10 Benefits of Using a Support Bot for Online Businesses

Nowadays, the care of customer support has taken on a different meaning. It’s no longer just about waiting for a customer to contact you and then solve their problems but about going out of your way to do everything you can to keep them happy. So it was a natural step to implement support bots.

Customer experience is being radically reshaped by artificial intelligence (AI). AI is doing a great job in millions of companies, from individual tools to fully automated departments. And how are support bots doing? What are the benefits of using them? About that in today’s post.

What is a Support Bot?

A support bot is a computer program that can answer customer questions based on the information it possesses. Such technology uses artificial intelligence, machine learning with natural language processing, and existing resources like FAQs, articles, or other knowledge bases to resolve your customers’ questions and problems in a tone similar to a conversation with a human. Additionally, these bots can converse with people through text or speech.

The process works very simply; if a customer asks a question, a support bot identifies the question and recognizes multiple variations on it. Then, it searches the information in the system to answer the interested party as accurately as possible. Finally, when it finds the needed data, the bot replies directly using your preferred style.

The use of bots in customer service is common among many companies.

You can use customer support bots to get help, get the answer to basic customer questions, or, for example, order services. Therefore, it can really help you, even with questions that are not necessarily simple ones.

On the other hand, the support bots may not solve complex or unusual questions since they can be too difficult for them to handle. In that case, you can be connected with a human agent. Therefore, keep in mind that support bots cannot substitute for human customer service agents yet. Thus, the quality of the service you provide depends in a great manner on the ability of your human resources.

But let’s focus on the positives because such bots can surprise you more than once. Their abilities are being developed more and more. For example, they can:

• boost customer care strategy,
• promote relevant products and increase their sales,
• suggest helpful answers before the customer finishes typing,
• obtain invaluable visitor details,
• determine which bot menu options customers select most,
• etc.

So, as you can see, virtual agents powered by AI are much more helpful than outdated bots.

Why are Support Bots so popular?

It probably hasn’t escaped your attention that bots are becoming increasingly popular. Naturally, it’s no surprise they have found their way into the support department and are doing a great job there!

But what is the secret behind these personal assistants? Well, support bots are so popular because they are associated with a number of advantages, which are augmented by workflows in small and large companies.

First of all, these bots, in many cases, provide assistance that is much better than human assistance. For example, they very often provide answers faster than a human would. What’s more, these answers are sometimes more accurate than those given by a real employee.

In addition, support bots are huge automation of certain activities, and this alone comes with certain benefits for your online business.

Want to find out what benefits we’re talking about? Then read on!

10 Benefits of Using Support Bots

#1 Improve Communication in Omnichannel

Support bots are great for omnichannel communication, which is widely used. Omnichannel implies that customer interactions should be constant above all. And support bots can help with this. As a result of using it, you will provide consistent customer service and improve brand recognition.

It is necessary to provide support across multiple digital channels (e.g., website, in-app, social media, etc.). The essence of support bots in the omnichannel communication approach is to build long-lasting customer relationships and provide them with the best possible service across all channels used by the company, be it a phone call, a Facebook message, or an email, for example.

So using bots allows you to ensure that every customer can be in touch with the company in every digital channel, and the information gained is kept in one place, so the support bot will know information about, for example, your order, even though you brought up the subject via email.

#2 Generate Savings

Another benefit is the savings that support bots can generate. Imagine a situation where, instead of hiring a new employee for the support department, you invest in one HRMS Software that will be even more efficient than a human - and definitely cheaper in the long run.

As online business landscapes become more competitive, there is a significant need for excellent customer service. And what will provide it more than bots?

Companies aren’t just competing on price; they’re trying to provide the best possible service, develop assortments and sell memorable experiences. So if you, too, care about meeting customer expectations, betting on support bots can prove to be a very good (and not so expensive) choice.

#3 Reduces Service Time

Speaking of savings, such bots are associated with time savings, making service take less than expected. And if the assistance turned out to be accurate, the level of customer satisfaction increases even more.

You may promise the best customer communication, but sometimes it’s hard to keep your word. For example, maybe all the consultants are busy, maybe some problem has arisen that involves most of the support department, or maybe the agent is having a bad day and is unable to work more efficiently. Then the phrase we offer fast support has no meaning in reality.

Meanwhile, there is an easy way to solve this problem with an advanced bot. Then, you will keep your word, deliver instant answers, boost team productivity, and erase the customer’s negative impression. People will remember your quick response instead of placing their difficulties. On the other hand, if your promises are not covered, your audience may leave for competitors who offer excellent service and a whole customer journey in addition to similar and popular products.

#4 Is Available 24/7

Support bot or live chat doesn’t take a day off, won’t be sick, won’t give you notice, won’t be tired, etc., etc. But, generally speaking: it works 24/7, at night, on holidays, on your birthday, well, just always.

And you’re unable to have your support team available at all times.

Consequently, bots work faster and can eliminate the problem of understaffing. An essential advantage of this type of technology is the high level of precision and repeatability. Virtual assistants eliminate errors that arise due to the human factor, assimilate knowledge and learn how to serve customers better and better.

#5 Relieves the Workforce

As we said earlier, sometimes consultants may have too much on their shoulders and simply need help to serve clients at the highest level. But, with bot-driven automation, ecommerce customers can place orders or carry out transactions without involving a human.

Imagine how overworked agents can be during busy sales periods, such as Black Friday or before Christmas. And now think what it would be like if a support bot took over more responsibilities and relieved the burden on consultants, who could then handle more serious or complex tasks.

