Artificial Intelligence Chatbot: How to Use It to Your Advantage

Everywhere we go, we’re surrounded by artificial intelligence. From the assistants on our smartphones to the algorithms on social media, artificial intelligence is a more integral part of our personal lives than we’d probably care to admit. And it’s becoming an integral part of business, too with the prevalence and convenience of the artificial intelligence chatbot. However, using AI to its fullest advantage is more complicated.

What is Artificial Intelligence (AI)?

At its core, artificial intelligence is computer programming that mimics human cognitive processes. It automatically acquires data, analyzes said data for patterns and trends using a set of rules (called algorithms), and uses those patterns to determine what course of action to take.

An artificial intelligence chatbot is perhaps the most easily recognized example of AI used by businesses. Let’s break down how it works.

Say an artificial intelligence chatbot has been programmed to forward all frustrated customers to a human representative as soon as possible. Words like “human agent” or “manager” are the original triggers for the handoff. But after a while, as the AI-driven chatbot interacts with more and more customers, it begins to learn that there are more ways a customer can express frustration, such as through exclamation points or large amounts of capital letters. Its understanding broadens, and it’s slowly able to provide more and more accurate handoffs than before.

By simply following its functions, the artificial intelligence chatbot assimilates more and more data, learns, adjusts, and corrects itself. But will your customers really want to interact with AI rather than a human agent?

Customer Perceptions of Artificial Intelligence

Contrary to what you might think, the majority of customers say that artificial intelligence makes their lives easier and agree that using it – at least in a limited capacity – is beneficial. And even more customers are willing to interact specifically with a chatbot on simple issues.

After all, an artificial intelligence chatbot is highly accessible at all times of the day and night, can guide customers to the right resource, and even create a ticket for a human agent to respond to when they’re back on the clock. Ultimately, it saves customers time and effort. All they ask is if they need a human agent, that the handoff between the chatbot and the agent is fast and smooth.

Unfortunately, that’s often not the case. Many businesses looking to implement artificial intelligence lack a solid strategy or clear understanding of how to use AI to its best advantage. This leaves them with artificial intelligence chatbots that are less of a help and more of a hindrance to their customers.

So, how do you utilize AI-driven chatbots effectively? We’re glad you asked!

How to Get the Most Out of an Artificial Intelligence Chatbot

Start small

Don’t rush into multiple AI solutions all at once. Pick one type of solution (in this case a chatbot) and stick with it. It’ll be more manageable for all involved.

Make a plan

While this may sound simple to some, it is a crucial step into launching an effective chatbot.

Pinpoint your top ten customer needs, or top five if you’re a larger organization. What have your customers been struggling with the most? What questions keep coming up? Once you’ve gotten their needs noted, ask yourself the following questions:

1. Does this issue require human interaction?
2. Can the response to this issue be fully automated?
3. Or will this issue require a response that’s a mixture of automation and the human element?

Once you’ve grouped your issues into these three categories, start with the ones you believe can be completely automated. This will give you some fodder for how to organize your chat flow.

Draft a basic chat flow based on customer needs. What’s a chat flow, you might ask? It’s like a conversational diagram. How do you want it to greet visitors? What questions do you want it to ask them? What answers do you want the chatbot to suggest? And what resolutions will those questions and answers eventually lead to? All these are questions only you can answer. If you’ve never drafted a chat flow before, don’t worry! It’s alright to keep it basic in the beginning and update it as you go based on the data the AI collects.

Decide where the artificial intelligence chatbot will “live.” Do your customers communicate with you on your website? Over social media chat? Wherever your customers are, that’s where your chatbot should be.

Choose the right artificial intelligence chatbot

Not all chatbots are as capable as they say. In fact, quite a few of them aren’t equipped with artificial intelligence at all – meaning you’ll have to continuously upgrade your chat flow rules and organization in order to keep up with emerging trends. Some AI-driven chatbots only work on websites and can’t be applied to social media sites. So don’t be afraid to take advantage of trial periods, to be sure the solution you’re considering is worth the investment.

Construct your chatbot and launch it on your chosen platform

Put your plans into action and launch your artificial intelligence chatbot live! If you need assistance with this step, reaching out to a trusted technology partner can help you make this launch a success.

Consistently measure your chatbot’s performance

Launching your artificial intelligence chatbot is only half the battle. After you launch your chatbot, it is imperative that you keep an eye on how the chatbot is performing and see if there are any areas of improvement. Is the chat flow working smoothly? Is the bot learning and answering questions well? Do customers seem satisfied with the bot’s responses? Asking these questions on, at least, a quarterly basis will help ensure your bot is “headed in the right direction” so to speak.

Launch Your Artificial Intelligence Strategy Today with S-NET

Looking to deliver exceptional, AI-powered client experiences across multiple channels? Then look no further than S-NET. Our omnichannel solutions are packed with timesaving, intuitive features that will reduce your customer service workload while increasing its effectiveness. But don’t take our word for it – see it in action yourself by scheduling a free demo today!