How many conversations have you had with a robot today? From voice-activated personal assistants to customer service and insurance claim chatbots, people have embraced the idea of conversing with machines. Today’s conversational systems enable technology to interface with consumers in a manner that intentionally mirrors human conversation – creating a more intuitive user experience.
For many companies, this technology is saving time and money in traditionally labor-intensive departments like customer service. It’s allowing companies to resolve queries in real time, any time. Voice is making this even easier – consumers can interact with brands in a wide range of ways without lifting a finger. But it’s important to know when talking to a machine just won’t cut it: According to a recent study, 71% of consumers cited an instance where a chatbot couldn’t help them. Brands that are winning today use a combination of robots and humans to provide the optimal experience, with chatbots handling simple tasks and front-line teams freed to deliver meaningful, personal interactions for more complex or emotional issues.
How to win in this new world:
- Give bots the easy jobs and humans the hard ones. Most consumers enjoy interacting with bots for simple tasks, but prefer human interaction when the issue is complex or emotional. Understanding your customer journey is critical to knowing when this handoff point happens. Know that not everyone will want to interact with a bot: make it easy for them to access other modes of communication, too.
- Learn with data. Use text analytics to parse your chatbot conversations for insight into the kinds of conversations your customers are having and the sentiment of those conversations.
