Be Aware of the Abilities and Limitations of Chatbots

Today, providing customer support comes with countless headaches businesses never had to deal with long ago. Increased client demand, a multitude of support channels, and high expectations make it impossible for agents to get the job done without technology. Luckily, artificial intelligence has changed the way businesses and their clients interact. More specifically, chatbots have taken the support process to a whole new level. Acting as digital agents, chatbots can provide a number of services for both consumers and support teams. However, they still come with limitations. It’s important to understand them when integrating bots into your operation.

Understanding the Benefits of Chatbots

When it comes to customer support automation tools, chatbots can do a lot to improve the level of service a business provides. By effectively answering simple client inquiries, they can reduce resolution times by taking a lot of the workload off of agents. Chatbots also allow businesses to offer 24/7 support. Even if the chatbot can’t provide a suitable solution to a client at 3 am, a ticket will be created and an agent can follow up as soon as possible. Chatbots equipped with artificial intelligence can also deliver relevant content to clients in real-time. This information may end up being an invaluable resource for current and future product issues.

Chatbots Lack Decision-Making Capabilities

It’s important to understand that while chatbots provide a number of benefits to clients and support teams, they still can’t and shouldn’t replace live agents. A situation where this is evident is if a client has a complicated issue that requires a decision. Chatbots are great at gathering data and providing automated responses, but when it comes to the decision-making process, they fall short. This is why they’re better suited for simple inquiries like how to change a password. Sending a client this information is no problem for a chatbot, but if the issue requires the weighing of two options, a live agent needs to step in. Remember, artificial intelligence works by collecting information and trends and generating smart responses. It can’t offer feedback pertaining to factors it can’t see.

True Empathy is Hard to Manufacture

Yes, chatbots are getting more and more advanced. The ultimate goal is to emulate a live human as much as possible. However, a robot doesn’t have empathy and this matters in the customer support landscape. When a client is upset, what they want is someone to listen to their concerns. A chatbot simply won’t suffice. On the other hand, a live agent is able to listen to a client’s issues, offer solutions, and also reinforce the integrity of the business. This goes a long way in retaining clients and establishing a strong reputation within your industry.

Put Chatbots to Work for You

A chatbot can be the key to providing well-rounded support to your client base. However, don’t make the mistake of exposing the limitations of artificial intelligence. You may end up hurting instead of helping your situation.

If you’re ready to take your support operation to the next level, PhaseWare can implement high-quality software for B2B customer support. Contact us today to learn more.

Scroll to Top