These technologies have made very significant leaps forward in the span of only a few years. So much so that many businesses are starting to adopt hybrid setups, featuring both human workers and chatbots to clear their customer service and online support tasks. In some cases, humans have been replaced by software entirely, allowing businesses to save a lot of money and time. AI can be a very powerful business tool, which is actually helping out companies and their customer service reps refine their strategy and maximize their productivity. Keep reading to learn more about how chatbots are slowly replacing human online support works, and why this is a good thing!
How Chatbots are Slowly Replacing Human Online Support – and Why They Should
As the world of e-commerce keeps growing at a fast rate, there is a more pressing demand for fast, reliable, and effective online support. Today, the vast majority of businesses out there still heavily rely on human online support workers to fulfill their needs. However, software solutions and algorithms such as specialized online chatbots are becoming increasingly popular.
Anybody who has ever had the chance to work in customer service or with the general public has no doubt experienced the stress that comes with the job. This can take quite an emotional toll on many people working in this industry. The topic is also quite controversial in the 'customer is always right' culture, which unfortunately tends to underplay the impact of abusive customers on customer service employees.
Dealing with clients and people can be very exhausting. Especially because customers tend to treat customer service workers and online support as an extension of the brand that they represent, rather than as individuals. This attitude causes employee burnout, dissatisfaction with their job, and high turnover rates.
Using chatbots to replace human online support workers can actually put a stop to this particular problem, and lessen the emotional strain on people doing these (sometimes thankless, let's face it!) jobs. Dealing with angry and abusive customers is actually counterproductive because employees need to spend more time trying to appease these people, rather than focusing on their daily workflow. However, chatbots and other automated AI solutions aren't going to be affected by this issue.
Limitless support and no work hours limits
Chatbots are able to operate without any human supervision whatsoever. More importantly, they work 24 hours a week, without ever breaking a sweat! This is great if you are looking to cater to the most significant amount of requests as possible. This is especially handy if you are working with customers across time zones.
This is perhaps the most best advantage of using software tools and algorithms like chatbots. It works while you sleep. Well over 80% of online customer questions have been answered by AI solutions over the last year alone. Chatbots are true change-makers in the line support industry. They are helping rethink the way people connect to companies. Customers are more likely to trust a company and turn to them first for help if they felt like that company answered their question quickly.
Artificial intelligence and machine learning
AI is progressing at a mind-bogglingly fast pace. In particular, the advent of machine-learning means that software tools like chatbots can constantly learn from new data, thus refining their algorithm. Humans cannot compete with the flexibility of a chatbot's algorithm in the long run. This is mostly due to humans needing to learn and re-learn certain tasks.
Cutting down on staffing and training costs
As you can imagine, your human workforce is your most expensive asset. In order for them to be able to do their job well, most online support personnel need to be trained. Even if they have previous experience with other companies. It might take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months for training to produce effective results.
In addition to the time cost, your company will also have to hire trainers and secure training materials. That's expensive! One big plus of a chatbot is that it is very easy and inexpensive to set-and-forget. The software does not require training or staffing.
Adaptability to different markets
Chatbots and for online support can be great for companies that need to cover a broader international market and answer requests across various regions. This means that different languages, as well as time zone restrictions and other logistical hurdles, will no longer be a factor.
It's undeniable that chatbots are taking over the online support industry. They definitely represent the future. However, are they good enough to completely replace humans at the current state? Most simple online support tasks can be easily performed by these bots. This means that you can refocus your human workforce elsewhere. Performing more tasks where they can really make a difference. The advent of automated chatbots for online support is actually a good thing. With the ability to implement real change in this industry.