They are small, bodiless and seemingly smart. Chatbots, the artificial intelligence infused robots, are popping up all over marketing, especially in customer engagement.
Chatbots come in 2 varieties. One is the virtual assistant, like Siri or Alexa, which relies on artificial intelligence to learn and respond appropriately. The other is messaging apps, like Facebook Messenger, WeChat, Kik and Slack, which provide customer support with quick answers, instant response and complaint resolution through interaction via programmed rules. That’s important, as Microsoft found in a study that “66% of US consumers are willing to spend more money on a company that provides them with excellent customer services.” On the other hand, “60% of the consumers have not completed the purchase due to poor customer support experience. “
Chatbots need to bring value to a user delivering quick engagements and avoid simply replicating what is available already through other channels. American Express’s concierge service offers contextually aware help, offering airline ticket buyers recommendations for restaurants at the flyer’s destination. Macy’s On Call, answers common customer questions for shoppers in store, such as where to find specific products. The bot is available in both English and Spanish. H&M’s Kik bot offers outfit inspiration to teens. Users can share a piece of clothing and the bot pulls from H&M’s lines to build a whole outfit. Amazon’s Echo Look even offers style assistance after looking at your outfit through its camera.
Chatbots seem to work better if they have personalities. Cover Girl used a chatbot version of Kalani Hilliker, a 16-year-old dancer, model and TV personality, which led to 14 times more conversations than an average social influencer. Disney created an Officer Judy Hopps bot on Facebook to promote the launch of the the Zootopia movie. Users helped Judy Hopps solve cases. They spent an average of 10 or more minutes conversing with her and many went back multiple times to solve a new case.
Used correctly, chatbots can help elevate the customer experience.