In that case, the word support takes on a new meaning - it is versatile and even irreplaceable. In addition, if it integrates with other systems and collaboration tools, it is unstoppable even more.

#6 Service many Customers at once

Serving multiple customers at once is also an advantage for support bots. This can’t be said of real consultants who only handle one customer request at a time. If agents were to solve many problems at once, well, it would end badly.

But with bots, there is no such risk because they can be used simultaneously by many, in truth, many parties. In addition, support bots approach each problem individually, so there is no risk that they will give not relevant answers because they will confuse your issue with someone else’s.

It doesn’t matter about time zones, channel types, let alone different languages - adequate support will be provided anyway. Literally speaking, such a support bot can solve a problem in multiple places.

#7 Quickly Serve International Customers

In response to the growing interest in their services abroad, many companies have decided to expand their business to other countries. And your brand can follow this path if it prepares well for it!

One of many such vital elements is communicating with your audience in their native language.

The competence of your consultants will undoubtedly be adequate to handle foreign customers. Still, support bots are programmed in such a way that they can certainly take a customer from any country. So it doesn’t matter if they are from Tokyo, Senegal, or France; multi-lingual support will be provided.

So, to streamline the flow of information between you and your new foreign base of customers, don’t hesitate to use a support bot that will handle the task.

#8 Offers Immediate Solutions

Also worth mentioning is offering immediate solutions in seconds. This is especially true when most repetitive and standard questions can be automated completely and don’t need human help.

Providing support when it is most helpful is excellent. Furthermore, bots can handle a large number of customer queries instantly, as well as simultaneously, which improves response times.

So if there’s an area where you can be better than your competitors, certainly consider whether you’re responding quickly enough to your audience’s problems. If so, you can expect even more interest in your brand.

#9 It Learns and Improves to Serve Customers Better

It’s worth mentioning that investing in support bots doesn’t just involve the here and now - it’s a forward-thinking approach to effective customer support that evolves with its use. Bots are intelligent tools - it may sound strange, but yes, it’s true - and can demonstrate a certain level of intelligence using technologies such as machine learning, Big Data, natural language processing, etc.

Bots have come a long way in understanding and solving human problems. As a result of this, awesome customer service chatbots can now process all data, whether it is text, audio, or visualizations.

Thus, it can be said that these programs are not only always ready to work but also learn how to deal with human users.

#10 Makes your Clients Satisfy

Combine all these benefits into one, and you will realize that support bots are all about one thing: making your customers satisfied.

Because if you run the kind of services that will satisfy your audience, this will translate into:

• increased customer commitment to purchase,
• increase user input,
• greater frequency of purchase,
• good recommendations,
• increased loyalty,
• and more.

You don’t have to give up on your consultants, but arm them with the right tool that, among other things, will increase their productivity, improve their support, and relieve them of their excess responsibilities!

How can Smartsupp help you?

Smartsupp offers a great bot solution for companies of any size. Teams can use it for customer care as well as e-commerce support.

Thanks to the variety of features and functions, Smartsupp makes it easy to get started and scale your business.

So, let’s look at what benefits the Smartsupp bot brings.

01 Boost Sales and Minimize your Effort with Immediate Replies

Using a bot, you can respond to your customers’ repetitive questions right away. As a result, agents can focus on more complex queries that require expertise and cannot be resolved quickly. Consequently, your amazing customers will receive great assistance and as much guidance as they need.

02 Reach out to Customers when They Need Your Help

When certain conditions are met, the Smartsupp bot can send a proactive message to a website user.

For example, you are able to program your bot so that it will reach out to a customer when they spend three minutes on a website without any interaction. A short message such as “How can I help you?” might encourage website users to share their doubts and get their problems solved on the spot.

Additionally, replies to this question are an excellent source of feedback. It will enable you to identify where your website needs improvement and where it has pain points.

03 Know Your Website Visitor with Video Recording

The video recording feature allows you to track website visitors on your site. Using your dashboard, you can view their interactions with the website and find out:

• where your visitors give up,
• how they go through a payment process,
• where they click,

and more! Also, you can get to know your visitors more and catch bugs, if any. With the right tool for tracking bugs, you can quickly navigate through the most burning problems on your website.

04 Take Care of Your Customers All Around the Clock

According toBBC, more and more people do their shopping at night. So… more and more people need shopping assistance at late hours. And here is where the Smartsupp bot comes! You can provide your night owls with possibly the best customer service using a bot whenever they want.

05 Reduce Costs and Save Time

Bots are a great way to reduce costs because they can take on some of the tasks your operators would otherwise have to do. This solution frees your operators to focus on more urgent tasks and reduces the time each task takes.

Also, a bot would help you collect potential customers’ data.

06 Integrate with Tools You Use

With Smartsupp, you can still use all your favorite tools - you can integrate with your favorite platforms in minutes! There is no need for IT skills either.

However, if you can’t find the tools you use onthe list, there’s nothing to worry about. Thanks to API, you can connect your own solution to Smartsupp without hassle.

Conclusion

Using a support bot means many benefits for your online business, whether it’s small or large. Such bots deliver better experiences and translate into more sales and positive brand recommendations. Customers see that you care about them, so they have no reason to leave for the competition, and that’s something.

Smartsupp is the perfect solution for your virtual assistant. It will provide you with the ideal support bot and much more, so don’t hesitate a moment longer and take advantage of the 14-day trial period.