What’s the Latest Chatter about Chatbots?
Posted by Alex Samuely on Nov 21, 2017
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Many have been mesmerized by chatbots. First, it was the retailers. Then, the quick-service restaurant chains. Later, banks hopped on the bandwagon. The good news? The chatbot craze is still going strong, with many more industries and retail sectors offering their customers the ability to interact with branded artificial intelligence or real-life customer service representatives—all through a bot.
Despite, there is still substantial room for improvement. Currently, 24% of brands offer chat functionality through their mobile site, while 19% of brands with apps offer it through that channel. When you consider the sheer number of brands in the world, these statistics aren’t terrible—but companies who have yet to latch onto this new technology must realize that consumers are not content with being forced to use “antiquated” ways of interacting with a brand (i.e., a telephone).
The reasons for chatbots’ existence span a wide variety of functions, from providing product awareness (as seen with Starbucks’ seasonal Pumpkin Spice Latte chatbot on Facebook Messenger) to immediate customer service (enabling mobile users to circumvent being placed on telephone hold) to travel booking options. The presence of chatbots has also contributed to making Facebook more of a one-stop channel. Need a hotel room for the weekend, but don’t want to leave your group chat? No problem—just choose your preferred hospitality brand and message with their bot simultaneously.
For major brands with a dedicated audience, chatbots on mobile platforms are skyrocketing from nice-to-have status to the must-have tier. One of the top perks of having chatbot functionality is the ability to catapult marketing-driven creativity to new levels. Do you want your branded bot to use personality quizzes to guide users to products they might like, or would you prefer to invest in faster customer service response times? Do you want to offer incentives to consumers who interact with the bot? All of the above?
With chatbots, brands can interact with a wider swath of customers in real time, in a way that other channels can’t. The key to success is finding the right ingredients that will prompt users to come for the novelty, and stay for the conversation.
For more insights, download your complimentary copy of the 2017 Mobile Retail Report: www.newstore.com/mobile-retail-report.
