There’s nothing worse than knowing you are going to have to set aside time in your busy schedule to call a 1-800 number. It requires that you find time in your day, typically during business hours, where you aren’t busy with work, kids, or anything else. And the worst part is that you typically have no idea how long you will need to set aside to call customer service. That is why companies are working hard to create more automated AI services to work as a customer service solution for businesses. Even social media sites are getting on board as they try to provide bot functionality to businesses.

Twitter launches bot

Social media sites are constantly fighting to stay relevant because things can flip in an instant. Seeing the demise of Myspace and Blackberry show just how quickly people are willing to move on. So that is why they are adding features that businesses and consumers love, including AI Chatbot technology. People are starting to use social media as one of their main sources of communicating with businesses, which is becoming especially easy with smartphones technology. Rather than have to wait a day or two for answers, an immediate answer helps speed up the process. It is especially nice for redundant questions asking about the day’s specials or store hours, which are often seen in Facebook posts.  Twitter launched its new bot feature today, but Facebook launched a similar system this spring. It is clear that social media companies are trying to give the customer what they want, and so should you.

Using bots for texting

Your business probably knows by now that the best way to communicate with customers is through a form that they are comfortable with. For some customers, that’s social media; for others, it is through mobile. While people are moving further and further from phone calls to customer service reps, it is important that you have an easy alternative option in the event they need to communicate with you. Texting is available on nearly every mobile device, and it is available to almost any demographic you may be targeting. Not to mention it is the preferred communication method for millennials.

One of the reasons why customers like it so much is because texting allows them to send and receive very clear information instead of worrying about something being lost in a call because of a bad connection or possible misunderstandings with a person’s accent. As opposed to an email, it is direct and to the point, and the information is usually sent and received within minutes, so you don’t have to wait a couple of days for a response. Businesses prefer it because it means they can cut a lot of wasted time answering mundane questions and can focus customer service efforts on improving the customer experience. And any customers who would typically be uncomfortable with a phone call or who can’t find time to sit down and call can always send a quick text.

Source: The Verge