Due to outmaneuver uncertain times, companies have switched to digital products and applications. The pandemic has affected the health of businesses – small and big as well as the economy. Amidst the global crisis, one industry that stands straight and wins the battle is the software company. Even retail stores want to have an online presence due to social distancing norms.
Chatbots have played a crucial role in enabling businesses to serve a wide array of customers. The credit goes to artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms. Chatbots eliminates the cost spent over hiring human support teams and speeds up the response time significantly. All in all, Chatbots helps to save 30% cost spent over customer cost.
Chatbots are used in businesses to streamline internal and external operations such as interacting with customers, answering user queries, handling HR operations, etc. In recent times, Chatbots have been used interactively in onboarding new employees, setting up the screening process, recording employee’s answers, and guiding them through the company’s ethics and work cultures.
Let’s take an insight into the industry-specific functions and roles of Chatbots.
Table of Contents
Role of Chatbots in Retail
Chatbots, integrated into a retail website, helps increasing customer satisfaction levels while improving revenue. When customer support is available via Chatbots, there a significant reduction in call volume. This results in controlling operational costs without compromising the quality of customer service.
In the absence of chatbots, customers often spend maximum time searching for contact information or filling up customer query forms. Then they need to wait for receiving answers from customer support teams. However, this is not the case with Chatbots as they facilitate instant customer-business communication and rapid response.
Chatbots improve cross-selling and up-selling by highlighting new products that the customer may be interested in. Chatbots help to notify customers about the new collection and latest deals based on its purchase history. Retail outlets can boost their digital presence by incorporating Chatbots in their mobile app, website, or social media platforms.
Role of Chatbots in Healthcare
In the healthcare industry, AI-driven chatbots can take the patient experience to the next level by guiding them with useful, relevant medical information. Chatbots can automate clinical queries by enabling patients to ask health-related questions. Automatic responses can be provided to the patient after setting up their discussion rounds with their healthcare provider, based on the given data.
When implemented correctly, Chatbots can shred the burden from healthcare providers. The intelligent robotic support interfaces can be used for better management of medical operations, routine inquiries of patients, sending automated replies for mild medical conditions, and delivering instant care in emergency situations.
However, it’s imperative that only premium Chatbots with complex self-learning algorithms must be incorporated in the healthcare sector. It will reduce hospital admissions and readmission as well as unnecessary treatment procedures in the healthcare centers. Healthcare Chatbots will result in significant cost-saving, with a global estimate of around $3.6 billion by 2022.
Though Chatbots can never replace doctor’s advice and expertise, they can minimize management loads to a remarkable extent.
Role of Chatbots in Manufacturing
Manufacturing firms are looking for all possible ways to deploy innovative by big data consulting services solutions in their digital products to drive rapid efficiencies. Chatbots are one such way that improves the supply chain and simplifies inventory management. Leveraging an automated query system allows management to check the status of inventory on the smartphones.
Manufacturing operations can be handled smoothly as Chatbots allows asking questions about pending orders and inventory status. Not just that, users can get up-to-date information about the shipment status and expected delivery dates for orders. Chatbots can provide detailed information about shipping, inventory, labor, and resources.
In addition, it accelerates employee communication and allows access to business-critical data that helps tracking purchase orders, develop reports for shipping alerts, tracking in-stock and out-stock inventory, etc.
AI-enabled Chatbots offers numerous benefits in the manufacturing supply chain.
- Easy data retrieval
- Reduced work-hours
- Improved supply chain
- Anywhere, anytime access
- Improved employee efficiency
- Role-based access to crucial data
- Integration with backend systems
- Efficient and streamlined processes
Role of Chatbots in the Travel Industry
Booking hotel accommodations, holiday packages, flight tickets is a complex process, and customers need to explore the best option available online. To simplify the bookings and reservations process, travel companies are incorporating AI-led Chatbots that answer customer’s queries.
Right from recommending an attractive travel destination to booking an itinerary, Chatbots are handling it all for customers on some of the best travel websites. In the travel sector, AI bots serve as the best travel consultants ever as they assist customers according to time zones. Chatbots are available 24X7 to answer user queries.
Chatbots provides comprehensive, detailed information on flights, hotels, travel packages based on customer preferences. It allows customers to make the right decision. Chatbots also provide post-booking assistance by answering queries related to car rental services, sight-seeing, popular eating outlets, and nearby amenities. Users can use travel Chatbots as their personal tour guides while on the go, on any device.
Role of Chatbots in Education
Chatbots facilitates information access in the education sector by answering student’s queries related to university programs, fee, modules, course duration, etc. They help students to explore various educational and entertainment facilities available within the campus.
Chatbot technology can never replace a teacher’s job but will simplify their tasks by delivering a dedicated learning environment. Chatbots increase student engagement provides accurate feedback and gives opportunities for improvement. In addition, AI capabilities result in simplifying administrative tasks.
Students can have access to the academic syllabus, and other critical resources anytime, from any device.
Conclusion
AI-driven Chatbots have become a necessity as it facilitates user-business interaction and simplifies administrative operations while improving efficiencies. Smart bots can be incorporated easily and seamlessly into any digital product including, business websites, mobile apps, Facebook pages, or any other social media channel.
The best thing is that these intelligent assistants are available 24X7 with quick query resolution capabilities. Every business regardless of its domain must integrate Chatbots to improve the customer journey.