In this digital age, most of us have interacted with chatbots online at one point or another, sometimes without even realising. AI-powered chatbots can have full-fledged conversations that make people feel like they’re talking with real people.
According to Google Trends, interest in AI chatbots has grown four times over ten years. As the world moves toward Conversational AI, businesses are becoming increasingly susceptible to our need to be treated like humans in the service experience.
AI chatbots can increase sales by an average of 67%. It is a significant number as the same report also stated that customers are willing to pay 17% more to do business with companies with great reputations regarding customer experience.
That’s why SME owners should invest in customer service to ensure that they offer memorable experiences to engage and keep the customers. However, many small businesses can’t afford a reliable customer service team or have the time to train staff to answer customer inquiries. Even when your business has a dedicated customer service team, providing the 24/7 support that customers expect may not always be possible.
For example, when a retail shop needs to respond to a customer’s frequently asked questions on delivery charge or product pricing on social messaging apps like Whatsapp or Facebook Messenger, the chatbot can manage this quickly without the need to invest in a customer service team. With its capability to drive high quality and timely engagement at scale, conversational AI will be the SMEs’ solution to generate more leads, increase conversion rates and sales while building a loyal customer base.