There’s a very good chance that you’ve already come across chatbots. In fact, there’s a very good chance that you’ve come across them numerous times. That’s because they’re becoming more and more commonplace and are used across almost all industries.
Why are chatbots proving quite so popular? Here’s a look at just some of the reasons:
1) They offer customers the chance to seek assistance 24/7 while saving the company on staffing costs
2) They provide a way for customers to get answers that are far quicker than going through the likes of telephone or email support
3) Frees up customer support staff to focus on priorities
That’s just a handful of reasons that explain why the use of chatbots is growing. Every industry is finding a way of incorporating them into their businesses in ways that were unimaginable just a few years ago. In fact, this technology could even be used in the gambling industry, providing insight and advice at different sweepstake casinos.
Let’s take a look at the industries that are benefiting the most in the here and now.
1) Manufacturing
This is proof that AI chatbots can be used across all sectors. In manufacturing, chatbots can assist managers so that they can keep their supply status up to date as well as order new supplies. Another benefit is that managers can check on delivery schedules rather than getting stuck on the telephone for hours chasing down the same information.
If that’s not enough, these chatbots are still evolving. They’re reaching the stage where they can take control of the manufacturing plant environment. This means tracking metrics related to equipment as well as raising alerts when there are any malfunctions. This allows everyone to be kept in the know and remedial action can be taken as soon as possible.
2) Healthcare
Chatbots are already bringing great benefits to the healthcare industry. With patient demand growing, appointments with professionals are getting more difficult to secure, and there’s a need to free up their time as much as possible. That’s exactly what chatbots help with.
AI chatbots are used to answer common medical queries. They do, of course, have sufficient knowledge to understand when a consultation with a human professional is a must but can prevent numerous, unnecessary, enquiries from being made. Going forward, these bots will be further developed so that they can offer greater assistance with mental health.
3) Hospitality
Chatbots have been extremely useful in the world of hospitality. While they’ve long been used for tasks such as making or cancelling reservations, their use has expanded beyond this. They are now used to assist customers who are looking to check room availability as well as answer frequently asked questions. This all goes towards freeing up the staff who are then able to focus their attention on more important areas.
These bots are developing to assist the hospitality industry in other ways too. They are at the stage of being able to build customer profiles. This means that businesses can tailor an experience for each customer based on what they’ve shown they like. This could mean customised menus or finishing touches to rooms.
4) Entertainment
This industry has perhaps benefited more from AI chatbots than any other. It’s already been heavily used in the areas of gaming and storytelling, but more and more it’s now being utilised with companies that offer live entertainment. They are making the most of chatbots when it comes to freeing up phone lines from customer service enquiries. The day when tickets go on sale for an event, the last thing that a company wants is to be swamped with irrelevant requests.
These chatbots can also be used to reach out to customers with updates. They can let people know if an event has been cancelled or postponed. They can then provide information to do with rescheduling in the future. All of this keeps customer service operators free.
5) Public service
If you’ve ever been in a position where you’ve needed to contact a public authority, there’s a good chance that you’ll have had a similar experience to many. The time that it takes to get through on a phone line almost borders on ludicrous and anything that can free up a phone line can only be welcomed. That’s where chatbots come in.
Chatbots can help customers to find any information that they need. They can guide users to the likes of school information, find documents and show emergency information too. They can be used to address practically any query and ensure that customer support is there for the people that really need it. The result? A boost to user satisfaction.
6) E-commerce
E-commerce and chatbots go hand in hand. Part of the success of online stores is the fact that they can beat traditional stores in terms of pricing and convenience. One element of the pricing is down to the fact that they don’t have expensive shopfronts to pay rent for. Further savings can be made by reducing the number of customer support staff that is needed.
Chatbots in this industry make it super easy for customers to find the answer that they need. This means that the user experience is improved all while saving the company money on staff that really aren’t required. Beyond this, chatbots can also be used to suggest additional purchases as well as follow up on abandoned carts.
7) Education
When it comes to the field of education, chatbots provide a great way of answering questions for students. They can allow access to the likes of e-books, study guides and checklists. By being connected to knowledge databases, students can access an array of information and receive almost instantaneous responses to any queries.
Chatbots are also used to provide quizzes to students. This allows them to test out their knowledge while flagging to teachers the ones who may be struggling. Yes, teachers can identify this themselves, but the use of AI chatbots means that checks are being made on a frequent basis and there is no danger of concerns being missed.
