Ensuring excellent customer care for a business is critical. It takes more than good products or services to keep customers happy. You must have systems in place to handle any queries or concerns. Companies end up losing customers if they do not pay enough attention to the process.
The following statistics are a good indicator of the importance of customer service. 84% of consumers will buy a product depending on the level of customer service. 95% will remain loyal to a customer that pays attention to them. You will lose up to 92% of your customers if they experience poor services three times.
Businesses need to reduce reliance on humans to manage customers. AI Chatbots provide an excellent option, and we will show you how.
How AI Chatbots Can Help Your E-Commerce Business
1. Better Customer Service
Let’s start the conversation with the most obvious benefits of AI chatbots for e-commerce. An e-commerce business can remove total dependence on human staff to manage customers. Talk to anyone who has had to manage a team. You deal with emotions, sick-offs, slackers, and so much more.
You can also not be 100% sure about how they handle customers. You may know the experience firsthand having had to deal with unhelpful staff.
Put yourself in the shoes of the customer. What is the likelihood of you going back or staying loyal to such a company? If you are like most people, you will move on to the competitors.
AI chatbots use artificial intelligence, natural language processing, and machine learning. They mimic human behavior and can adapt depending on different scenarios.
Think about it much like you would a human being but in a machine. They learn questions that customers will often ask and tailor the right responses.
What happens if the customers need more information? Simple, the AI chatbots will direct them to a human agent.
But, we are not saying that the company should completely do away with human staff. At the end of the day, AI chatbots are machines. Someone must supervise and oversee their running.
2. AI Chatbots Help With Marketing
Astute marketers can use AI chatbots in digital marketing. They provide tons of benefits such as:-
- Conversational marketing is an emerging trend. It is gaining quite a bit of popularity due to excellent results. It helps drive engagement and interaction with customers through conversation. There is better personalization resulting in better targeting of messages.
- AI chatbots can help with market research and data collection. Such is important for getting insights into customer behavior. Companies can use such to tailor appropriate processes to increase customer satisfaction.
- Automation can help with repetitive marketing tasks that take up a lot of time. Such include gathering information like contact details. Others are answering customer queries or calls.
- The team can handle large volumes of marketing conversations. It results in better leads, resulting in higher conversions
- Chatbots can start conversations with potential customers. They look at past purchasing behavior and can make recommendations. Customers feel like they are always a priority, resulting in greater loyalty.
- Improved customer perception due to excellent service.
- Your company also stands out as one that adopts innovation and technology.
3. AI Chatbots are Cost-Effective
Companies must look for ways to cut down on costs. If you look at it long-term, technology can result in massive savings. It is true that the initial setup costs may be a bit high. But, if you factor in all the other savings then it makes a lot of sense.
You can have a more lean organization by automating processes. You save on attendant costs that go with full-time staff such as salaries, infrastructure, insurance, and so much more.
It also allows you to scale the customer support. AI chatbots can handle many conversations simultaneously. Unlike human agents who can only respond to one query at a time.
4. 24/7 Customer Support
Operating an e-commerce platform is very different from a brick-and-mortar establishment. Your customers could be all over the globe. Time differentials should not impact the operations in any way.
In the more traditional setting, companies hire teams to work on a shift basis. The other option is to outsource customer care services to call centers. The first option is very expensive and most companies cannot afford it. Outsourcing to call centers does not give you much control over service levels.
AI chatbots take instruction from you. Next, they then learn behaviors and can change responses to suit specific situations. The result is your customers’ requirements get proper handling.
A happy, satisfied customer is one who will keep returning.
The ROI you get from high conversions will make the spend in investing in such technologies worthwhile.
5. Reduction in Abandoned Carts and Better Product Guidance
You may have a rich inventory on your e-commerce platform. Some customers may find it difficult to make a choice.
AI chatbots learn buying behavior. They can use such insights to make product recommendations. Further, they can answer questions or provide advice. The customer will find it easier to buy products with such help.
A major concern for e-commerce businesses is abandoned carts. But, you still have a chance to convert such into sales. Sometimes, all it takes is a gentle reminder for the customer to complete the purchase. Other times it could be to guide them to the final checkout. AI chatbots can take care of such tasks for you.
Final Thoughts
Will technology ever replace the critical role played by human beings? We don’t believe they will. But, companies that adopt such technologies will fare better in the business environment. They increase efficiency and can help streamline processes.
AI chatbots are one such technology that is changing the face of customer service. You respond to customer queries promptly. Further, the smart capabilities of AI chatbots allow them to learn human behavior. They can then make recommendations and even provide a subtle push for customers to buy.
The ROI for your business will justify whatever you spend on introducing the technology to your business.
