed for. This can lead to customer frustration and customer loss. Therefore, businesses maintain a good balance between AI chatbots for routine assistance and human customer service for more complex tasks. Many businesses integrate these chatbots with CRMs (customer relationship management), which serve as the centralised repository for customer engagement. This integration raises issues regarding data privacy and responsible use of customer information. Thus, AI-driven chatbots and virtual assistants emphasise the need for not just tech-driven solutions for businesses but also its collaboration with human support.
The article has been authored by Tagglabs founder Hariom Seth.
