not able to access that information, please restate your problem.” It shouldn’t matter where we start or where we need to go; we should not have to start all over again. Call centre engagement is no longer the preferred approach to service customers.
The cost of engaging through the call centre is the most expensive, time consuming, and least effective method for delivering customer satisfaction. Indeed, the cost per call for a chatbot is usually under one dollar whereas a CSR typically costs between $10 – $25 per call.
There are many organisations that have now engaged chat facilities using chat agents, but again they typically fail to deliver the ideal customer engagement experience. Although, a chat agent can typically handle 3 -5 client interactions simultaneously; they can be cumbersome, there are time delays, and are only viable for the time the chat window is open.
Customer interaction and the goal of providing viable synchronous self-service capability is now a 24-hour requirement. However, having a voice or chat agent available 24 /7 is not commercially practical, so moving to a virtual agent or chatbot (a computer based system using AI to provide 24/7 customer experience) is quickly becoming a preferred option.
Refining the customer experience through less intervention
Chatbots are essentially digital personal assistants programmed to simulate human conversations via voice or text providing a “virtual” communication partner. They can start off in a simple version whereby they are dealing with either voice or text through natural
language interfaces enabling the computer to understand the question and provide the best answer in real time. Chatbots have the advantage of being multi-channel, with context and integration across systems; and Gartner has even predicted over the next few years 85% of customer engagements will be fielded without human intervention.
Another advantage of chatbots is that they learn and get better over time, which is why it is essential to train them before using them operationally. It is also important to manage customers’ expectations, particularly at the beginning, while the chatbots are still developing and expanding their learnings – just like humans.
However, once fully trained, chatbots can become the standard means to engage with many customers, for example:
• Banking and finance – provide better self-service functions around personal banking, credit cards and home loans applications
• Insurance – choose the right coverage, manage claims, provide product information