Chatbots are no longer a reserve for blue-chip companies. Small enterprises are increasingly investing in these cutting edge computer programs that use Artificial Intelligence to simulate human conversations. Through this ability, chatbots are increasingly improving the operations of small businesses in various ways ranging from customer service to personal assistants to sales and marketing.
In this era of digital transformation, consumer needs are getting sophisticated as well. Businesses are forced to keep up with changing demands and emerging trends. The days of queuing at banking halls to deposit cash or being put on hold as a customer experience personnel seek clarification are long gone. Welcome to the era of instant gratification, with no apologies.
Customer service
Customer expectations are constantly changing and businesses need to evolve to keep up the pace, not only by meeting expectations but by exceeding them at the same time. Chatbots offer an opportunity for businesses to ensure customer support services running 24/7 by having bots that can instantly handle frequently asked questions.
Research shows that majority of consumers prefer interacting with a chat robot to a human being since they enhance user experience through self-service, which consumers find appealing. Chatbots can assist customers to know their order status, file a complaint or give feedback. Apart from autonomy and self-service, chatbots can significantly reduce customer care costs for businesses. According to a BI Intelligence report, chatbots will contribute to cutting customer care costs by almost 30%. Customer service is vital to gaining and maintaining market share, staying ahead of the pack strategic.
Sales and Marketing
Businesses cannot afford to ignore the value of chatbots in this important function. e-marketer reported that 1.4 billion people interacted with these A.I. programs in 2015. Chatbots can bolster sales and marketing through gathering information about customers and making recommendations for them on behalf of the business. This makes it easier for businesses to close deals even in the absence of a sales staff. Nowadays, there are chatbots that can handle transactions through receiving and processing payments, therefore, improving efficiency. Consumer insight is vital to understand existing and emerging trends in your business. Chatbots are able to acquire information on customers’ purchasing habits and business owners can use this information to manage inventory.
Engaging in complex conversations
Businesses can use chatbots to enhance customer experience through engaging conversations. Chatbots can be proactive in making recommendations to prospective customers and eventually close sales through personalized conversations. Chatbots can address prospective consumers using their names. This makes customers feel more appreciated hence improving customer loyalty and consequently driving sales. Chatbots can also be used by businesses to show videos to potential customers of how to use products they are interested in. Customer satisfaction is key and chatbots can play an important role to reinforce this aspect through enhancing customer engagement and experience.
Personal Assistant
Running a business is not a walk in the park. Achieving set objectives and realizing a company’s vision requires wisely spending every minute. Chatbots can come in handy by making the busy lives of business owners much easier. They can schedule meetings or even reserve flights. All they need is information and they will work out the rest.
Competitive advantage gives businesses an edge over competition. Chatbots can reduce costs, monitor trends, and make recommendations. They have the ability to improve efficiency in many ways and make the lives of business owners a lot much easier. Embracing them can be a game changer for small businesses.
