Chatbot Cases: Yes or No

Chat bot usage has dramatically expanded lately in almost area of human activity: dating website chat bots, bots, used in financial organizations, tech bots for IT companies, etc. with the variety of functions and usage destinations. So we’d decided to see if there is any sense in using them within instant messengers in business. Here are few cases that help decide on Yes or No.

Yes or No?

A perpetuated question in business: be or not to be. Of, course there’s always a controversy in applying non-human support into any branch of business for optimization of the working process, which normally triggers some initial bewilderment among the users too, however, any progress is always accepted negatively at first.

The list of tasks that can be solved with the help of instant messaging systems, using chat bots, can be combined into the following groups:

• Client technical and information support.
• Content distribution.
• Involvement of users.
• Performing operations, for example, processing orders and payments.
• Internal communications.

The main functions, which are most often attributed to bots:

• To provide technical support;
• To help in choosing a product;
• To advise on issues;
• To collect the leads;
• To warm up the customers before the purchase;
• To issue orders;
• To entertain visitors, etc.

What are chat bots made for?

Chat robots can solve many business problems: they replace managers, HR, administrators and support workers. The main advantage is that they do not require additional costs and replace live employees, which means they save the company’s budget. So, here’s the ultimate list of the services bots may provide in your business:

• Receiving orders via instant messengers,
• Customer support via messengers,
• Feedback line through messengers,
• Customer training,
• Warming the customers up,
• Compatibility, etc.

They say, you can reduce the percentage of refusals by selecting communication channels according to the preferences of the customers: push notifications, SMS, e-mail, voice calls, instant messengers, SMS, etc. But what if the clients chooses multiple channels? To support them, chat bots will be just what the doctor ordered.

Or to identify the secondary channels in case the client does not receive a message on the primary channel will also be possible. For example, if the message is not delivered via SMS, it will automatically be sent via Viber, etc. Thus, having backup options for various messaging, you will further increase the speed of delivery.

What chats bots are compatible with?

If you use chat bots for business, it will be easy to integrate them into any other side of the working process.

1. Customer support services

The most obvious way to use chat bots via instant messengers is to organize receiving the messages from the customers and the visitors of the site.

2. Notifications

You can send the E-mail notifications to the users under two conditions: if he/she allows receiving mail and he/she has an opportunity to unsubscribe from them.

3. Promotion and marketing

Even if you are not subscribed to any channel in Telegram, for example, then one of your friends is definitely signed in. What you do with the help of the chat bots is integration of the channels for better communication with anyone, from anywhere. We are so confident, because this marketing tool is already using the media and has a wider functional and is highly appreciated among the users.

4. Analytics

Such platforms as Facebook Messenger, Telegram, Viber, Skype, etc. support the transfer of extra parameters when clicking to start the chat with bot. This will allow the analysis of the effectiveness of various channels, while promoting your public account or your bot in instant messengers.

5. Payments

The option of sending, processing and receiving payments via chat is already available in certain instant messengers.

6. Fast access to services or products

Right in the messenger you can find the products or services, discuss them via chat with the seller or friends and purchase right away. So, it would be possible to get all the necessary information about the product without even filling in an application form.

7. Advertising in social media

In Facebook or Instagram, there is an opportunity to run advertising for goods or services and gather feedback. This tool is also convenient for issuing promotional codes, as when clicking on advertisements the text of the message is saved in the history of correspondence. It is also effective for promotional goods and services for impulsive purchases or burning offers. By messenger, the client can easily find out all the exciting details and, if necessary, immediately place an order.

8. Entertainment, games

Such chat bots are designed for entertainment. They convert user’s text into audio / video / gifs, play with them in online games, search for humorous content on the network, can even act as cheer uppers if the user is sad.

It will also be extremely useful for the brands that work in the area of entertainment. The truth is that bots allow to easily personalize almost any brand-content. And the most easy-to-implement resource is chat-bots that simplify a complicated processing of feedback from subscribers or any other process needed.

9. Content search and aggregation

The main function of this type of bots is to provide the useful information to subscribers (both at the user’s request and in the form of periodic push-notifications).

10. Personal Assistants

Most often used in the business segment in the task-trackers and postal services. Here bots coordinate the time of meetings, collect statistics on the loading and the progress of the team, give the tips on using the system as per custom-given words, support the team spirit, trace advertising campaigns in social networks, etc.

Cases

The ability to exchange various multimedia content, the ease and availability of instant messengers causes many possible scenarios for using chat bots in your business:

• Advice on the product/service choice;
• Booking, order processing and payment ;
• Technical support;
• Collecting reviews;
• Informing, etc.

Besides, there are advantages in communication via chat bots over those with the help of the direct calls, e-mailing or using SMS for both clients and the company.

A Сlient Scenario

There is no need to stay on the line waiting for the operator. And they’re always late, you know. You can write a message, leave your phone behind and read the answer when it’s convenient, etc. Time is saved, information- delivered, read and saved. There is no need to keep it in mind like after the phone calls.

With the continuation of the dialogue, the context is instantly restored from the history. Privacy is preserved to the fullest: no one hears the communication in messengers and via SMS. You can correspond with unfamiliar people, while on the go, at the meetings, etc.

A Company Scenario

The greatest advantage for the business communication is that it does not break, as after a call, because chat with the client can be continued even after the dialogue is over, on and on, when it’s convenient. Text is saved in the correspondence history and can easily be restored whenever needed.

After contacting the chat center, the client will not hang up, waiting for an answer, as when making a call. Correspondence appears digitally with all the ensuing benefits: you can integrate it with CRM, search, or analytic. For example, you can quickly find out which of the customers mentioned a particular product in the process of communication and look it through fast. Impossible while phone talk, eh?

Thanks to message templates and asynchronous correspondence, one operator can serve 7 times more clients than when making a call. Besides, instant messengers allow you to transfer photos, video, audio and location. This information can help in solving the client’s problem. Directly in the messenger you can offer the client a particular product, transfer a card, document or instructions, etc.

Conclusion

Obviously, there are many advantages of applying chat bots altogether with the instant messengers’ usage in business. This is also another way to give value to your customers and to gain loyalty with increasing sales in return. To create a chat bot for customers who will be assisting them is ahead of any innovations.

If you think that E-mail marketing has already died and SMS cannot possibly satisfy your marketing demands, chat bots & instant messengers will be a complex approach and a perfect solution.

And you? Have you already tried chat bots in your business? Feel free to share your impressions.