Customer service agents provide immense value to any business. Not only are they highly knowledgeable resources that consumers can rely on to solve their issues, they also play a role in influencing purchasing decisions and building community.
The digital age, however, has made it easier for companies to rely less on human agents to answer easy questions and instead utilize artificial intelligence to get the job done, and many significant companies like LinkedIn, Starbucks and eBay are on board. The general interest in the AI chatbot is only anticipated to grow, as Business Insider reported that the market size is projected to increase from $2.6 billion in 2019 to $9.4 billion by 2024.
The Power of the AI Chatbot
Enabling automated, low-level service via an AI chatbot allows your business to take these smaller inquiries off the hands of your agents, so they don’t have to work around the clock. They are able to focus on the most important cases, playing an invaluable role that drives business and loyalty.
But which questions should chatbots handle, and which should be escalated to customer service agents?
Questions for AI Chatbots
Today’s consumers love convenient interactions. AI chatbots allow for quick resolution without impacting the quality of the experience.
Questions that are simple are ones chatbots can easily handle. CXL Institute refers to these as “Tier 1” questions, which can be interpreted easily by a machine that’s loaded with information in a database. Queries regarding size availability, time and rescheduling for travel booking, as well as specific order numbers can be easily answered by chatbots.
- “What time is my flight?”
- “When will my package arrive?”
- “How much is a ticket to the Monday show at 5 p.m.?”
Queries regarding information that can be found on your company website are also great for an intelligent virtual agent to tackle, saving customer service agents time and energy that would otherwise seem wasted.
- “Where is the nearest ATM?”
- “When does your store close?”
Chatbots have the ability to ask fact-based questions, pulling customer information into your internal knowledge base that is built in part by the customer queries. Some examples include:
- “Which day do you want to go to the event?”
- “How many people are attending?”
- “What color are you looking for?”
Questions for Live Agents
Live chat is unmatched for some consumers. When it comes to the complex questions, we agree. For example, if a customer is interested in a certain product but wants more information and guidance down the sales funnel, an agent can address doubts, answer these specific questions and help customers make decisions.
Questions that can turn into bigger issues based on communication limitations don’t work well for chatbots; customer service agents can provide sincerity in the form of understanding and humility, for example, which can improve the reputation of your business. Some examples:
- “Why can’t you process my credit card?”
- “How can I get credit for this coupon?”
- “I can’t decide between the small speaker and the big speaker. Can you help?”
- “I used to wear this perfume, but I can’t find it anymore. Do you make something similar?”
AI chatbots allow you to scale your customer service and rely both on artificial intelligence and human agents to provide a quality experience for consumers.
Learn more about how Kustomer can improve your customer service strategy today by requesting a demo.
