When it comes to setting up any sort of digital project, there will probably be some difficulties on the way. This is also true when attempting to implement a successful ChatBot project. You are about to discover the five must-follow rules that you should put to the test.
Rule 1: Define your ChatBot’s mission
What you want your bot to do will depend on which part of the customer journey you want to improve the most. Map out your current customer journey and attempt to identify places where ChatBots could make the biggest impact.
Perhaps for your first ChatBot, you might want to limit it to answering customer questions when there is a long wait time at the contact center or no staff available. Eventually, your ChatBot will be able to do everything that your customer service agents can do.
Whatever you aspire to do, approach your first project with a defined set of goals and take it slow.
Rule 2: Define your ChatBot's location
Knowing where your bot will live and where it will be able to better connect with your audience is really vital. You should consider what platform your customers are most likely to reach out to. For instance, if you have a primarily older audience who may not be as tech-savvy, don’t opt for Facebook Messenger but rather your own website. It’ll be easy for them to find your site and reach out this way.
Don't forget to think about your prospective customers too: choose the platform that they will be most likely to use.
Rule 3: Decide where your ChatBot will get the information
It’s just common sense that without access to data and information, a bot just can’t do its job. As you begin to plan your ChatBot project, you should decide what sources of information you will make accessible to your bots. This really depends on the technology you are going to use and what you want your bot to do (hence why you need to think about rule one first). Some potential options to consider are:
- your website
- your knowledge base
- your existing documents
- your reservation systems
- your shipping information
- your product inventories
Planning and mapping out these details regarding your bot’s information sources may sound like a rather uninspiring job but it is truly a must!
In the United States, 47% of adult Internet users believe that chatbots often respond in a useless way (Statista, 2018). Maybe it's just mistrust in AI technology or maybe it's because of a wrong instruction of ChatBots, who aren't given enough information to provide customers with accurate answers.
Rule 4: Get a human involved if needed
Probably even the most sophisticated of bots will eventually encounter a problem it cannot solve; it’s really vital to determine when some human intervention will be needed. A transfer to a human agent could be triggered by:
- a request for a phone or video call
- language that indicates anger
- a question asked more than once
- references to a potentially sensitive or dangerous issue
- a question about an unknown subject
The bot must be smart enough to recognise what’s happening and escalate the contact to a human agent. Don't forget though that the hand-off should be as seamless as possible.
Don't forget that sometimes customers simply prefer human interaction, so you should give them the choice. In fact, according to a ChatbotsReport (2018), 43% of customers prefer to deal with a real-life assistant than a chatbot so don't disappoint them.
Rule 5: Remember to update
Keeping your bot as up-to-date as possible is vital, and its importance cannot be underestimated. Constantly updating will ensure that you remain at the top of your game and that you provide the best possible service to your customers.
Want to know more?
Follow Us:
