Chatbots vs human interaction: The future of customer service

The robotic revolution is here! Robots are a big part of our everyday lives but they look nothing like their sci-fi counterparts. They don't have a life-sized, humanoid, metal form but they look like small rectangles at the end of the websites, inviting us to click there and have a chat. These chatbots are ready to assist us with information and to help us troubleshoot any problems.

What are chatbots?

Chatbots are computer software programmed to communicate and interact with humans. The latest advancements in technology and artificial intelligence have enabled chat robots to pass easily as humans. They are able to answer in a consistent way, understand human speech and text and reply appropriately.

Therefore, they have found increasing use in the customer service sector. Chatbots can assist customers immediately and reduce the number of tickets that customer service representatives receive. Furthermore, they can also improve the customer service experience by engaging the clients constantly and initiating conversation.

Moreover, conversation bots are even able to learn by themselves. The term used for describing this process is machine learning. The way that online chatbots learn is related to the information that they process during their interactions with humans. Whenever they are asked a question which they don't have in their database, they learn from it and are able to provide a response the next time they are introduced with the same inquiry.

Even though chatbots have been designed to work without a human needing to operate them, humans are still essential for their operation. In order to work, AI bots need to be set up by a human. In addition, humans are the ones that integrate them, develop them and make sure that they function correctly. Questions that can't be answered by automated chatbots are also forwarded to human operators. This is why chatbot platforms are not meant to replace humans but rather assist them.

Chatbots and Customer Service

Companies are adapting chatbots for websites to help them handle customer service tickets. However, this is not the only use that artificial intelligence chatbots have. They can also help with analysing customer inquiries. Companies can gain a lot of insight by the metrics that chatbots provide. In addition, if you want to provide 24/7 customer service support, then these robot chats are a good and inexpensive option.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Speed vs quality: While chatbots are very quick to respond to customers, that doesn't mean that they are always efficient. When a customer has a question, a customer service agent might need more time to search for the answer or to double check, whereas an online AI chat robot will be able to pull up an answer from the database in a matter of seconds. However, if a client has a unique question or issue, the answers that the chatbot will give are going to sound very clumsy and frustrating due to the generic nature they have.

The way chat robots interpret information: Artificial intelligence doesn't process information the same way that humans do. If we analyse the architecture of chatbots we will see that they are limited in the way they provide information. They don't understand the true wishes of the customer but answer based on patterns, keywords or tags that they find on their database. Different questions might have the same meaning for a chatbot, as a result of pattern and keyword matches.

Cost benefits: Having a chatbot on the website or on social media might be cost effective for many companies. Firstly, it reduces the number of tickets for the team. As a result, there is no need for a large number of support agents. Secondly, it helps to have 24/7 support coverage and to assist clients anytime. On the other side, the cost of setting up a complex intelligent chatbot would be higher.

Not for every business: Some businesses are simply to complex for implementing a chatbot successfully. Human interaction provides an efficiency that cannot be matched by the robots because of the ability to personalize the conversation, understand the context better and to investigate further. Implementing a realistic chatbot is very difficult to achieve.

The future of customer service

AI and chatbots are helping to automise tasks and reduce the workload. They are making the job easier for agents and are helping analyse feedback from customers. Chatbots are, without a doubt, part of the customer service future. However, robots are not able to replace humans yet.

It will take longer for technology to imitate life. No matter how complex robots become, humans will always be better at understanding emotions. Furthermore, chatbots still need to forward most of the issues to human agents. Emotional intelligence is a key factor in the way humans communicate. Bots are not able to replicate a human conversation in a fully natural way yet. Despite the popularity that chatbots have, the numbers show a different side of the story. Customers still prefer speaking to a human as a first choice.

Here are some important statistics to keep in mind about chatbots and human workforce:

• According to an Accenture study, 83% of customers prefer speaking to a human.
• Only 15% of users have preferred chatbots as a primary channel when contacting companies.
• The most common use of chatbots is to get quick answers in an emergency (37% of chatbot users).
• Furthermore,  34% of chatbot users reported that they use chatbots as a means to get connected to a human agent.

(The three last statistics were taken from the 2018 State of Chatbots Report by Drift.)

We Are Fiber

WeAreFiber is a European BPO with Italian Management, operating in the customer service sector for more than 13 years. Our experience and expertise in the market have helped several clients launch customer service and helpdesk campaigns.