image of a robot

Does the Future of Customer Service Belong to Bots?

Having a chatbot function can be a fantastic asset to a business but will it really replace human interaction when it comes to Customer Service?

Customer Service – Robots VS Humans

A little while ago I had some issues with my Hive system. If you don’t know what this is, let me tell you this, it is a fantastic invention… It is a smart home device that allows you to control your heating thermostat remotely from your phone or the internet.

‘Why?’ I hear you say? I HATE being cold… (If you’ve been to our office, I’m the girl wrapped up in a few scarves 😊), so the idea of having a flat that’s nice and warm when I come back home is really appealing to me!

Hive can also do many other things, like controlling the lights in your home, warning you in case of a water leak, or if a window has been left opened to name only a few of it’s other functions. As a millennial, I love little gadgets like this, that make me feel in control of my environment and my budget…

The reason I wanted to write about this is not actually to talk about the product itself or do its promotion (even if it might sound like it!) but to share with you what a fantastic customer service experience can feel like.

Despite being an awesome product, I have to say the installation is rather fiddly and I was dreading having to solve the settings of my product over the phone, so I tried their chatbot first.

Does the Future of Customer Service Belong to Bots?

The value of chatbots:

Chatbots are programs built with artificial intelligence that can engage with received messages and send appropriate answers. You are basically chatting with a robot that responds to triggers and key words.

They are great when you need a quick answer, or if you are trying to resolve a complaint or a problem. They can be a fantastic asset to a business too, by automating a conversation that would normally require an employee to answer. It can save time, money and energy that can be allocated to other efforts.

Facebook recently released a host of data proving the value of chatbots for business:

  • 2 billion messages are sent between people and businesses monthly

  • 56% of people would rather message than call customer service

  • 53% of people are more likely to shop with businesses they can message

There’s also been a lot of research done around Natural Language Processing (NLP) which can improve the answer’s shape, scope, and even give it personality so that the conversation feels more human, fluid and tailored to your question or query.

Can chatbots replace customer advisors then?

Well, the truth is, chatbots aren’t perfect… and will never replace human interactions. It’s nearly impossible to predict what questions are going to be asked and prepare the answers accordingly. Some cases need a more ‘flexible’ solution and emotional consideration to answer the customer’s need in the best possible way.

In my case, the chatbot couldn’t solve my issue. I needed help installing and pairing the different assets simultaneously and I could only do that on the phone with a real person (no offense little chatbot robot…).

I enjoyed my chatbot experience but it made me appreciate the benefits of a real conversation with a human being even more!

I spoke to a lovely lady on the phone who apologised on behalf of the brand and helped me with my issue. She used a customer service tool we know really well here at NKD; the LEAP tool.

Listen

Empathise

Acknowledge

Problem-solve

  1. She actively listened without interrupting me

  2. She showed empathy for me having a problem in the first place and for the chatbots not being of much help.

  3. She acknowledged and understood my problem and knew what to do.

  4. She solved my problem with me on the phone and my product was up and running before the end of our call.

At NKD we believe that the most important ingredients to great customer service are empathy and human connection and we are passionate about it.

There is definitely a place in our society for robots and AI for all the quick-fix solutions. But if you want your brand to be known for exceptional service and care, then nothing can do it better than a real person.

If you’d like to know how we can help your customers feel listened to, cared for, and valued, feel free to read our case studies, or get in touch with us by hitting the connect button! 😊