WhatsApp chatbots are already a major tool among firms that want to expand their customer support services. They are unrivaled in their availability since they provide answers to thousands of queries simultaneously and instantly. Basic queries like billing information, order status, or account passwords, etc., can be resolved without involving humans at all, so customers can get prompt solutions, and support departments can be offloaded from repeated queries.
This efficiency is why chatbot is a low cost option, particularly for BPO companies that experience high counts of interactions. Automating simple operations helps a business ease the load on live agents and also reduces the expenses incurred in recruiting new staff, since fewer human resources are needed to service the same number of clients. Chatbots can save time and money, but in most situations, they are not able to retrieve emotions, and customers are left unsatisfied with the answer to a question when the issue is more complicated.
The Limitations of Chatbots
Chatbots have proven to be good with repetitive queries, but due to their strict design, it's very hard to approach complicated or sensitive cases. When customers fail to find their questions within the pre-set scripts of the chatbot, it makes them feel frustrated. This can often result in the various workarounds of trying to paraphrase the problem (only to reply with automated answers that never resolve the problem).
The other limitation is a lack of empathy. Tone and understanding are as important as speed in customer service. As emphasized by Clickatell, customers are still anticipating a feeling of being appreciated and listened to, particularly in an emotional context. But without the human factor, the chatbots on their own can be a cause of losing customer loyalty and trust.
The Strength of Traditional Live Chat
Conventional live chat, however, provides the human feeling that the customers usually seek. Live agents can tone their voice, express empathy, and establish a one on one connection in interaction. It is this skill to read between the lines and react to emotions that makes live chat more effective when it comes to complex questions and personal queries.
Besides, the live chat provides a chance to upsell and cross sell, naturally and conversationally. Customer needs can be detected through agents and can be suggested to purchase other products or services that are not focused on that specific issue at hand. Live chat is a useful customer experience tool because customers and businesses are more satisfied with and largely loyal to this personalized service.
The Challenges of Live Chat
There are weaknesses of live chat that affect businesses despite its strengths. Live chat is limited to the number of available agents, as compared to chatbots. It may lead to high customer waiting time during the rush periods, which, in turn, may adversely affect customer satisfaction. In the case of BPO companies that receive quite a good number of inquiries to serve, it is very costly and challenging to scale live chat without automation.
Adding to that, live chat requires continuous investments in recruitment, training, and employee retention. The agents must be not only good at solving technical problems but also at soft skills, empathy, and patience. Without the corresponding support, there is a high risk of burnout among the support staff, and this affects both the workers and the overall quality of customer service.
Finding the Right Balance
In the case of most businesses, the most effective solution is not to select between chatbots and live chat but a combination of both. Chatbots should be able to respond to repetitive and trivial questions in a short amount of time, whereas live chat agents may intervene when customers need empathy or problem solving. It is a middle ground between human and efficiency that results in an improved CX.
In the case of BPO firms, such a balance is essential. Using chatbots alone will create a cold and transactional experience, and using live chat alone may be expensive and may cause fatigue among the agents. A combination of automation and customer support teams will enable companies to provide scalable high quality customer service that will please both customers and workers.
How Ibex Blends Chatbots and Human Support?
Customer experience at Ibex is founded on this same balance. To achieve this, the firm relies on chatbots based on AI on platforms such as WhatsApp that allow controlling simple and repetitive queries in real time. It gives customers fast solutions and the agents the freedom to work on more complicated cases that require human problem solving and empathy.
Meanwhile, Ibex puts a lot of investment into its live chat representatives through training and development programs. The agents are trained in a way that they understand how to listen to a customer, change up the tone, and build a decent conversation. Automation, together with high levels of soft skills, allows Ibex to keep its teams productive, avoiding burnout, yet providing meaningful customer experiences. With this hybrid approach, Ibex could become the best at BPO, as the future of CX is the integration of technology and human interaction.
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