Is it effective to use chatbots in small companies? Why should you consider implementing one?
A chatbot is an app used to have a chat conversation via text or text-to-speech, without direct contact with a human adviser..
Big businesses use chatbots for years. In 2019 even 40% of companies with more than 500 employees were using AI-supported chats. But small companies could benefit even more having one (or many of them) installed. So let’s find an answer to the favorite question of every decision-maker: “why?”.
Why should I go into chatbots? Why is it so important to implement this solution? Why this one instead of another? Chatbots started their “career” as tools for big corporations. But now they are so affordable, that almost every company can have it. Reasons, why a big company uses chatbots, may differ significantly from the reasons behind small entrepreneurs. Let’s face them.
For big companies building close customer relations was always a challenge. On the one hand, there were devoted brand followers, but on the other, thousands of clients needed support every day. It ended up in hiring hundreds of consultants, and even outsourcing this process to other companies, located all over the world. For such enterprises, the possibility of using chatbots was a game-changer. Getting extensive customer assistance with always-available client’s support is valuable. Banks, mobile carriers, insurance companies started using chatbots, and soon their clients not only get used to such solutions but also expected others to have them too, especially in the era of instant gratification. The others meaning small companies.
Implementing chatbots by small businesses is a challenge but also an opportunity. Using them you can save a lot of time and keep your clients satisfied. Over 50 percent of customers expect business to be open 24/7.
Small companies couldn’t afford to be open around the clock. It is much easier with chatbots, and at least some part of a conversation with a client could be performed automatically. According to Juniper Research, chatbots are projected to save 2.5bn hours for businesses and consumers.
Demand for using chatbots is high: 62 percent of US consumers said they liked using chatbots to engage with businesses. So you can respond to the needs of your clients at once.
It took up to 10 hours for a typical company to respond to a message. Long, isn’t it? If you own small businesses, your daily routine is filled with a lot of tasks – from operational, HR, accounting to marketing, and sales. With chatbots, you can add least have something done without consuming your time.
Chatbots act instantly. Can be proactive – ask clients to provide some data like an email address or telephone number. But they can also react to requests. For example, when asked to present the offer, a chatbot can choose the proper document and send it to the client. Scheduling a meeting could also be fast. It is how Closer works. This rich media communication app has chatbots as one of its features. Using it, you can predefine answers and artificial intelligence will do the rest, suggesting you the most suitable answer. It can be delivered automatically or edited and send manually, according to the current needs. It is used by sales forces to get more qualified leads.
Bots need to be used wisely, it is better to choose a solution that gives you control and a semi-manual option. There are sales and support issues that will need a human touch somewhere in the process.
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