The AI revolution is all upon us today, promising a convenient way of interacting with customers. While working with outsource chat support has been there for a long time, a bot that’s available 24/7/365 is a game changer in the biz. When human-powered chat service can’t be up all the time, chatbots serve as an extension to this human limitation.

But experts and outsource chat support professionals have a different take on this, indicating that chatbots are killing quality customer service. Being customers of the products we patronize, we might have experienced talking to a bot even once. And it’s evident that online help chats powered by AI are not always capable of responding to customers’ more technical and specific queries.

Does that mean chatbots are pushing customers away and can be a liability instead of being an asset?

Give chatbot a chance

Bots can be an effective chat service tool when utilized correctly. For instance, it can initiate real-time conversations offering facts about your products and your business as a whole. That includes opening hours, basic information on how to purchase your products, service rates, and more! Human efforts can be dedicated to other important tasks as the bot overtakes the customer support department.

Chatbots also offer countless benefits that outsourced chat support agents can deliver. While picking between the two is a tough decision, here are a few factors to help you weigh in the options.

1. Cut expenses. Deploying chatbots can cut expenses as it can handle an immense volume of inquiries that usually handled by a team of 5-10 chat support agents. Not to mention that it is capable to function synchronously to cater your clientele.
2. Availability. Chatbots operate 24/7 and are every ready to interact with clients regardless of time and season.
3. Low maintenance cost. Once you get the hang of it, figured out what’s working and what’s not, it becomes easier to adjust the cost of installing and maintaining a chatbot app. That includes monthly updates and ever-convenient add-ons to meet your company needs.
4. Time-saving. The best example of chatbots’ time-saving feature is their ability to respond fo Frequently Asked Questions or FAQ. Live chat agents can devote more of their time to customers who need assistance regarding more complicated issues.
5. Analytics and Data. Numbers don’t lie. Most necessary apps are integrated with data and reporting plugins that determine the effectiveness of your service. This will help you better understand your clients and find out which area of your business need improvement.

However, overreliance on bots can do no good. Some industries see the overuse of bots to be a potential turn off for customers. What happens when the only information a bot can process becomes the dead end of a conversation? Failing to cater between urgent needs can drive them away and hurt your brand if not addressed right away.

The Power of Outsource chat support and Chatbot

Humans and bots are not made to compete; they are made to work together to achieve a seamless customer service.

Outsource chat support has established a good reputation over the past years. Regardless of the remarkable trend of AI, human resources still deem to be irreplaceable in the workplace. Acknowledging the fact that humans have limitations, AI-powered chatbots have theirs, too. Both have advantages and disadvantages which opens the idea of combining the two to create a better customer experience.

First, you have to build your objective in advocating customer satisfaction. Providing online help chat on your website is the starting point. Let bots be the welcome greetings to your web visitors, giving a basic tour on your website and the nitty-gritty of your product or service offerings.

Level 2. This scenario is when a customer demands a quick and sharp answer that only an experienced outsource chat support agent can handle. Transferring this kind of query from a chatbot to a live chat agent should be done in a timely manner or else, a disaster.

Creating a hybrid model that will wisely implement both resources will measure your ability to maximize the capacity of both worlds in providing services that drive success.

Looking for dedicated outsource chat support agents? HOPLA is a team of multicultural customer service professionals that help businesses gain their full potential. Talk to us today to see how we can help you.