Can a Chatbot Always Replace Humans in Marketing Research

Businesses are always eager to save expenses and cut operational costs. This reason has contributed to the growth of chatbot within the last three years, but there is a palpable fear of human agents losing their jobs due to these pieces of automation. 

This fear is warranted because chatbots are ubiquitous today. Amazon Alexais a record-breaking sensation, same with Apple’s Siriand Microsoft’s Cortana. ‘

Today, businesses are still exploring ways in which chatbots can improve user experience. According to a recent analysis, by the end of the year, chatbots will independently handle as much as 70% of customer interaction. This shows that chatbots have added much value and efficiency to business processes. One of the Tech Giants, Facebook has encouraged the use of chatbots or messenger bots on its instant messaging platform, regarding it as the ‘next digital frontier’. According to Zuckerberg, Facebook’s chief executive, these chatbots will soon be ‘indistinguishable from humans’, and capable of decision-making traits. This is not far-fetched as artificial intelligence-powered chatbots are capable of natural language processing, machine learning and speech recognition. This has optimised the functionality of chatbots. 

Chatbots provide benefits for customers. The era of communicative delays and the long wait for customer service response is over. Chatbots are better equipped to save time and offer real-time replies to enquiries. This has satisfied customers’ need for instant quick response time. 

Chatbots provide so many benefits to businesses, especially service businesses and businesses that are centred around customers. Chatbots are more affordable than human agents, rarely make mistakes or errors, neither sleep nor take breaks. Chatbots are ‘always online’ Businesses, right from inception, have long wished for utilities like these. 

So the question is ‘can a chatbot always replace humans?’ This article will intricately explore the likelihood of that scenario ever happening. 

A quick overview of the chatbot

The chatbot is a digital communicative tool utilised by businesses to stimulate conversations with customers. This ‘stimulation of conversation’ can happen via text chat or voice commands. The entire process is handled through a process called automation, which is at the heart of this human-machine communication. So, instead of chatting with a human representative on an instant messenger platform (say Facebook messenger), you will be communicating with a digital assistant or chatbot. 

It is a quick and effective way for businesses to engage and interact with their customers.

Chatbots are still evolving!

Chatbots are game-changers in the marketing and customer service landscape, but similar to every creation; they are not without weaknesses. For businesses to utilise chatbots to engage optimally with humans, they need to complement chatbots’ analytical prowess with emotional intelligence. Yes, high-performance AI-chatbots can create an illusion of human-like conversations based on context, but they will still lack the skill to recognise the subtleties and shades of human emotions. 

Human agents can show empathy; they know how to connect with the feelings of customers. They can satisfy the emotional needs of their customers, which means human agents can sense annoyance, excitement, apprehension, anxiety, anticipation, excitement etc. Chatbots and other digital assistance do not understand or perceive these emotional cues.

Imagine a scenario where you encounter a problem with your bank account and access the website of your bank, a chatbot will immediately initiate a conversation with you. You are feeling dread and dismay, perhaps terrified at the thought of losing the money in your account. The chatbot will do its job efficiently. It will view your account, do the necessary mathematical analysis, provide options, these proficiencies will not tackle the fright and horror you may experience deep down. 

Chatbots will never fully replace humans

Chatbots are meant to optimise the performance of marketing and customer service teams, allowing them to become more effective by supporting and complementing their efforts. The chatbot is not an end in itself, but a means to an end. They provide instant replies to simple questions, assist human agents in straightforward and easy tasks, and, where these tasks become overly complex, refer the customer to human agents. 

For companies to succeed in their customer service and marketing endeavour, they will have to look for a healthy blend of chatbot automation and human agent, utilising their competency and using it to complement each other. 

What role do chatbots play in Marketing research?

Chatbots are already an irrevocable part of social media marketing and customer service. As we have already mentioned, Facebook has made a move to allow the seamless integration of third-party chatbots into its instant messaging platforms (WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger). This means that close to 2 billion people around the world may likely interact with these chatbots in the nearest future. Here are three ways in which chatbots enhance marketing research: 

Track Purchase Behaviour of customers

Online stores have varying degrees of complexities. This means customers may show varying behaviour in their purchase process. Chatbots can help to add value and automation to your entire purchase process and facilitate conversational marketing, which improves user experience. 

Once the chatbot is integrated into an eCommerce store, it monitors customers’ purchase history and follows them during their next engagement. Intelligent chatbots can use customers.

 Purchase behaviour to make personalised recommendations. This will boost conversation rates. 

Boost customer acquisition and retention

Chatbots interact with customers distinctively. This allows for easy retention and acquisition of customers. These activities are key to customer loyalty and increased sales. When chatbots are integrated into messaging platforms (such as Facebook) they can engage customers easily and bond well with them. 

Enhance customer engagement and lead qualification

If a prospective customer visits your website, chatbots can be used to initiate conversation, for instance, phrases like ‘Hi, we are online’ or ‘Any questions? Let us know’ can create a hospitable or amiable environment for first-time visitors. Then, chatbots will then engage the customers and gather vital information to aid in lead qualifications, for instance, email address and their need. These details can be used to qualify leads and forge a successful sales/marketing strategy.