Guest services - ChatBots - Al (Artificial Intelligence)

WHAT ARE CHATBOTS?

Chatbots are robot software able to communicate with customers or potential customers via automated conversations. It has evolve from a tool able to respond to basic questions to some real virtual assistant able to accomplish tasks and to adapt the conversation to the need of a particular person. This tool has a huge potential in terms of technic evolvement and learning capabilities correlated to the vey rapid AI’s progresses.

HOW ARE THEY USED TO SUPPORT CUSTOMER SERVICE?

Chatbots are in fact real customer supports as they are able to discuss with users offering them some services tailored to their needs. They can be used by customers before or after sale as they offer a trust relation between the customer and the company. More than communication, chatbots are also about transactions and commerce helping people to find the right product or service that match with their needs. For instance, it allows to order meal, book a taxi, recommend and book a restaurant...

It is now becoming a marketing additional asset for brands as this type of innovation responds to customers’ willingness in terms of immediacy, proximity and personalization of the service. They are ways for brands to multiply the opportunities to build contact with customers and potential ones.

Chatbots actually totally fit with the current trends that are emerging:

• People want to reduce the number of apps
• According to Web Marketing 56% of consumers would prefer a written message instead of a phone call in order to communicate with brands

They have now evolved with the social networks’ development. It is especially related to the development of Facebook via Messenger which is now one of the main tool for Chatbots (2016).

Possibilities are huge to personalize the chat upon the answers, to start a conversation related to keywords in comments on Facebook, or to do some kind of emailing via this tool.

CONCRETE EXAMPLES OF CHATBOTS

WISHIBAM

Wishibam is a website that offers a large selection of beauty and fashion products. It has a chatbot,  fully integrated on the website, which is a personal shopper assistant.

ASK MONA

Ask Mona is a chatbot which works via Facebook Messenger and suggest some cultural activities in the region of Paris according to the personality and the preferences of each person. It is more than personalized recommendations, Ask Mona can also book the activities.

 

A CHATBOTS' EXPERIENCE

I have experienced the 1800 flower's chatbots which is able to provide information to customers and even place an order via the chat.

This tool was fast and efficient to guide me for the purchase however in my opinion it is still faster to order on the website by my own. We can assume that there are still some progresses to do on chatbots. In my opinion, they are tools more efficient when it is about after sale services.