Self-service for customer service with voicebot and chatbot
How does voicebot and chatbot work?
Self-service systems such as a chatbot or a voicebot are Intelligent Virtual Assistants (IVA).
A chatbot is a type of robot (or IVA) that reads writing and is programmed to answer certain types of questions, provide information or transfer the errand to an agent based on what the customer writes.
A voicebot works in a similar way to a chatbot, but the robot listens and transcribes the speech to find specific keywords and understand the question. The robot can then guide the customer in the right direction, handle simpler questions and even respond with an automated voice back that resembles human speech. A voicebot can be used to, among other things, provide information, book taxi journeys or send the customer to the right customer service agent.
The advantage of using these types of virtual assistants are reduced volumes via phone and email and that customers often receive faster help. Both a voicebot and a chatbot can also collect valuable information that is used to identify customers as well as retrieve information from your CRM. The bot could collect for example name, contact details, location, invoice number or social security number.
Benefits to using self-service systems for customer service
The main advantage of both voicebot and chatbot is that your customer service becomes more efficient. A smart voicebot can steer the conversation where the customer wants and provide answers faster than a human is able to. Simply put, this means that you save money for every call handled by an IVA. In addition, you can set your voicebot and chatbot to be available around the clock, which extends the service you offer your customers.
Here are 6 other benefits to using chatbot and voicebot for customer service organizations.
1. Automate repetitive customer service errands
Something most customer service departments have in common is that there are certain questions that the agents often have to answer. It could be the company’s payment information, opening hours, or even booking a taxi. Errands that are simpler and that occur often can be automated.
By having a chatbot or voicebot handle these recurring cases, you reduce call queues and allow agents to focus on more complex cases. This saves both time and money for your business.
However, it is important to remember to always give the customer the opportunity to reach an agent. Not everyone wants to be helped by a self-service robot. Some people need to speak to a human to feel safe or to trust in the help they are getting.
2. Forwarding customer service errands to the correct department or agent
A chatbot or a voicebot can solve many errands, but there are cases where an agent needs to be involved. An important aspect of self-service is therefore to smoothly connect to a customer service representative.
In these cases, the system or robot has collected important information about the customer such as personal data or what the problem is about. The system ensures that the information is saved for the entire duration of the errand so that the agent can access the customer’s messages. This makes it easier as the customers do not have to repeat themselves and the agent receives the correct customer data immediately.
3. Simplify the customers IVR-experience
One challenge that customers might face with an IVR is that they can be difficult to navigate. If the customer misses their choice, they have to start from the beginning. They may accidentally make the wrong choice and it is a frustrating experience if the menu options are unclear.
By using a voicebot or a chatbot, the customer can tell the IVA what they want. In addition to making it easier for the customer, it is also faster than listening through a long list of alternatives.
In this post you can read more about IVR for customer service.
4. Faster errand handling times
Both a voicebot and a chatbot are faster than humans. The customer reaches the IVA faster and the bot can provide answers faster. Searching for a customer, looking for invoice numbers and responding with the correct information takes time. A robot can search a database in a fraction of that time. Since answers are pre-programmed, it is also faster to convey information.
Customers simply don’t have to wait in queues or hold while an agent finds the answer to their question.
5. Personalize self-service with a voicebot
Talking to a robot is different than talking to a human, and the customer will notice this. It might not matter as the errand may be simple or as quick answers carry more weight than speaking to an actual human.
On the other hand, customer service should not feel boring. It is possible to program answers that feel more human and which makes the service experience feel more personal. In cases where the bot cannot answer a question right away, it will not just ask the customer to repeat themselves, but may ask follow-up questions to gather more information. Asking more questions to understand the customer better does not create as much friction and feels more natural.
Even though you utilize a robot, it is possible to program both questions and answers that resemble human speech, are engaging and that improve the customer experience.
6. Simple implementation of both voicebot and chatbot
A final advantage is that it is easy to implement both a chatbot and a voicebot. Additionally, it is possible to integrate these with your existing CRM, which means that the self-service system can look up customer information and solve even more cases. This could be anything from questions that require a direct answer or a booking request to questions that require more follow-up questions and gathering more information.
The closer your IVA is to you database, the more cases it can handle. This means that resources are freed up so you can focus on more complex errands.
Want to know more? Read more about voicebot here and read more about chatbot here.
